Review: Koloa Hawaiian Rums and More, Complete Lineup (Updated 2025)
The tiny Hawaiian island of Kauai is home to Koloa Rum, a small operation with a surprisingly robust line of rums, a coffee liqueur, and ready-to-drink cocktails. All five rums are made from the mash of raw cane sugar, double distilled in a copper pot still, and cut with filtered water from Mount Waialeale. That said, there’s no aging or other information on how the white, gold, and dark rums differ from one another.
Here’s a look at the entire Koloa lineup of (5) rums, (1) liqueur, and (3) premixed cocktail products. Whew!
Update 2025: We’re consolidating all our Koloa rum reviews here, for easy perusal.
Koloa Kauai White Hawaiian Rum Review
Lots of vanilla, chocolate, and coconut notes give this the character of a flavored rum, with unexpected coffee notes emerging in time. Moderate sweetness gives way on the palate to notes of hazelnut and a lingering coffee note on the back end. Very easy to sip on — but not at all what I was expecting from a white rum. 80 proof. B / $27 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Koloa Kauai Gold Hawaiian Rum Review
There’s more fruit on this one, but more astringency, too, particularly on the sharper nose. All told this rum has a more classic (and youthful) construction, with some dusky coconut husk notes and a somewhat raw, ethanol-heavy character, but on the whole it’s a passable mixer. 80 proof. B- / $27 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Koloa Kauai Dark Hawaiian Rum Review
Heavy on notes of molasses and coffee, with chocolate overtones. Like any good dark rum, it’s built with lumbering sweetness in mind, rich and chewy and appropriately dessert-like. That said, it’s relatively light on its feet, but short on complexity. 80 proof. B / $27 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Koloa Kauai Spice Hawaiian Rum Review
Yes, it’s “spice,” not “spiced.” Said to be a response to other “oversweetened spiced rums,” but Koloa’s rendition feels amply sweet to me, studded with cinnamon, cloves, honey, cola, and tons of vanilla. It comes together a lot like a Vanilla Coke, or perhaps a Vanilla Diet Coke, with lightly artificial overtones on an otherwise rousing, somewhat fiery finish. Surprisingly, it’s overproof, not under, making it a solid mixer, for sure. 88 proof. B+ / $27 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Koloa Kauai Coconut Hawaiian Rum Review
Heavy coconut, as expected, here backed with a touch of banana (particularly on the finish), and vanilla milkshake notes. Unctuous and rolling on the palate, it’s got ample (but not overblown) sweetness, hints of pineapple, and — as you’d expect (and desire) — plenty of coconut. As good as any other coconut rum out there. 80 proof. A- / $27 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Koloa Kauai Cacao Hawaiian Rum Review
This chocolate-flavored rum was macerated for at least nine days with Hawaiian-grown cacao from Lydgate Farms. The aroma is intensely chocolatey with a thick, syrupy nose of melted chocolate chips, Hershey’s cocoa, and chocolate sauce. It’s certainly sweet but somehow not cloying. On the palate, the rum base and cocoa infusion make for a one-two punch of big, sweet, sticky flavors. Top notes of Tootsie Roll and milk chocolate fudge coat the tongue at the outset and are moderated only slightly with notes of cane syrup, toasted coconut, and a little caramelized pineapple on the midpalate. The finish mellows things further as the more candied chocolate notes give way to lighter cocoa and even a little coffee bean. Ideal on ice cream or in your next Espresso Martini. 80 proof. -DB A- / $38 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Koloa Kauai Reserve Hawaiian Rum 3 Years Old Review
Kauai Reserve is made from the finest Hawaii sugar cane and fresh island water that was slowly filtered through volcanic strata before reaching vast underground aquifers. Kauai Reserve is carefully aged for a minimum of three years in select American white oak barrels and contains no added sugar, color or other ingredients.” A very sweet nose offers notes of bold coconut, vanilla cream, and orange juice, almost impossibly sugary at times. On the palate, the sweetness kicks off the show, but it fades fast enough to reveal more of a toasted coconut character, hints of chocolate and butterscotch, and a ruddy, sometimes muddy, character that takes over as the finish develops. What remains on the palate is a slight chemical aftertaste, an unfortunate conclusion to the earlier proceedings. 92 proof. B / $50
Koloa Kauai Single Batch Aged Rum 5 Years Old Review
Like the three-year expression, the aroma here is intensely sweet. Notes of coconut-scented tanning oil and marshmallow fluff play second fiddle to an overarching, saccharine citrus note that alternates between tangerine and candied pineapple. With time to open, the sweetness moderates somewhat, revealing nutmeg and clove-studded orange. The palate is similarly sweet and syrupy but less one-dimensional. Early notes of toffee and baking spice help to balance the higher tone fruits which blend a cooked and caramelized pineapple note with coconut cream pie and a bit of Almond Joy candy bar. It’s all a little overly decadent, and the bold fruit notes almost feel artificial at times. Still, it’s an enjoyable rum well-suited to fruity cocktails that may, with a little more barrel time, become an impressive sipper. 92 proof. -DB B+ / $73 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Koloa Hawaiian Kauai Coffee Liqueur Review
This is a collaboration with Kauai Coffee Company, and it’s a robust and lightly-sweetened but otherwise quite pure expression of coffee in classically alcoholic form. The finish finds a surprise in some slightly peppery notes, with nutty and dark chocolate overtones. The whole affair comes together quite beautifully and with sophistication. 68 proof. A- / $27
Koloa Hawaiian Mai Tai Cocktail Review
Gatorade-green in color, this offers a pungent, overwhelming almond character on the nose, then segues to a vague tropical character with lemon/lime overtones. Somewhat bitter on the finish, the citrus notes veer toward notes of bitter lime zest. 34 proof. C+ / $15 (1 liter)
Koloa Hawaiian Rum Punch Review
Grapefruit and pineapple are heavy here, with a squeeze of lemon and a touch of vanilla. It’s a credible punch, but quite light on its feet, with a light nuttiness that lingers on the finish. Perfectly sippable, though it’s quite low in alcohol, making it feel a bit frivolous. 20 proof. B / $15 (1 liter) [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Koloa Hawaiian Pineapple Passion Rum Cocktail Review
Another simple punch, this one punching up the fruit component with a stronger pineapple and passion fruit character, giving it a slightly floral edge. What you think of when you imagine a drink with an umbrella in it, it’s a slurp-’em-down beverage that will offend no one, though I think the standard Rum Punch is a bit better balanced. 20 proof. B / $15 (1 liter)
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