Kōloa Kaua'i Spice Rum

The aroma from the bottle is predominantly vanilla and sugar cookie, with some molasses and allspice faintly in the background. After a few minutes in the glass, the root beer aroma emerges and becomes quite prominent (which I don't mind). The flavors are incredible! Definitely getting a Christmas feel. It's sweet but not overwhelmingly so. Vanilla, honey, root beer, and some nutmeg are present in the flavors, along with an oily texture. I'll need to buy a full bottle of this! I think this will be a better choice for sipping than the usual coconut versions. This is a spiced rum I can get behind. Rating based on drinking it neat.

Continuing the Koloa Tasting with distiller Bob Gunter (Tasted 4th) According to the Distiller: This is their standard white rum infused with cinnamon, nutmeg, and white peppercorn. March 23, 2022 Served: Neat, in a Flute Bottle Opened: Same Day Previous Drink: Dark Rum Aroma: Notes similar to root beer, vanilla, and nutmeg. Flavor: Vanilla, cinnamon, snickerdoodle cookie. A pleasant sweetness balances the heat. I could drink this all day. This is my favorite spiced rum I've tried so far. It's not overly sweet or artificial. It would work well in holiday cocktails, but I'd prefer to drink it straight.

During my visit to Kauai, I persuaded my family to make a brief stop at the Koloa rum tasting. All four rums were quite good, but this one was my favorite. It's like Christmas in a bottle. The nose has cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. The palate is similar. Surprisingly not sweet at all, and it would be an amazing autumn sipper. The incredible natural beauty of the Garden Isle might have influenced my score slightly, but nonetheless, this was the one bottle I was happy to spend $30 on.

If you can get this where you are, buy it. It's my regular rum. I don't care at all that it's not aged; this stuff is extremely smooth and not too sweet. I often have it with a single ice cube. This is my third bottle.

Pleasantly spicy with a buttery character. Cinnamon and cloves are detectable. It leaves a spicy aftertaste. Overall, a pleasant beverage. It would be exceptional in a mixed drink.

Well-balanced and delightful. It lacks the cloying sweetness or overpowering vanilla found in other spiced rums. It has a long, smooth finish.