Liberte Black Spiced Rum is a new entrant to the ever expanding Spiced Rum market. Liberte Black Spiced Rum is actually a supermarket “own brand”.  This one hails from German discount supermarket Lidl.

It has already received a bit of coverage in the press as perhaps being an alternative to the ever Popular “The Kraken”.  The Kraken pretty much has the “Dark Spiced” market sewn up.  For some reason despite the ongoing popularity of Morgan’s Spiced Gold – the Captain Morgan company have done little to promote or make available their Black Spiced Rum in the UK.  Despite making it pretty much a Kraken knock off in terms of appearance.

I’ve reviewed a few “Dark Spiced” rums over the years and this is another like Captain Morgan’s Black Spiced and Sazerac’s Black Magic that is partly trying to mimic the appearance of The Kraken.  This particularly example isn’t quite as brazen as though two offerings. This may have something to do with the fuss a few years ago surrounding supermarket “own brands” mimicing established “named brands” (Puffin biscuits spring immediately to mind and some own brand cola’s in red tins).

Nevertheless the bottle shape and general appearance is sufficient enough for The Kraken to spring immediately to mind when viewing this offering.

A 70cl bottle with a cork stopper which is refreshingly given a respectable 40% ABV. Making it a “genuine” spiced rum not a rum based spirit drink. It will set you back £15.99.  It’s quite difficult to find a bottle of The Kraken for less than £20 nowadays. Such is its on-going popularity.

On the rear label of the bottle you do actually get a little bit of information about the actual base rums in this blend.  You also get some rather dubious information about charred casks.  The rums in this blend hail from the Dominican Republic and Trinidad.  I’m not surprised to see Trini rum in here as Angostura seem to single handedly supply the UK supermarkets.  Sainsburys did have a very competent rum from Jamaica as their “house” rum but that has been changed to Trini rum. It states the rums have been aged. By law I believe the DR rum will have to be at least a year old but there are no such restrictions on Trini rum.

If you can read the label in the photo, you will also note that the producers have also given some information about the taste of this rum and the spices used.

So without further ado lets move onto tasting this.

In the glass we have a very dark almost black spirit.  Clearly coloured with caramel as well as “aged” (I suspect one has had more influence than the other). A reddish/orange hue around the edges of the rum in the glass.

The nose is very sweet.  Huge amounts of concentrated vanilla and caramel dominate.  Surprisingly there is a little hint of oak spice and quite a sharp hit of alcohol.  Clove and maybe a tiny hint of ginger.  It has a kind of “burntness” to it. Like old coffee grinds.

Sipped its not as sweet as the nose would suggest.  It’s quite artificial tasting – synthetic flavourings.  It doesn’t really offer a great deal on its own.  Tastes a bit like a sugar substitute with a really biter artificial after taste.  There is a little bit of oak and spice but its mostly just young alcohol giving you a bit of a burn.  Burnt toffee and some cloying clove and vanilla keep drifting in and out of the mix.  Up front it offers a quick sharp burst of sweetness. Followed by a fade of bitterness and just about no finish at all.

The rear label mentions that mixing this really develops the flavours.  For once this isn’t simply bullshit.  When you mix Liberte Black Spiced Rum with cola you really do get a very different offering to the sip.

Coffee.  Now I like coffee but I’ not that keen on overly sweet vanilla laden coffee.  Which is what this gives you when you mix it with cola.  Vanilla laden coffee with some steeped cloves.  Lovely………

This is yet another spiced rum which seems reasonable enough, for about half of the first glass.  To be honest as much as it was no show stopper sipped, at least it was drinkable.  Mixing this just gives you a very sweet, cloying drink. Which only the sweetest sweet tooth will manage to drink beyond a glass or two.

If you like The Krapen (that’s not a spelling mistake) then I would really recommend this Spiced Rum.  It’s just as bad and is a few quid cheaper.  I can’t imagine anyone who enjoys The Kraken will notice a great deal of difference. It’s just as sweet and cloying. So should really appeal. This will sell by the truckload on the run up to Christmas.

Sad but true.