I tried this rum mixed in a Dark & Stormy. It was just okay, which leads to my scoring this a 5. It wasn't great but it wasn't awful. Not sure I appreciated the flavor profile. It was a bit harsh. One thing that irks me about Gosling's is that they trademarked the name "Dark & Stormy" so that a restaurant cannot list it if they don't use Gosling's rum. I've used other dark rums in the cocktail and came out with much better results (i.e., Kraken Original 94 proof being one example). I wouldn't buy another bottle and I'm not sure I'll ever finish the bottle I have. I just didn't like it that much.

Somehow neutral on nose, with a bit of alcohol_pleasure touch of something fruity, natural, new.

Deliciously sweet just into the target! Smooth and smooth, but not oily. Random citrus muscat nut notes perform symphony for a ...

Well... just for while. The aftertaste feels relatively shot, that requires to renew the glass )

Thanks Plantation!

I have to admit that I'm not much of a sipper, but this rum is very nice in a rum old-fashioned with demerara syrup, water, orange bitters and a muddle orange. Just hot enough and beautiful vanilla notes that really merge well with the orange bitters and muddle fruit. Not easy to find here in northern New Jersey, but I do keep an eye out.

I've been trying to launch into the world of more higher-end rums. I'm not really a sipper and so I prefer cocktails. This rum does not disappoint in any way and has become a new option for us in classic daiquiris or a rum old-fashioned. Wonderful caramel and oak, with hints of vanilla and citrus. It creates a very rounded flavor profile in either of the classic cocktails I mentioned.

Really happy with this Diplomatico. Nice balance, slightly dry with spice finish.

I gotta do 10/10! I purchased this one on recommendations, and I was really surprised by its slightly sugar taste, but it is OK even for drinkers who like dryer rums. Very nice aroma of vanilla and honey.

Okay, this is it. This is the stuff of legends. The bottle this was tasted from was gifted to me by me grandfather and was bought in Austria in 1982.

Nose: Sugar, Liquorice Root, Herbal Medicine, Caramel and Vanilla Extract
Taste: Sugar, Plastic, Liquorice Root, Herbal Medicine and Vanillin with a artificial, but surprisingly short aftertaste
Overall: Well, this is just bad. I knew it would be, but it still is.... bad. The artificial flavours covers up the 80 abv pretty well and it drinks much easier than that, but it is simply bad "rum". It gets a 2/10, because it is quite good to use in your baked goods.

My father-in-law came to me proudly and said, that he had finally found a rum for us to try and pulled up this bottle. Save to say that I will bring the rum for our next gathering.

Nose: Vanilla, Butterscotch, Oak, Milk Chocolate and a slight whiff of coffee
Taste: Vanilla, Butterscotch, Chocolate, Coffee and a very off aftertaste of old molden wood
Overall: This is a rum, that is just below par. The tast itself is okay, but nothing special and borders on boring. However, it is the aftertaste that completely destoys whatever good the rum had going for it leaving you with an awful taste in your mouth for hours to come.

Another year, another Foursquare. I am a fan of the yearly offerings from the distillery from Barbardos and it so turns out, that the 2007-vintage is no exception.

Nose: Vanilla, Coconut, Oak, Almonds & Raisins
Taste: Oak, Vanilla, Ginger, Caramel & Leather with a nice mouthfeel that lingers long after the rum is gone
Overall: Another hit from the always reliable Foursquare. You could say, that the distillery is a bit to one-dimensional with these annual offerings, but the 2007 seems to be more complex and might be to complicated for newer rum-drinkers, but if you are used to drinking straight from the cask, then this is a perfect rum for you.

Very clean rum with a sweet and woody tast. You can see some wood of the barrel in your glass. Enjoy!

I read all of the reveiws below and people trashing this. As a beer connoisseur with beers exceeding 1500/bottle, I think we have to acknowlege that not every bottle of every liquor is going to be the Shangri-La of that liquor. However, as a person that was looking for a nice sipping beverage to keep me out of my beer, I found this to be exceptional. It is super-smooth, little-to-no heat, and does have the sweetness that a bunch are griping about. We drank it side-by-side with an Appleton Estate 21 year, and the Appleton tasted like garbage. If that is what rum is supposed to be, I will stick with the Zacapa. I know I sure as hell will not drop another 100+ on a bottle I have not tried after that train wreck. .

Having drank Zacapa 23 for 1/3 the price, I found this extremely disappointing and off-putting. It has a very hot profile that makes the subtlety of the rum flavors all but disappear in the alcohol burn. Perhaps in a bourbon, this would be acceptable, but it really detracted from the experience and left me wondering why in the hell I dropped 120+ on this bottle when I could have bought 3 Zacapa 23...

taste - 7/10
smell - 7/10
sweetness - 8/10
price/value rating - 9/10

taste - 8/10
smell - 8/10
sweetness - 7/10
price/value rating - 6/10

taste - 8/10
smell - 7.5/10
sweetness - 7.5/10
price/value rating - 6/10

taste - 10/10
smell - 10/10
sweetness - 7.5/10
price/value rating - 8.5/10

taste - 10/10
smell - 10/10
sweetness - 7/10
price/value rating - 7.5/10

taste - 9/10
smell - 8.5/10
sweetness - 7/10
price/value rating - 8.5/10

There are definitely better rums out there but for higher prices. But I haven't tasted anything better for the same price. You get what you pay for. The plastic badge on the bottle looks cheap, I think.

This was kind of a test. I wanted to see how low I can go, price-wise, and still be satisfied. It's barely acceptable to me. But by spending just a little bit more, I get a much more satisfying experience.