Black Gate Rum

Tasted at a liquor store event in Sydney on February 21, 2018. It was distilled in March 2014 and removed from cask BG017 in May 2016. Nose: Tastes like golden syrup, wood shavings, and scorched sugar. A faint trace of vanilla is present. Palate: Smooth and thick, with notes of baked banana and dates. Later, it becomes dry with hints of cacao and a subtle cinnamon spice, followed by a return of the scorched sugar. Finish: Brief. It's drying but not harsh, with a molasses character. I genuinely want to praise this new small business distillery, but to be truthful, I found it rather unremarkable. It has positive aspects – it’s smooth and very easy to drink. The 50% alcohol content doesn't sting, and most of the flavors are pleasant. I've definitely had much worse local rums, and it's far superior to the commonly found, yet disappointing, Australian brands usually seen everywhere. However, the golden syrup flavor dominates the palate, making it repetitive. Most unfortunately, there's a prominent aroma and taste of burnt sugar. Not like caramel, toffee, or molasses, but genuinely scorched white sugar – as if the mash overheated in the still. Some fellow tasters shared this opinion, but many others greatly enjoyed it and selected it as their top rum of the evening. For me, though, it's just a satisfactory rum, especially considering its relatively high cost. I concur with the official score. I am still keen to observe this distillery's development and sample future releases, as I believe there's potential for a very fine aged rum from Black Gate. "Satisfactory": 72/100 (2 stars)