Cruzan Black Strap

Smells like brown sugar
Taste - dark, rich and deep, molasses, cloves.

If I use this in a Jet Pilot, it tastes like a black cherry drink, love it. It will dominate a mixed drink. I could sip this neat.

This one was on sale and I've never tried a black rum before. The taste was pretty much what I expected, a definite molasses taste. I like my rum on the rocks and the molasses taste is pretty watery by the bottom of the glass, but overall a pleasant flavor and pretty smooth. I strongly prefer straight run to flavored or spiced, but this was a pleasant surprise. I'd buy it again

Jonahs Curse had been my favorite to date (I am price conscious) until this rum. Gosling’s is good but not as good a value. The Cruzan brand has always been one of the best and this is consistent with the brand as expected. A little sweet on-the-rocks but very strong molasses taste which i really like. I will definitely go back to this when I need a break from aged rums.

If someone asked me which blackstrap rum to buy I would tell them to go for this. It's very cheap in the US. Not exactly meant for neat or rocks sipping, but could be good if that's your style, it isn't mine for something this sweet. This is GREAT as needed in tiki and craft cocktails. Packs a huge molasses and pancake syrup scent and flavor and gives a delicious syrupy-rummy flavor in SMALL DOSES. This overpowers other flavors if you use more than a quarter or half ounce for a standard drink. I would never add a syrup or other sweetener to a drink featuring this rum.

Overall, very particular in its use but great in context. For <$15 just go for it.

This run I only like as a mixed drink I've had it as a dark and stormy excellent my wife has made me three different mixed drinks with this rum all excellent

A soon as you pour it, you can smell the coffee and chocolate notes. Almost like a Reisen candy. It has an oily finish with just a little burn, but leaves behind a bit of sweetness with a taste of toffee. Not a sipper, a bit on the sweet side, but would be good in a punch or mixed drink where you want the flavor to come out. Would make a great pina colada or bushwacker.

For New Year's, I made my usual pot of black-eyed peas, which calls for 2 TBS of black strap molasses. It had been a long time since I had molasses in the house, so after using only 2 TBS, what on earth was I going to do with the rest? When I found out about the vitamin and mineral content, I would gulp a TBS or two before calling it a night. Eventually, that bottle of Brer Rabbit was gone. Damn, I missed it!!!

Then I got to reading reviews on this Cruzan Black Strap Rum. All I could think of was how I liked the taste of Negrita Dark from Martinique about 22 years ago and then how it did a number on my system the next day. Needless to say, I was reluctant to pick up a bottle of this Cruzan product, which is actually hard to find where I live. Well, I stumbled across a bottle of it today for only $12 and said what the heck and bought it.

I would say that it is no longer rum and it is no longer molasses, but another completely different product. Call it what you want, but I actually enjoyed sipping it neat. Is it an elegant sipper? Hell no! Is it repulsive to me? Hell no! Anyone that cannot find multiple uses for this Cruzan product needs to beef up their imagination. This is light years better than Papa's Pilar Dark and is a tad better than Myer's Dark. I still have very bad memories of Gosling's Black Seal from decades ago and won't even go there. Others have suggested storing the whole bottle in the freezer and then sipping it neat. Good idea and thanks!

Update July 17. 2019: It now comes in a new and wider bottle with the phrase "Estate Diamond" added to it. This would normally make buyers think that is has been improved, but it is now a dollar cheaper than when I first bought it 18 months ago. For all practical purposes, it is still the same rum. I also could find no explanation anywhere what the differences are except for the new bottle and labeling.

I thought I'd give this a try based on a relatively good score for the money, but it's not really my style. At this price point, I'd recommend the Gosling's Black Seal instead.

This is relatively dry and somewhat plain for a dark rum. Smells and tastes of molasses, licorice, and maple syrup. Flavor feels a bit weak to me, especially for a 40%abv rum. I guess it's ok for the money, but that's about all I can say.

At first the nose is introduced to the aroma of molasses. The mouth is complimented with a Rich not too sweet flavor of slightly burned sugar. The finish is bark with no bite. I love this Rum any season. It is truly unique. This is what rum must have looked and tasted like in the 17th and 18th centuries. I prefer this Rum very cold as it does something wonderful to the overall experience. Leave it in freezer and drink it neat .

Changed the bottle, and lost the character! Now thin as dishwater, and tastes just as bad. Someone should be hanging in the Yard Arm!