Very nice spiced rum. Strong notes of orange and citrus. Not so much actual baking spices, maybe a slight hint, but still really great either way.

Now this is a spiced rum! Finally, actual baking spices, and spicy pepper notes. Fantastic spiced rum. Lightly sweet, but not too sweet. I think I have found my favorite spiced rum.

Very nice mild demerara rum. Definitely does not hold a candle to the 151, but still good overall.

This rum is a revelation. Dark notes of molasses and caramel. Incredible. This and OFTD have officially made me no longer scared of overproof rums. Maybe that fear came from trying moonshines in Tennessee, where higher proof meant less flavor and more ethanol. Not the case here. This is a flavor bomb.

Vanilla, vanilla, and more vanilla. That's it. One note. Not a spiced rum, it's a vanilla rum, in which case, I guess it's ok if that's your thing. Better than Captain Morgan spiced, but just by a hair.

Too sweet, very artificial tasting. My wife loves a bottle buy, and she's been eyeing this one for a while. Thankfully we were able to try it at a rum tasting. Thank goodness, because we both disliked it. It's only saving grace is that it's not all vanilla, like many spiced rums, but it tastes artificial and far too sweet. There are much better spiced rums (Chairman's Reserve and Lemon Hart come to mind).

Nice Jamaican funk, kind of on the milder side for me, but that may be due to the ABV compared to say Wray & Nephew, Smith & Cross or Hampden. Could be a nice entry into Jamaican rums, but if you've gotten used to some of the funkier rums, this one is a bit one note. Personally, I think I'd reach for Coruba over this around the 40% ABV category. Granted that's assuming you can find Coruba, in which case, this is looking like a pretty good option.

Some good reviews (locally) though not suited to my preferences. Nice body and initial flavours but strong pineapple and cola hits soon after and overpowers everything else. I’ll get through it no doubt but may take some time

Nice upgrade to the standard Bacardi Ocho. You definitely get a nice hint of the sherry finish to an otherwise pretty standard lightly aged rum. The choice of cask finish on the ocho will definitely be a personal preference. For me, the Seville Orange is a step above this one, so I'll put this right between the two at a 7. That may be a tad generous, maybe a 6.5 would be more apt, but 6 doesn't seem to do it justice.

I'll give it to Bacardi, I don't hate this. One note, no complexity, but I don't hate myself when I drink this (unlike Bacardi silver). If you're going to try a Bacardi 8, reach for one of the more interesting cask finishes, like the Sherry or the Seville Orange. Both of those offer a bit of complexity to an otherwise standard mixer. I keep going back and forth whether to give this a 5 or a 6. Ignoring the price, I guess I have to go with a 6, but there are much better rums at this price point.

I keep being impressed by rum from Thailand. I was only able to try this briefly at a local rum tasting, but it was fantastic. Slight natural sweetness, notes of honey and baking spices. Not overly complex, but really tasty. At first I thought it had a small dosage, but according to their website they do not add any sugar or coloring. This is a relatively new rum from Thailand, but I really hope we get this soon in the states.

I did this completely backwards. I tried the Stiggin's Smoky formula first and was extremely disappointed (I really have to stop listening to "Limited" release marketing labels). Thankfully, I was able to try this at a local tasting. These two bottles couldn't be farther apart. I don't need to ramble too much, since there are already so many reviews, so just going to say wow and leave it at that.

Strong earthy notes. The age definitely helps this over the silver clairin, but that's about all I can say.

I feel really bad rating this rum so low. The gentleman at the tasting where I tried this was so excited to talk about it and share this rum, but I just can't rate this higher than a 2. It has such a strong note of mushrooms, I couldn't get over it. He described it as a very, very strong funk. Perhaps that's accurate. Looking through some of the other reviews, I tend to agree with the bitter and briny notes. I'm sure there are people who like earthy and briny notes in their spirits (I for example hate olives, so maybe that helps put this review into perspective), so I'm sure some people will like this style, but this is a hard pass.

So you've tried Wray & Nephew overproof and thought to yourself, well that's pretty cool, but it just doesn't have nearly enough funk, boy do I have the rum for you. I didn't think I had a limit on hogo funk. Turns out I do, and this crosses it. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad rum, by any means. My wife on the other hand, loved this rum, it's just not for me.

I don't mind if distillers add a small dosage to their rums (within reason). The deceptive part to me is calling this Ron Zacapa 23, which makes it look like a 23 year old bottle of rum and excuses the higher price tag. Having said that, for me this is superior to the XO. If you like drier rums, you'll definitely prefer the XO, but I don't mind a hint of sweetness, and having tasted these side by side, not only would I rather drink this, it's also more complex. While the XO is one note with the hint of cognac, this one has different notes from the different casks. If the XO is a 7, then this is definitely a 7.5. It's not quite an 8, so I'll stick to rating this the same as its older brother. Also, at the price of... HOLY CRAP, less than half the price of the XO?? My god the XO is overpriced!

This is an exceptional rum, the only disappointment is that I only bought one bottle. I was worried the high alcohol content would diminish the sipping quality, however I was definitely wrong. The nose is very sweet to start and does not come off with an overpowering alcohol aroma. I get anise and a slight vanilla then the alcohol permeates the sinuses, numbs the lips and warms my soul! Kudos to the makers of this, the nectar of the gods!

Sugar added but different in not a bad way. See his review for details.

Rick states. “Reminds me heavily of a clarin. Pretty decent but raw. Big vegetal and olive brine nose with plum and blackberry. Hints Reminds me heavily of a clarin. Pretty decent but raw. Big vegetal and olive brine nose with plum and blackberry. Hints of red fruit and honey on the tongue. Ends with tobacco of red fruit and honey on the tongue. Ends with tobacco”. His comments spot onto me. Will be buying another bottle.

Al naso è delicato e soffice con note di legno, floreali, cioccolato, zucchero bruciato, frutti rossi acerbi e un poco di tabacco.
Al palato è altrettanto soffice e delicato con sentori fioriti, vegetali, di pepe, tabacco, legno e qualcosa di mielato e dolce (frutta secca) sul finale. Il tutto molto rotondo. Il profilo di gusto è in linea con altri millesimati della stessa decade. Nel bicchiere vuoto leggeri stagionati dolci.

I wasn't sure what I expected from this, but it exceeded my expectations nonetheless. This blend is greater than the sum of it's parts. Characteristics of each rum style (Barbados, Guyana & Jamaica) punch through to make each sip a journey. After an intial bite, it is followed by notes of toffee, fruit, spice, chocolate and coffee, accompanied by a welcome dose of Jamaican funk, then finishes with tingley black pepper / spice. I presume the pleasant bite is a result of the 46.2% ABV.

This is a very enjoyable sipper that punches above its price. I imagine it would hold up extremely well in cocktails, but I can't bring myself to mix a £40 rum.

I'm normally wary of age statements for rums from multiple countries, but the "5-year" age statement is presumably the age of the youngest rum in the blend, as that's the requirement in all three of the countries included. The nose and palate, which both have plenty going on, confirm this.

I'm now intrigued by how Black Tot's other offerings taste (e.g. Last Consignment and Master Blender's Reserve), but even the next cheapest of those if out of my reach for now.

My introduction to rum was Captain Morgan's and Lamb's navy rum, mixed with coke. While I enjoyed this enough as a student, my subsequent exposure to far superior rums left me assuming that "navy rum" meant "cheap dark rum". For this reason, I've avoided any rum branded as or in anyway referencing "navy". Having enjoyed Black Tot Finest Caribbean, I'm now thinking I must be missing out on other decent "navy" rums (e.g. perhaps Pusser's is worth a try).

As with Lost Year's 'Four Island' rum, this is a blend of rums - each from a different country/island - with the oldest being 8 years. The more prominent woody notes suggest to me that the average age is older though. Another key difference is that 'Arribada Cask Aged' is 42% ABV, compared to 'Four Island's' 40% ABV, and this does come through on the palate (in a good way). Oakier, drier and less fruity than it's brother, this release is likely to be more appealing to whiskey drinkers.
As with 'Four Island', I've deducted a point from my rating due to the price.

I was surprised this rum hadn't yet been added to Rum Ratings, but Lost Years is a very young English company (younger than the rum they are selling!). As the name suggests, each of the four rums in this blend is from a different island.
With each of the four being relatively young (the oldest is an 8-year-old from Foursquare), the result is a fairly light, crisp and fruity golden rum. I wouldn't normally drink such a young rum neat, but there's a reasonable depth to the flavour and it makes a nice change for an occassional sip. Fruitier but not quite as smooth as Appleton 8, which is the most similar rum I'd previously tried that I'd consider sipping neat. Like the Appleton 8, it would make a good mixing rum for coke / cocktails / ginger beer, but it's right at the upper end of my budget for that use.
The description on their website is very accurate, with my palate picking up on tropical fruits (pineapple, mango & coconutat the forefront, with a touch of stone fruits), a subtle smokiness from charred barrels, and vegetal notes from the addition of a young rhum agricole into the mix.
Probably overpriced compared to it's non-English competition, but not compared to English rums (which this is not - all four rums were distolled in the Caribbean). I've docked a point from my rating for this reason. As a bonus, every purchase helps to save baby sea turtles.

Standard Kraken with extra steps. If the flavour of cherry and vanilla had been better, a higher rating for sure.

Perfect sipping rum with a calm burn, leaving your throat nice and warm. Amazing coastal feel coming right from the Isle of Wight

Very nice spiced rum. Strong notes of orange and citrus. Not so much actual baking spices, maybe a slight hint, but still really great either way.

Now this is a spiced rum! Finally, actual baking spices, and spicy pepper notes. Fantastic spiced rum. Lightly sweet, but not too sweet. I think I have found my favorite spiced rum.

Very nice mild demerara rum. Definitely does not hold a candle to the 151, but still good overall.

This rum is a revelation. Dark notes of molasses and caramel. Incredible. This and OFTD have officially made me no longer scared of overproof rums. Maybe that fear came from trying moonshines in Tennessee, where higher proof meant less flavor and more ethanol. Not the case here. This is a flavor bomb.

Vanilla, vanilla, and more vanilla. That's it. One note. Not a spiced rum, it's a vanilla rum, in which case, I guess it's ok if that's your thing. Better than Captain Morgan spiced, but just by a hair.

Too sweet, very artificial tasting. My wife loves a bottle buy, and she's been eyeing this one for a while. Thankfully we were able to try it at a rum tasting. Thank goodness, because we both disliked it. It's only saving grace is that it's not all vanilla, like many spiced rums, but it tastes artificial and far too sweet. There are much better spiced rums (Chairman's Reserve and Lemon Hart come to mind).

Nice Jamaican funk, kind of on the milder side for me, but that may be due to the ABV compared to say Wray & Nephew, Smith & Cross or Hampden. Could be a nice entry into Jamaican rums, but if you've gotten used to some of the funkier rums, this one is a bit one note. Personally, I think I'd reach for Coruba over this around the 40% ABV category. Granted that's assuming you can find Coruba, in which case, this is looking like a pretty good option.

Some good reviews (locally) though not suited to my preferences. Nice body and initial flavours but strong pineapple and cola hits soon after and overpowers everything else. I’ll get through it no doubt but may take some time

Nice upgrade to the standard Bacardi Ocho. You definitely get a nice hint of the sherry finish to an otherwise pretty standard lightly aged rum. The choice of cask finish on the ocho will definitely be a personal preference. For me, the Seville Orange is a step above this one, so I'll put this right between the two at a 7. That may be a tad generous, maybe a 6.5 would be more apt, but 6 doesn't seem to do it justice.

I'll give it to Bacardi, I don't hate this. One note, no complexity, but I don't hate myself when I drink this (unlike Bacardi silver). If you're going to try a Bacardi 8, reach for one of the more interesting cask finishes, like the Sherry or the Seville Orange. Both of those offer a bit of complexity to an otherwise standard mixer. I keep going back and forth whether to give this a 5 or a 6. Ignoring the price, I guess I have to go with a 6, but there are much better rums at this price point.

I keep being impressed by rum from Thailand. I was only able to try this briefly at a local rum tasting, but it was fantastic. Slight natural sweetness, notes of honey and baking spices. Not overly complex, but really tasty. At first I thought it had a small dosage, but according to their website they do not add any sugar or coloring. This is a relatively new rum from Thailand, but I really hope we get this soon in the states.

I did this completely backwards. I tried the Stiggin's Smoky formula first and was extremely disappointed (I really have to stop listening to "Limited" release marketing labels). Thankfully, I was able to try this at a local tasting. These two bottles couldn't be farther apart. I don't need to ramble too much, since there are already so many reviews, so just going to say wow and leave it at that.

Strong earthy notes. The age definitely helps this over the silver clairin, but that's about all I can say.

I feel really bad rating this rum so low. The gentleman at the tasting where I tried this was so excited to talk about it and share this rum, but I just can't rate this higher than a 2. It has such a strong note of mushrooms, I couldn't get over it. He described it as a very, very strong funk. Perhaps that's accurate. Looking through some of the other reviews, I tend to agree with the bitter and briny notes. I'm sure there are people who like earthy and briny notes in their spirits (I for example hate olives, so maybe that helps put this review into perspective), so I'm sure some people will like this style, but this is a hard pass.

So you've tried Wray & Nephew overproof and thought to yourself, well that's pretty cool, but it just doesn't have nearly enough funk, boy do I have the rum for you. I didn't think I had a limit on hogo funk. Turns out I do, and this crosses it. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad rum, by any means. My wife on the other hand, loved this rum, it's just not for me.

I don't mind if distillers add a small dosage to their rums (within reason). The deceptive part to me is calling this Ron Zacapa 23, which makes it look like a 23 year old bottle of rum and excuses the higher price tag. Having said that, for me this is superior to the XO. If you like drier rums, you'll definitely prefer the XO, but I don't mind a hint of sweetness, and having tasted these side by side, not only would I rather drink this, it's also more complex. While the XO is one note with the hint of cognac, this one has different notes from the different casks. If the XO is a 7, then this is definitely a 7.5. It's not quite an 8, so I'll stick to rating this the same as its older brother. Also, at the price of... HOLY CRAP, less than half the price of the XO?? My god the XO is overpriced!

This is an exceptional rum, the only disappointment is that I only bought one bottle. I was worried the high alcohol content would diminish the sipping quality, however I was definitely wrong. The nose is very sweet to start and does not come off with an overpowering alcohol aroma. I get anise and a slight vanilla then the alcohol permeates the sinuses, numbs the lips and warms my soul! Kudos to the makers of this, the nectar of the gods!

Sugar added but different in not a bad way. See his review for details.

Rick states. “Reminds me heavily of a clarin. Pretty decent but raw. Big vegetal and olive brine nose with plum and blackberry. Hints Reminds me heavily of a clarin. Pretty decent but raw. Big vegetal and olive brine nose with plum and blackberry. Hints of red fruit and honey on the tongue. Ends with tobacco of red fruit and honey on the tongue. Ends with tobacco”. His comments spot onto me. Will be buying another bottle.

Al naso è delicato e soffice con note di legno, floreali, cioccolato, zucchero bruciato, frutti rossi acerbi e un poco di tabacco.
Al palato è altrettanto soffice e delicato con sentori fioriti, vegetali, di pepe, tabacco, legno e qualcosa di mielato e dolce (frutta secca) sul finale. Il tutto molto rotondo. Il profilo di gusto è in linea con altri millesimati della stessa decade. Nel bicchiere vuoto leggeri stagionati dolci.

I wasn't sure what I expected from this, but it exceeded my expectations nonetheless. This blend is greater than the sum of it's parts. Characteristics of each rum style (Barbados, Guyana & Jamaica) punch through to make each sip a journey. After an intial bite, it is followed by notes of toffee, fruit, spice, chocolate and coffee, accompanied by a welcome dose of Jamaican funk, then finishes with tingley black pepper / spice. I presume the pleasant bite is a result of the 46.2% ABV.

This is a very enjoyable sipper that punches above its price. I imagine it would hold up extremely well in cocktails, but I can't bring myself to mix a £40 rum.

I'm normally wary of age statements for rums from multiple countries, but the "5-year" age statement is presumably the age of the youngest rum in the blend, as that's the requirement in all three of the countries included. The nose and palate, which both have plenty going on, confirm this.

I'm now intrigued by how Black Tot's other offerings taste (e.g. Last Consignment and Master Blender's Reserve), but even the next cheapest of those if out of my reach for now.

My introduction to rum was Captain Morgan's and Lamb's navy rum, mixed with coke. While I enjoyed this enough as a student, my subsequent exposure to far superior rums left me assuming that "navy rum" meant "cheap dark rum". For this reason, I've avoided any rum branded as or in anyway referencing "navy". Having enjoyed Black Tot Finest Caribbean, I'm now thinking I must be missing out on other decent "navy" rums (e.g. perhaps Pusser's is worth a try).

As with Lost Year's 'Four Island' rum, this is a blend of rums - each from a different country/island - with the oldest being 8 years. The more prominent woody notes suggest to me that the average age is older though. Another key difference is that 'Arribada Cask Aged' is 42% ABV, compared to 'Four Island's' 40% ABV, and this does come through on the palate (in a good way). Oakier, drier and less fruity than it's brother, this release is likely to be more appealing to whiskey drinkers.
As with 'Four Island', I've deducted a point from my rating due to the price.

I was surprised this rum hadn't yet been added to Rum Ratings, but Lost Years is a very young English company (younger than the rum they are selling!). As the name suggests, each of the four rums in this blend is from a different island.
With each of the four being relatively young (the oldest is an 8-year-old from Foursquare), the result is a fairly light, crisp and fruity golden rum. I wouldn't normally drink such a young rum neat, but there's a reasonable depth to the flavour and it makes a nice change for an occassional sip. Fruitier but not quite as smooth as Appleton 8, which is the most similar rum I'd previously tried that I'd consider sipping neat. Like the Appleton 8, it would make a good mixing rum for coke / cocktails / ginger beer, but it's right at the upper end of my budget for that use.
The description on their website is very accurate, with my palate picking up on tropical fruits (pineapple, mango & coconutat the forefront, with a touch of stone fruits), a subtle smokiness from charred barrels, and vegetal notes from the addition of a young rhum agricole into the mix.
Probably overpriced compared to it's non-English competition, but not compared to English rums (which this is not - all four rums were distolled in the Caribbean). I've docked a point from my rating for this reason. As a bonus, every purchase helps to save baby sea turtles.

Standard Kraken with extra steps. If the flavour of cherry and vanilla had been better, a higher rating for sure.

Perfect sipping rum with a calm burn, leaving your throat nice and warm. Amazing coastal feel coming right from the Isle of Wight