The Original, Still Unmatched

Goslings Black Seal is one of those rare spirits that doesn't trade on myth - it built its reputation the hard way. Generation by generation, glass by glass, until it wasn't just a rum from Bermuda, it was Bermuda. For a lot of people, this was their first taste of "real" dark rum. For others, it's the one they never left.

Made from a blend of pot and continuous still rums and aged in charred American oak, Black Seal is a study in contrast: rich, dry, bold, and still astonishingly approachable. It's the backbone of the Dark ‘n Stormy - a cocktail it essentially owns, both by tradition and trademark - but that's just the start of the story. What matters more is what's in the bottle: a dark rum with structure, dimension, and more character than most spirits twice the price.

On the nose, it's molasses-forward in the best way - dark, earthy, a little burnt around the edges. There's vanilla bean, cola spice, roasted coffee, and the faintest lift of brine, like sea spray clinging to a dock. Nothing about it smells forced or flavoured. It smells like time in barrel and unpolished molasses. That's it.

The palate is broad and dry, with just enough sweetness to carry weight. Dark caramel and black treacle lay the foundation, but it's the spice and bitterness that make it stand out. Liquorice root, clove, charred oak, even a bit of cocoa husk - all wrapped in a texture that feels more like old-school Demerara than modern "dark rum." There's no syrupy glide. Just flavour and structure.

The finish is long, warm, and slightly tannic - oaky, spiced, and quietly smoky, with that roasted bitterness pulling it all the way through. It lingers, but never clings.

Black Seal is one of the most versatile dark rums on the market, full stop. It was built for highballs - ginger beer, cola, soda - but it holds its own in stirred drinks too. Try it in a Rum Old Fashioned with chocolate bitters, or a bold Rum Manhattan. It floats brilliantly on a PiNa Colada. It behaves like a mixing rum, but drinks like something older and more serious.

There's no gimmick to it. No flavouring, no added complexity for complexity's sake. It's just a proper rum - made with consistency, bottled with pride, and relied on by bartenders who don't need to be told what to do with it.

If you're just getting into real rum, this is the bottle that shows you where things start to matter. And if you've been deep in the category for years? It's probably still on your shelf.

Not a cult bottle. A cornerstone.