For generation’s Gosling’s name has been synonymous with their signature Black Seal Rum.  Goslings Gold Rum was the Bermudan companies first new product in 108 years.  An answer to the cries for a lighter bodied rum, in keeping with modern times and the trend towards amber/gold mixing rums.

Gosling’s Gold is a blend of pot and continuous still rum’s aged for up to 5 years in (I presume) Bourbon casks.  Gosling’s Black Seal has long been a staple in many a rum fan’s drinks cabinet.   Their signature drink the Dark and Stormy (sic) – a mix of Goslings Black Seal and Ginger Beer (with a chunk of lime) is world famous and trademarked! So be careful how you go as a few bloggers have come a cropper from Gosling’s legal team (with a gentle push from someone with an axe to grind).  The Goslings website  http://www.goslingsrum.com really is a joyous thing to behold and they have a few fairly simple cocktail recipe’s to enjoy.  Take note, although the Zombie doesn’t mention using the Black Seal 151 version I don’t think the drink is called Zombie without good reason!

I picked up my bottle from Rehills in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne.  It was discounted slightly but the average price of a bottle of Goslings Gold is around £18-22 in the UK for a 70cl bottle.  The bottle I have is 75cl (more standard US size) but it has the appropriate HMRC stickers so its all good – nice to get an extra couple of shots for your money.  Interestingly the bottle is same size as my Black Seal 70cl.  The difference being the Goslings Gold is full to the brim with liquid (see picture).

When cracking the Red plastic seal from the Gold I find another slightly American quirk to this bottle.  A plastic screw top.  Thankfully though, there is no diffuser in the bottle.  The bottle itself is a fairly standard bar/wine like bottle.  The presentation is fairly good with ships sailing on the high seas, (far from original) and a little info-story on the front.  The Goslings logo used is as on the Black Seal. I have taken a picture of the two side by side so you can see how the two compliment each other.  They look quite good when stored side by side.  The Gold looks quite mellow in the bottle, in contrast to the Black Seal.  I’ve only tried a little Black Seal before, so at this point we’ll forget all about the Black Seal and just concentrate on the rum at hand.

In the bottle the rum is quite light, an amber/gold colour.  When poured it is slightly lighter almost straw in appearance.  The aroma initially is quite boozy.  After a little time in the glass the rum seems to settle and the aroma is more perfumed, there is a little creaminess to the nose and some vanilla.  There are some fruity notes as well a little peach and some pineapple.

Taken straight the rum is initially very spicy it’s gives quite a lot of burn as well.  It’s a bit like eating a hot chilli the way the spice hits your taste buds.  The finish is very long and spicy.  In many ways its like waiting for the burn of a medium-hot curry to subside. However, once you have taken a few sips your taste buds seem to adjust and you begin to feel a certain smoothness to the rum, its quite creamy and light in many ways similar to Angostura 1919 – just with a bit of a more spicy edge.  It has an oakiness that combines well with the spice.

I initially thought an ice cube may be needed but no this is just about passable as a sipper.  It’s not brilliant but it’s okay.

On my first tasting I tried the rum in what I called a “Light N’ Stormy” (maybe I should trademark that!)  with some Ginger Beer.  I half expected the Gold to get lost in with the Ginger Beer but I found that it worked pretty well.  It fought back against all the Ginger and revealed a fruiter side and its oakiness held up well and gave the drink an extra dimension.

Mixing once again this time with cola, again I find that the Goslings Gold has a little more to offer.  When mixed 50/50 with cola it reveals its smoothness, it almosts de-carbonates the cola.  This leaves you with a very enjoyable smooth drink.  Mixed with more cola the Goslings is still very good.  The spicy flavour and the young oakiness come through.  The rum really is quite different to the usual “gold mixer”.  It is quite complex for a mixer and has quite a lot going on in its profile.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this rum.  I kind of hoped that the Goslings Gold would have a little bit of the Black Seal in it and indeed it does.  It is however different enough to recommend trying in its own right.  I would say the Goslings Gold is best described as Black Seal’s naughty younger brother.

This rum is available from