"Knowing Is Not Enough; We Must Apply. Willing Is Not Enough; We Must Do."


- Goethe

Friday, 10 September 2010

The Anatomy of the Kraken

"THE KRAKEN RUM is strong, rich, black and smooth."


Proximo Spirits (Centenario Tequila, Tequila 1800)  launched a Black Spiced Rum "Named for a sea beast of myth and legend, The Kraken."
The Kraken Black Spiced Rum is a well-crafted spirit. Sippable in a way that many moderately priced rums aren't, it is rich and full of flavor, like drinking a good coffee cocktail. The finish is long and refreshing. This is not simply a rum-and-coke throwaway. As usual, the first impression Kraken makes is while it’s still in the bottle. A custom, replica of a semi-squat Victorian Rum bottle featuring two distinctive “earlobe” handles, it boasts an old-style label with a large Architeuthis dragging a tiny galleon to the depth. Spirits are about the whole experience, bottle to baño, floor to hang over, so the bottle and label of the rum matters, and Kraken wins bigtime At this point I really need to applaud Kraken for their excellent choice of mascot. The kraken motif is a fine way of capturing the ocean-dwelling spirit of rum. A drink as strong and dark as kraken ink. And, yeah, at 94 proof and laden with flavor, perhaps it is. The Kraken is a truly monstrous hit with chocolate and molasses, cut with Christmas spices (cinnamon and allspice), cloves and maybe even some ginger. Vanilla is big on the finish. The effect is quite impressive, and any spiced rum fan will get a big kick out of The Kraken. Again, at 94 proof ( 47 % Alcohol), it needs a bit of water if you're sipping it straight.

"The Kraken™ is imported black rum from the Caribbean and blended with over 11 secret spices. The rum takes its name from the mythical sea beast which is said to have wreaked havoc with tall ships and rum running vessels throughout history."