Tuesday Tasting: Gosling's Rum

Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we head to Bermuda to enjoy some run.

The current issue of DRAFT magazine has just hit the newsstands. The "Leisure Issue" has actor John O'Hurley (Jacopo Peterman for all you Seinfeld fans) on the cover and an article that I wrote about rum on the inside. As part of developing the story I had the chance to speak with Malcolm Gosling, president and chief executive officer of Gosling-Castle Partners, which imports rum from Bermuda.

Gosling says that rum is “enjoyment in a bottle,” noting the versatility of rum, from frozen drinks to aged spirits perfect for nightcap sipping. Rum’s ability to evoke a mood and a place is also a big part of the drink experience. The Dark and Stormy, a mixture of Gosling’s Black Seal Rum and ginger beer, is established as the national drink of Bermuda.

The story of Gosling's rum goes back to 1806, when Englishman James Gosling landed in Bermuda with a boat full of rum instead of the U.S. because his charter expired. He set up a rum shop in St. George’s and today Gosling’s Black Rums are Bermuda number one export. Malcolm Gosling is a seventh generation rum maker.

I had the chance to sample three different varieties of Gosling's:

Gosling’s Black Seal: A rich brown color, this rum has a lingering pleasingly sweet aroma and a smooth flavor with hints of hazelnuts and plenty of wood.

Gosling’s Family Reserve Old Rum: Brown leather color, mellow sweet nose. There is pleasing oak throughout the flavor with a cocoa sweetness around the edges. This blend of rums that are at least 16 years old is a treat for sipping.

Gosling’s Gold: This 80 proof Bermuda rum’s color is true to its name. It has a toffee nose and a slightly earthy and oaky flavor profile behind a vanilla sweetness.