Review: Goslings Spirited Seas Ocean Aged Rum Vol. 1

It’s been a minute since we’ve seen anything from Bermuda’s Goslings Rum brand, but it’s back and with a vengeance. This new rum is finished on a container ship that travelled between Bermuda and somewhere in the Mid-Atlantic, back and forth, over and over, bobbing around for a total of 59,920 nautical miles before returning home for bottling. It’s a story we’ve heard before, but let’s see how Goslings does with the concept.

A quality oak experience is what can make a good rum great, and there’s clearly something to be said for what that time on the water has done for this expression. Lots of punch on the nose gives the rum a certain austerity — plenty of oak and leather, balanced by a surfeit of bright sweetness: coconut syrup, maple, and butterscotch, all in a swirl.

The palate takes that and runs with it, as the maple notes quickly become nothing short of intense. A bold coffee bean character wraps around more savory notes of hemp and leather, with a smoldering tobacco note quickly coming into focus. Plenty of vanilla and maple continue to dominate, while toasted spices linger as the finish builds, with a slight note of sulfur and burnt matches hanging in the air.

While short of transcendent, this is a good, old, well-oiled rum that leans into its dessert-like qualities and takes no prisoners along the way.

88 proof.

B+ / $55 / goslingsrum.com

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