The base rum for all Blackheart rums is sourced from a distillery in the US Virgin Islands. The rum is transported to Heaven Hill’s blending and bottling center in Bardstown, Kentucky, where the flavors are infused and blended to 46.5 ABV and bottled for distribution.
Appearance
The rum is packaged in a standard 750 ml bottle with a black metal screw cap. The label is a bit more colorful than the core spiced rum brand, featuring Blackheart the pirate on the front. The basic details are on the front label, and a marketing blurb covers the back label along with the standard legal warnings and barcode.
In the bottle and glass, the rum holds a caramel color with amber highlights. Swirling the liquid creates a razor-thin band that thickens slightly and releases a wave of slow-moving legs that cling to the side of the glass before a second wave descends, bumping the liquid downward. A great deal of residue is left around the glass after the legs have finished, and the evaporation is complete.
Nose
The aroma is dominated by toasted coconut and vanilla notes. As the aromas yield, they are followed quickly by notes of sugar cookie, cola, black cherry, and baking spice that fade quickly as the toasted coconut returns.
Palate
The first sip delivers the expected punch of the coconut flavor and proof of the rum. The texture is a bit chewy as the black cherry cola, vanilla, and spice notes swarm the tongue, leaving a thick bit of residue across the palate. These flavors drift and form a long, overly sweet finish.
Review
It has been a long while since I had seen Blackheart Spiced rum on the shelves, and finding the toasted coconut expression was just too good to resist. A good bit of the flavor profile felt contrived and heavy on the artificial flavoring; however, none of these details should be a surprise because the company discloses the use of artificial flavors on the front label. The black cherry cola flavor was unexpected but seemed to work with the toasted coconut flavor, providing some unexpected depth to what I was expecting to be a simple one-two-note flavor profile. Obviously not designed to be a sipper; it functions extremely well in a tropical fruit juice-style cocktail by putting an interesting spin on the flavors. While it may not achieve the flavor profile of better made toasted coconut rums such as Siesta Key, it is far superior to Malibu and some other brands on the market.
