Currently, I find myself under the care and guidance of Gosling’s Black Seal and the more I drink it, the more my ambivalence about it grows.
I will admit that this is a powerful rum, everything from the aroma to the after-warmth is strong enough to make a pirate blush, and this is not the source of my discomfort with the drink. It is some sort of je ne sais qoui (am I allowed to say that if not speaking about a rhum?), which only seems to strengthen my ambivalence.
While appreciative of its strength, which is unquestionably the dominant and most noteworthy characteristic of the rum, I get an overwhelming sense that, perhaps it is trying to be commanding, rather than allowing itself to be just so.
Maybe my feelings are telling me that I should perhaps try it in a “Dark n’ Stormy” as opposed to neat (which I have been doing exclusively now).
Yet, the power is ultimately what I truly love about it. I get a real sense of satisfaction and accomplishment whenever I finish a sip of Black Seal, as if I have tamed some unruly beast. And the fire contained inside the bottle is not affordable, but cheap, at less than $20 a bottle. The kick is made even more wonderful when contemplated from that perspective. And truth be told, I will be purchasing more Black Seal for that very reason.
