Old Monk Coffee Rum

Old Monk Coffee Rum is a coffee-flavored rum from the Old Monk brand. Treat it as a flavored liqueur-style rum, not a traditional white, gold or aged rum. The details supplied give the brand and the coffee flavoring and nothing else. They don't give an ABV, an age or a distillery origin. Expect roasted-coffee aroma up front, with the sweetness and vanilla-caramel warmth that dark rum bases usually bring. Check the label for the exact strength and sweetness. As a sipper, it works best served simply. Pour it over a large ice cube in a rocks glass and let it dilute a little. Coffee-flavored rums usually taste best chilled, because cold tones down the sweetness and brings out the roast. A short pour neat or over ice also suits the end of a meal. It pairs naturally with dark chocolate, vanilla ice cream, tiramisu, or a plain biscotti. It also fits a few cocktails. The most direct is a Rum Old Fashioned: stir 60 ml over ice with two dashes of orange or chocolate bitters. Add a bar spoon of demerara syrup only if the bottle tastes dry. Strain over fresh ice and finish with an orange peel. For a lighter drink, build a rum and cola in a highball glass. The coffee note adds a roasted edge that plain rum doesn't. A Dark 'n' Stormy also works. Top the rum with a spicy ginger beer and a squeeze of lime. The ginger's heat balances the sweetness. Use it sparingly or skip it in recipes that depend on a clean white-rum profile. A Daiquiri or Mojito will taste muddier and sweeter, and the coffee flavor can fight the lime and mint. A Piña Colada is an exception worth trying. Coffee and coconut are a familiar pairing, so use a little less cream of coconut than usual. For a dessert-style drink, shake it with milk or cream and ice, then strain it into a chilled coupe. Add freshly grated nutmeg or a few coffee beans on top.