Hello there, you wonderful booze reviews reader, you. This week, your review is brought to you by I, the argyle clad Swetta Vest, the sole provider of class and upscale gentlemanly behaviors for booze reviews. I know it may seem uncharacteristic for someone with as much argyle as myself to review a drink like this, but I have not always been so upscale. In my sordid past, I have frequently turned to the likes of Bacardi 151° (which received a metric score of 5.46 in an earlier review) when I would “get my drunk on.” It was only later that I discovered this wonderful and powerful elixir!
Now, if you have ever been unfortunate enough to resort to 151 proof liquor before, I am truly sorry. It burns like demon fire and smells only marginally better than sulfur. By the time it has finally arrived in your stomach, if your throat doesn’t burn, it has probably melted away.
This bottle of Goslings Black Seal 151 Proof Rum was tricky to find, but was worth all the effort of procuring it. While Bacardi 151 rests on the middle shelf, standing proud next to all of the other gold Bacardi rums, this is nestled in the dark rum section, and is in a much less flashy bottle.
The bottle itself reads like a proper Scottish whiskey.
What they say: “Rich, smooth & full-bodied BLACK SEAL RUM is a unique blend by Gosling Brothers of Bermuda, the original recipe being a closely guarded family secret that has been handed down for over four generations.
Originally called “Old Rum” it was available only on draught out of oak barrels. Finally after World War One, BLACK SEAL was sold in Champagne bottles, the most widely available bottle at the time. The cork was sealed with black sealing wax, hence the name BLACK SEAL”
Now for the scores:
Taste: 6.4 – A delight, considering the standards that it’s being measured up to. High-proof liquors normally are quite unpleasant, but this was much sweeter than expected, and much more pleasing to the palate. Justice said his balls dropped a little, and William got his period. Quite a powerful brew!
Aftertaste: 5 –The sweetness carries on to the aftertaste, but becomes overpowering. It is very nice not to have to taste the distilled ethanol, but it lingers a bit too long.
Burn/Smooth: 1.3 – Ah, the destroyer of high-proof liquors. There’s no real way to escape the burn with a proof as high as this, but the sweetness becomes a double-edged sword. William and Justice believe that the sweetness accentuates the burn, but it still received higher marks than Bacardi 151, which got a 0
Aroma: 6.75 – Pleasant, syrupy smell, but very potent. It lacked a lot of the acidic bite that most over-proof rums have. “This is good, especially for 151 proof.”
Honesty: 8.1 – Sitting at such a high proof it starts off with many points, but it’s trying for two different markets. While the bottle is very gentlemanly, the rum is not quite pleasant enough to extol it’s virtues so much. Although, in a pinch, you can use this to prove yourself to someone who questions your resolve.
Mixibility: 5.8 – We were worried about how this would do, because it’s so strong and sweet. If the mixer was too strong, it would overpower the sweetness, leaving just the strong-liquor taste. If it’s too weak, it wouldn’t mitigate the afterburn.
Dark & Stormy: 2.6 – You have been warned. Kids, do not try this at home! Adults, don’t do it either. Above all else, don’t use Goya ginger beer, and odds are you don’t want to use Goslings Black Seal either. The two flavors add together to make a powerful, insidious burning concoction.
Rum & Coke: 9 – Now this was a surprise! I have never tasted a finer blend. This was eagerly anticipated by the Buffalo, who was “flirting with a boner.” The coke takes down the burn of the high-proof, while the sweetness from the liquor enhances the coke. It’s very delicious, especially when cold.
Value: 8.7 – With an average price at $21 for a 750ml bottle, this is quite affordable. 151 proof liquor excels at bringing you quickly to an inebriated state, and this does it quite pleasantly to boot.
Google Shop Average: $21
Website: http://www.goslingsrum.com/
Reviewer Scores:
William Henri Neve The IV: 7.5
Justice: 7
BuffaloJern: 8
DJ_LvL: 8
Swetta Vest: 8.5
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Metric Score: 42.05/70 |+| Metric Average: 6 |+| Reviewer Average: 7.8
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Final Thoughts:
This makes the best rum and cokes that many of us have ever tasted, and it’s far stronger than what you would normally find. In this case a little goes a long way, and for this price, it’s an amazing deal.
“This shit will fuck you up, but it tastes better doing it.”
“There is no faster, better way. Drunkability: 11.”
Enjoyed the review, but would disagree on the burn stated when mixed as Dark and Stormy. Being a big fan of the D&S, I’ve mixed both the Dark Rum and the 151. Granted, the 151 is much more discernible, but I don’t get the burn mentioned in your review – and it’s not bc it’s poured light, in fact, it’s floated. Great review and much appreciated however, I see no need to plant fear in the consumers mind. Thanks, guys!