Koloa Dark

Aroma - warm chocolate followed by sweet bread and a hint of barrel wood.

Taste - fresh chocolate chip cookies

Okay, so I have a bit of explaining to do. I tried as best as I could to get another flavor out of this rum besides the cookies but I simply could not. This is by far the strangest phenomena I have ever come across in a rum. I even cross referenced it with my dad who doesn't drink hard liquor at all and he came up with the exact same taste. This is a weird rum for sure but I think I found a use for it. I don't think it would mix very well, especially not in a classic Tiki drink, but I think it would be a great tool to use when introducing people to rum for the first time. It is obviously sweet, but not artificially like Bumbu, has no alcohol burn, fairly easy to find, can be bought in 50ml samples, and at $26 to $34 isn't going to bankrupt anyone. I recommend people try it if they can find a 50ml sample, but this one isn't for me.

My rum journey is fairly new and this was one of the first rums I tried. It even shows up at Costco from time to time for around $26 which is a bargain. Over $35 would definitely lower my rating. The first thing that comes to mind is vanilla on the taste. For me this has a lot of vanilla. I enjoyed sipping this on ice and in tiki cocktails where Smugglers Cove calls for dark rum. I purchased a second bottle for my rum bar so I am giving it a 7.

When I visited the distillery, they had not come out with his little gem yet but ran across it on a recent trip to Total Wines. Having enjoyed the other Koloa rums on my trip to Kauai I decided to give this a go.
I will say right from the start this rum is not for everybody. I enjoy a sweet rum sipper for "dessert" and this one borders the too sweet category. But if you like a sweet sipper after dinner, I highly recommend this one. Nose is all vanilla/caramel and the taste, even more so. Smooth going down with a long-lasting aftertaste that is like having just finished a candy. I bought it again already so that will tell you what I thought about it.

This is probably the best dark rum I've ever tried. Amazing nose and a flavor smooth enough for sipping.

It's so smooth and has an amazing vanilla flavor but also the nice deep dark rum flavor still there as well!

It’s says dark rum, but kind of tastes like a sweet spiced rum. Good for mixing. Not a sipper for my palate but if your into darker / sweeter rums this might be for you.

If you enjoy the sweeter things in life this is for you. The flavor is uber sweet with vanilla, coffee, and chocolate hitting your taste buds. Have this one on the rocks or out of the freezer for the best results. Highly recommend this to anyone with a sweet tooth.

Tried at tasting room. Nice, but a bit chemicaly. Probably best for mixing into heavier cocktails than sipping.

Was looking to try a new dark/black rum and gave Koloa a try. This is my first Hawaiian rum, so bear with me if my observations are amateur.

I get a good taste of coffee on the start, following by rich caramel flavors, which faded quickly and seemed fairly monotone. Much sweeter than I expected, almost artificially so. However, it sips reasonably smooth, which is a plus, since this expression is priced higher than other dark rums I generally look for. Not exceptionally interesting on its own and I was hoping for more complexity, generally whelmed with my purchase.

It’s my 1st Hawaiian rum.
Great color for dark rum.
Very pleasant on the nose.
First sip I picked up vanilla and caramel.
I little bite. I added a small bit of ice and let it sit. Very smooth.
It’s a great sipper.