If you look at my collection of liquor you’re going to notice that the number of rums I have on hand is second only to my selection of gins. This is no odd coincidence; I’m a huge rum fan. One class of rum that I’ve always been a bit intrigued by, though, is spiced rum. I love the spices they use (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc). Problem I’ve always had though is what do I do with spiced rum. In some cases it’s flavor can work fantastically with the other ingredients in a drink, though I don’t seem to reach for it often enough. Having reintroduced myself to the category with a bottle of Cruzan’s new offering, simply titled 9, I will definitely be changing that habit going forward.
In the nose of Cruzan 9 you’re going to get notes of vanilla, nice caramel sweetness and warm spices. The flavor follows the aroma in this one with a great mix of spices, vanilla and a very subtle bit of sweetness. The blend of spices used in this rum are allspice, vanilla, cinnamon, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, clove, mace and juniper berries. As I’m typing this up, reading the spices off the bottle, I’m surprised to note the inclusion of pepper and juniper. Definitely not what I would expect, but they work really well in the overall spice flavor. Speaking of that flavor the spices all form a very harmonious spice layer in the flavor profile that I find really pleasant.
I can’t say anything bad about this spiced rum at all. It’s a great blend of spice flavors that is very well executed without losing the character of the rum itself. I’m very much looking forward to sampling this rum in some winteresque cocktails. I think it’s mellow spice notes will blend very well with a number of cocktail ingredients.
†The product reviewed here was provided to me as a free sample. If you’re wondering what that means check out my sample policy.