For those that didn't guess this straight away I'm not really sure what to say to you, so here's a picture of a rabbit with a pancake on its head;
I'll admit, spiced rum is a category of spirit that I've never really given much time to for a number of reasons, namely that I've never really understood the point, that the category was geared to sweeter products and that I much prefer an aged rum in my glass.
My first experience of it, as I'm sure with most, was with Morgan's Spiced. A few years back I remember talking about spiced rum at a tasting in London and being surprised at how little was sold in England compared to Scotland, and Aberdeen in particular. There were claims bandied around that upwards of 75% of all Morgan's Spiced was sold up this way although I've never had this verified.
For whatever reason "Spicy and coke..." is a cry often heard in bar-rooms across Scotland referring to a Morgan's Spiced & Coca-Cola. Not the most complex of orders, granted, but the simplicity of it has been called into question in recent times with a deluge of spiced rums hitting the market. No longer is spiced rum solely a sickly-sweet product, complexity and craftsmanship is now the order of the day. Ignoring the spiced category is no longer an option...
Lamb's, Chairman's Reserve, Foursquare, Papagayo, Green Island and my own personal favourite Element's 8, are just a few of the brands that have given birth to a true spirits category. Too much derision even the most successful brand of recent years, Sailor Jerry, have re-introduced their original recipe which focused more on its rum base and less on the sweet flavour associated with the recipe they had a great deal of success with.
Unlike scotch or bourbon (and as far as I'm aware) there is no legal definition or regulations in place for this category so a simple way to define them would be to say that they gain their flavour through the addition of spices. This brings me nicely onto the bottling I'm writing about this evening...
Kraken Black Spiced Rum was something that first came to my attention over a year ago after hearing and reading about it through American friends. Officially hitting the shores of the UK in November 2010 through Marblehead UK, it's created quite a buzz through its promotional activity and also due to it being somewhat different to your typical spiced rum. I don't really want to focus on the marketing but I will point you in the direction of the Kraken website.
The first thing that strikes you is the bottle the liquid is housed in. To me it's the sort of bottle that could have been found on old naval expeditions, with stunning curves and two fingerholes at the neck of the bottle. Were it ceramic it would be almost identical to the type of bottles regularly discovered by archaelogists. It's a multi-purpose bottle that will soon become a candle-holder in a bar near you...
For reasons unknown not much has been given away when it comes to the production of the Kraken so I'll give you, word for word, what is presented in the handbook I was sent along with the bottle;
The rum is distilled in pot stills (see image above) on the Virgin Islands and fermented from naturally sweet molasses made from sugar cane grown on nearby riverbanks. Natural yeasts are used to ferment the water thinned molasses, which is converted directly into alcohol. The rum is distilled to 97.5% alcohol. Kraken rum is then aged in oak barrels for between 12 and 24 months before being blended with a range of spices (I believe 14) including cinnamon, ginger and clove.
As said the production process is relatively secretive but the basics are offered which means it's best just to get on tasting the damned stuff. The following are my own tasting notes;
Colour: Black, like molasses. Or squid-ink, if you must
Nose: Milk chocolate and coffee with a slight alcohol burn.
Palate: Chocolate sweetness and vanilla mingle with spices commonly associated with rum; clove, cinnamon, ginger and galangal.
Finish: Slightly warming with a big punch of vanilla, a touch of coffee and a hint of pepper.
Thoughts: Unlike any of the other spiced rums on the market with an apparent focus on chocolate, coffee and vanilla as opposed to the typical Christmas spice notes you find. Another interesting aspect is that it's versatile enough to be drank neat, on the rocks, with a variety of mixers such as coke, ginger beer or apple juice, as well as in a variety of cocktails.
This brings me to my only real gripe with the Kraken and what left me asking myself the question in the title of this thread. There is an apparent trend in the drinks industry for products to be released into categories they simply don't belong to, gin and bitters being the two suffering more than most. Put simply there are a lot of brands jumping on the bandwagon, they see the success and interest of a specific category and then attempt to bracket their product into it as well.
With all this in mind I really don't know if the Kraken is a spiced rum. Yes it has a predominant vanilla note throughout with hints of spice prevalent but these are flavour notes typically associated with rum. The problem here may not actually be with the Kraken but with me and my own misunderstanding of this category? Maybe it's me who needs to re-evaluate what I perceive to be spiced rum given that there are no laws or regulations in place.
The Kraken is a great product in its own right with a variety of uses. This evening I've already made a brilliant Corn & Oil variant with sugar syrup and some Falernum Bitters I compounded, an outstanding Palmetto (a Rum Manhattan for those who prefer to call it such), and as a fan of Rum & Raisin ice-cream I am sure I'll be making a batch with the Kraken.
I really would like to hear your thoughts with regards the spiced rum category, is it me who needs to appreciate the diversity or am I asking a valid question? For now I'm off to ponder some more whilst fixing myself a wee nightcap, in this case a tipple created by Rikki Brodrick of London's Trailer Happiness.
A Kraken Cake
50ml Kraken Black Spiced Rum
2.5ml Cherry Heering
5ml Grand Marnier
3 Dashes Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Bokers Bitters
Method: Add all ingredients to mixing glass fill with cubed ice and stir for 15-20 seconds
Glass: Chilled cocktail
Garnish: Lime zest
Ice: N/A
Kraken Black Spiced Rum
40%abv
www.krakenrum.com
70cl available for £19-23
Distributor
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Adam Elmegirab
Bar Consultant / Compounder
Evo-lution / Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Bitters
E-mail: adam.elmegirab@evo-lution.org
Web: www.evo-lution.org / www.bokersbitters.co.uk
Facebook: Adam Elmegirab / Evo-lution Bar Consultancy / Dr. Adam Elmegirab's Bitters
Twitter: @AdamsBitters
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