Gosling's Black Seal

There is some real value to this rum and it has formed the basis by which I judge other black rums. It has pleasant notes of cloves and caramel and it's deep flavor compliments drinks with powerful flavors like lime, ginger, Campari, and pineapple very well. It is an excellent rum for the price and would be my first choice if I was serving black rum drinks to a lot of people on a budget.

Had a great Dark N Stormy in Rum House Bar in Prague. (photo of homemade drink)

Very fresh taste thanks to ginger ale, and Goslings rum is the best choice for this drink.

Very lovely & sweet tasting rum. Definitely up there with high end rums.

Works well in a lot of Tiki drinks. Recommended if your going this route.

It might be cheap, but this is the molasses based spirit I hope for.

You know what this is good for. Yep adding it to ginger beer "Goslings Gingerbeer" But when I drank it neat, it had a good aroma, with some good flavors expanding as you drink it.

Tasting such a staple rum for the first time in a couple of decades did not trigger expectations. But this is an overall unique experience that is hard for me to compare to any other products. In general: It looks and tastes of dark treacle but is lifted by a couple of layers of fruit and barrel that makes it surprisingly refreshing and elegant for being in the middle tier of standard rums. Pleasant aftertaste too.

Nose: Medium dark treacle, simply — burnt sugar, hint of floral sugar cane and oak.

Palate: A distinct taste of treacle is refreshed by a funky bass line (baseline if you must) of fruit that suggest pot still distillation with some esters present in the mash. A mild hint of banana, citrus and pineapple that I find quite a successful balancing act up against the distinct taste of oaky treacle.

Aftertaste: Pleasant aftertaste with a slight presence of caramel and ginger that makes it easy to associate with ginger ale in a Dark and Stormy.

Good value for the money, and quite some personality you remember. This is something I will certainly sip every now and then. Not often, but all in all a rum you will come back to. Perhaps later than sooner, but you will come back.

Black as the ace of spades and very beautiful to drink, one for my cabinet

This rum serves a special place in the collection! It's the base for a Dark'N'Stormy cocktail and really can't be beaten for that. It's rotten for anything else.

I've been enjoying Black Seal for some years. As with most I first had in a Dark and Stormy, but it's so much more!

I find it's a great mixing rum to blend with other rums in exotic cocktails to create some complexity and a nice depth of rum flavor. Pleasing smooth aroma of sweet molasses and caramel, some alcohol and vanilla as well. Nice flavor of molasses with hints of vanilla and caramel. Not hot but pleasantly warm. Smooth medium finish lingers nicely. A really good rum at a price that's hard to argue with.

This is a highly recommended rum to those that enjoy experimenting with different rum blends and for trying a different rum in mixed cocktails that you've always enjoyed but that you may be looking for a little tweak to.

I also enjoy pouring a couple of ounces in a snifter and sipping neat once in a while. It's a pleasant rum with plenty of flavor to enjoy and smooth on the palate. It's not a world class sipper but it is an all around good rum that's agreeable to many uses. Not an 8 but better than a 7 in my mind, I give it a solid 7.5. Enjoy!