Mr Black Coconut Rum Coffee Liqueur

Appearance: Very dark brown, nearly black. When held to a strong light, it's walnut-brown with hazy sienna highlights around the edges. Aroma: Strong black coffee made from freshly-ground beans, and there's a caramel or brown sugar note not found in the standard Mr Black. This is the only hint of the rum's influence, and I didn't detect any coconut at all. Taste and Texture: Sweet and silky on the palate - an excellent texture. There's a hint of bitterness (as expected) but it's balanced by the sugar, making it almost exactly like a cup of sweetened black coffee. Similar to the nose, there's a caramel or burnt-sugar note that is vaguely discernible as rum, but if you weren't aware it was infused with rum, you might not notice it, and again, no sign of coconut. Quite peculiar. Regular Mr Black has been my preferred coffee liqueur for the past three years. I gave it 5 stars in my 2020 review, and that rating has remained consistent. It's the only coffee liqueur I use for an espresso martini these days. However, while this "Coconuts!" version is a very good coffee liqueur, I don't enjoy it as much as the regular version, and certainly not as much as the special edition made from single-origin Colombian beans, which was outstanding. The hint of rum they've added gives it some body on the palate but also makes the profile seem less defined. The most surprising aspect is that I couldn't detect any coconut aroma or flavor whatsoever, so in that regard, it's a complete miss. I had hoped for a much clearer, cleaner presence of both rum and coconut, but in reality, it's barely different from the regular Mr Black, and the difference that is noticeable is for the worse. Nevertheless, it's a good liqueur and far superior to most coffee liqueurs available, but I'll still choose the regular version any day. “Very Good” 86/100 (4 stars)