Goslings Black Seal Rum

Black Seal is Goslings' dark rum, bottled at 40% ABV. It is the rum the Dark 'n Stormy was built around. Dark rums in this style usually show deep amber to mahogany color, and the reference description for this bottle points to a full body and a rich, rounded profile. Expect notes typical of the category: molasses and brown sugar, toasted oak, baking spice, dried fruit and a touch of caramel or vanilla. Goslings does not publish a region for this listing, so treat the flavor description as what to expect from a dark rum of this type, not as a measured tasting profile. It works best as a mixing rum, though at 40% its fuller body also holds up neat or over ice if you like a sweeter, spice-leaning pour. Where it earns its place is in drinks that need weight. The Dark 'n Stormy is the obvious one. Fill a highball or Collins glass with ice, add ginger beer (a sharp, peppery one balances the rum's sweetness), and float roughly two ounces of Black Seal over the top so it layers dark against the pale mixer. A wedge of lime squeezed in cuts the sweetness. Don't stir it right away. The float is part of the drink's look and its first sip. For a Rum Old Fashioned, muddle or stir a bar spoon of demerara syrup with two dashes of Angostura or aromatic bitters, add two ounces of rum and plenty of ice, and stir until well chilled. Serve it over a large cube in a rocks glass with an orange peel expressed over the top. Dark rum's molasses depth stands in well for bourbon here, and the sugar can usually be dialed back because the spirit is already sweet. It also suits a Piña Colada, where a darker rum adds a toasty backbone that white rum can't. Blend it with coconut cream, pineapple juice and ice, or float a half ounce over a classic white-rum build for contrast. A Daiquiri or Mojito will turn out richer and rounder than the usual crisp versions. If you want that, use a bit more lime to compensate. If you want a bright, clean cocktail, a white rum is the better pick for those two. Serve it at room temperature or lightly chilled with one large ice cube in a rocks glass or Glencairn-style glass for neat pours. Pairings that tend to work with a rum like this include grilled pineapple, dark chocolate, roasted nuts, ginger cookies and smoked or jerk-seasoned meats.