A few years ago, I reviewed Kula Organic rum and made a note to review the other rums in the line. While shopping I spotted this expression and decided it was time to revisit this rum line. The Kula Rum line is manufactured on the island of Maui, Hawaii, by Hawaiian Sea Spirits LLC, along with a vodka, gin, and spiced rum. The company ferments fresh sugarcane juice, then distills it to create the rum using column stills. They claim to use deep ocean mineral water as part of their blending process. For this rum, they use Kula Organic rum as the base and then infuse toasted coconut to create this product. After the infusion, the rum is blended to 35% ABV and bottled for distribution.
Kula Toasted Coconut Rum
Appearance
The 750 ml custom designed bottle has a black opaque wrap with gold script going down the front of the bottle. The bottle is sealed with a yellow screw cap. The labels are small and provide the minimum information required to sell the product. The new bottle design is an improvement over the original and is much easier to handle.
The liquid is a soft yellow primrose color with bits of coconut suspended in it. Swirling the rum presents a thin band that spins off fast moving legs that evaporate quickly, leaving behind beads and residue in its wake.
Nose
The aroma of the rum is the expected coconut forward, sweet vanilla, and fruit, with a mineral tang at the end of the experience.
Palate
The first sip delivers a balance of barely smoked coconut, fruit juice, minerals, salt, and baking caramel. The mouthfeel is thin and underwhelming, as additional sips provide a papery flavor flatness that combats unpleasant acidity and chemical/mineral flavors in the profile. This combination of flavors unfortunately forms the finish and lingers on the palate for quite some time.
Review
When I travel to new locations, I am always interested in trying products made in that state or country. I had seen Kula in Hawaii and decided not to purchase it due to the size and weight of the original bottle design. Sadly, except for the new bottle design, this product was a complete disappointment. When evaluating flavored rums, I always ask the question, “Did the company succeed in capturing the desired flavors?” In the case of this product, the company was completely unsuccessful. The toasted flavor was only lightly present and overwhelmed by some of the other negative flavors in the profile. Due to this, when mixing it with other ingredients, the negative aspects of the rum dominate, creating negative flavor experiences. There are far superior toasted coconut rum products in the marketplace, and I recommend choosing one of those before purchasing this rum.
