I first tried Maui Dark Rum at the UK RumFest 2008 at a tasting seminar by Paul Artrip and as I recall it had a plethora of rich aromas and flavours that I immediately wanted to experience again. I even managed to grab a bottle of the stuff for later tasting, cheers Paul!
This particular bottle spent a lot of time on the shelf before I decided to crack it open for this review.
Needless to say I was eager to re-experience my initial impressions of the rum but often the second experience will not be quite the same, especially after such a long time having not tasted it. Normally Maui Dark Rum would come in a glass bottle but I appear to have come across a plastic version of the bottle, slightly misshaped due to the softness of the plastic.
Not much can be said about the appearances of the bottle and rum; the label is black with white text and the rum in the bottle is black too, unless of course you direct it over a very bright light, in which case a dark red hue can be seen.
Appearance
In the glass the rum looks really thick, almost like dark molasses, it is slightly muddy and when looked against the light you can see a red core with brown edges. The legs are thicker than that of the previously reviewed Maui Rums and the rum leaves dark brown traces inside the bottle when poured into the glass.
Since it has only been aged for less than a year in oak, I would suggest extremely heavy usage of caramel colouring to achieve the pitch black colour and the dark brown traces the rum leaves behind as it pours out of the bottle.
Nose
The nose feels warm and is heavy with vanilla, caramel, dark fruits and moist dates with a hint of chocolate and liquorice. The aromas actually remind me quite a bit of like coffee liqueur.
Taste
The rum feels somewhat thick in the mouth but the flavours are thinner and not as robust as the appearances and nose would make you think. It is difficult to pick up any particular flavours but there are some floral notes that are more easily detectable.
Aftertaste
A brief finish of toffee, floral notes and candy.
Final thoughts
Maui Dark rum did not quite deliver the same impression as it had done previously; the aromas were there but somehow the flavours were thinner and distant. Overall I think they've used the caramel colour in excess and having seen what it does to the bottle I would hate to see what my insides look after drinking it.
Details at a Glance
 | Details at a GlanceCountry: U.S.A. Hawaii | N/A | ||
Other rum reviews:
Maui Platinum Rum
Maui Gold Rum
Maui Reserve Gold Rum
Maui Dark rum did not quite deliver the same impression as it had done previously; the aromas were there but somehow the flavours were thinner and distant.
