Gosling's Black Seal Bermuda

[zilla369]

I discovered this very dark Bermuda rum while vacationing on the Atlantic Coast. Thank goodness, i managed to convince my local liquor store to stock it. It's semi-expensive, about $17 a fifth, but well worth the price.

A family operation since 1860, Gosling's is "Bermuda's oldest business house and largest exporter of a Bermuda-made product", according to their website.

If you like full-bodied, dark (it's almost black), full-flavored rums, i highly recommend this one! Fantastic for rum-banana waffles

How telling; my first post is about liquor.

~zilla

Edited February 24, 2009 by weinoo (log)

[birder53]

I recently purchased this rum. It was called for in a recipe for a Belladonna, made with rum, amaretto and sour mix. It was @$15 but I also saw it for $17. I wonder if you could just substitute Myers dark rum and get the same effect.

How did you serve it?

[KatieLoeb]

The Gosling's makes the BEST daiquiris because of the depth of flavor. It seems to cut through other ingredients better than the Myers. Martini Beach in Cape May (I work there in summer time) serves a Caribbean martini that's made with Cruzan pineapple and coconut rums, sour mix and a float of Gosling's on the top. Delicious and deadly. I speak from experience that one should never have more than two.

[nightscotsman]

I love Gosling's since I started buying it last year. I used to use Myers in cooking, but I find that Gosling's is much stronger flavored with a great spiciness. My current favorite dark rum drink using it is:

Apple Pie

1-1/2 oz dark rum

1 oz sweet vermouth

1/2 oz lemon juice

1/8 oz grenadine

Shake with ice and garnish with a lemon slice.

Rich, spicy and on the sweet side, but nicely ballanced.

Edited May 20, 2003 by nightscotsman (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Nightscotsman:

That sounds absolutely delicious! I am headed downstaris right now to have the bartender make one up!

[birder53]

I love Gosling's since I started buying it last year. I used to use Myers in cooking, but I find that Gosling's is much stronger flavored with a great spiciness. My current favorite dark rum drink using it is:

Apple Pie

1-1/2 oz dark rum

1 oz sweet vermouth

1/2 oz lemon juice

1/8 oz grenadine

Shake with ice and garnish with a lemon slice.

Rich, spicy and on the sweet side, but nicely ballance.

This sounds wonderful! My liquor cabinet is beginning to run out of room due to all the great drink ideas from NSM and the rest of the folks here. We now own two sets of martini glasses - the "good" ones and an everyday set. Keep all the great recipes coming!

[nightscotsman]

You're both very welcome, but I should quickly clarify that I didn't invent the drink. It's from Paul Harrington's "Cocktail: the Drinks Bible for the 21st Century" which has been discussed on several other threads. Hope you enjoy it.

[=Mark]

I really love this stuff as a "sipping" rum. Not enough Os in Smoooth...

[sandra]

Try a Dark n' Stormy with Goslings

1 part Goslings

2 parts ginger beer (NOT ginger ale)

lemon wedge

all over ice....

Goslings is unique, Myers tastes different, I would not substitute unless in a pinch....

Goslings 151, however, is too strong in my opinions, you don't get the mellowness any more, but it does go straight to your head....

[Ed Hamilton]

Gosling's is a blend of rums and has a much fuller flavor than some of the other heavily colored rums. There are presently three strengths, 80 proof, 140 proof and 151 proof. But be aware that you can't carry the high proof on airplanes so if you see if while you are traveling you will have to drink it or leave it behind.

And according to Malcolm Gosling, president, there will be a new special Gosling's rum coming in the future so stay tuned.

[mickblueeyes]

Ed, what do you know about Goslings "gold seal" rum? I have never seen it in my area, but have found mention of it on the internet.

[Ed Hamilton]

Not sure what to make of this, mick, but when I met Malcolm Gosling in Bermuda a couple of weeks ago he never mentioned Gold Seal, but he did say that the only rums they were actively marketing were Black Seal in the 80, 140 and 151 proof blends.

From what I've seen Gold Seal was a lighter color blend of Goslings Rum that I expect to be phased out. There was also a white Gosling's which seems to have vanished, or maybe the market for it just evaporated.

If I saw a bottle of either of these I'd probably add it to the collection of bottles on my not to be opened shelf.

140 proof may seem like an unusual proof but expect to see more spirits bottled at this proof since it is illegal to carry anything over 70% alcohol by volume on an airplane, and a lot of rum is sold in airports especially in the Caribbean. So the old 151 proof rums are getting harder to sell to tourists.

[dallardice]

I have the pleasure of travelling to Bermuda on business on a fairly regular basis and on my last trip I bought a bottle of Gosling's 'Rum Deluxe' which is a premium Barbados rum imported and oak-aged on Bermuda. It's a golden colour, like whisky, and is 80 proof. And I haven't tasted it, since it's a present for someone... I tend to drink just the regular 80 proof dark rum which I adore. I have a bottle of the 151 proof which I drink from time to time when I forget just how strong it is... I agree with sandra though that it's too strong, and not as tasty as the milder stuff.

I didn't know about the spirit limit on planes, which makes it very interesting that Gosling's sell the 151 proof stuff in the Bermuda duty-free shop (in the non-US part of the terminal): I know there's a separate duty-free shop for US passengers, which I've never visited, but the small store servicing BA passengers returning to London has the 151 stuff, which, being duty-free, you can only export by taking on an aircraft! Sounds unlikely, but is it just a US restriction?

Edited May 26, 2003 by dallardice (log)

[Shermar]

The family that makes it (Outerbridge)is related to the Revolutionary War period Outerbridge for whom the bridge between NJ and Staten Island is named.

[Ed Hamilton]

Interesting dallardice, I first discovered the regulation in Trinidad where Puncheon rum is popular and is bottled at over 75% alcohol by volume. I didn't see any signs in Bermuda about the overproof rum being illegal to carry on board an airline, and I was flying to the US.

I don't think this is another US regulation for your protection. It is widely recognized that this stuff is highly flammable and since it burns with very little visible flame it is very dangerous around open flames. I've been burned a couple of times when I tried to burn some rum, so I could look at the residue, and didn't realize that the small sample was already burning and tried to relight it.

There is another Goslings rum that is coming in the future that will be a premium blend of aged rums in a special bottle and box. I haven't tasted it yet, but have been assured that it won't be just another expensive presentation for a mediocre rum.

Don't know about the Outerbridge connection. The Gosling family have owned the brand since 1860 and were the leading wine merchant in Bermuda before that. Does Outerbridge distill some of the rum in the blend in one of the other islands?

And thanks zilla369 for starting the thread. On this forum everyone's first post is about alcohol. In fact I hardly knew there were other forums on egullet for months after this forum began to be hosted here. Since that time I've met several of the other suspects, ah contributors, in other forums and been notified of several events that I would have otherwise missed entirely.

[thirtyoneknots]

So I've since discovered that the stuff has been around a while, but I only recently found the Gosling's 151 on a store shelf. Unlike other 151s I've seen around here, it is an aged rum like it's more common partner. I love the regular Goslings, seems like this would be a good candidate for a punch bowl rum, since equal parts 151 and 80 proof will result in a 115 proof rum, which was recommended by no less than Mr. Wondrich (I know he was specifying the Inner Circle, but that stuff appears to be very rare). At any rate, the regular 80 proof Goslings makes a beautiful bowl of Fish House Punch, I can assure you.

[Mattmvb]

I love Goslings Black Seal, I wouldn't have anything else in a Dark 'N' Stormy. In fact the Dark 'N' Stormy is one of a small number (seven IIRC) of cocktails that have been trademarked/copyrighted by a drinks company, in this case Goslings, so technically if it has anything other than Black Seal you CAN'T call it a Dark 'N' Stormy. (Although I'd be surprised if the trademarking has any real legal weight outside of Bermuda.)

The Goslings Family reserve, as referenced above as a product soon to be released, is a quite simply stunning rum - wonderful packaging too (a nice presentation box and the bottle has a black wax seal.)

Cheers,

Matt

[thirtyoneknots]

I love Goslings Black Seal, I wouldn't have anything else in a Dark 'N' Stormy.  In fact the Dark 'N' Stormy is one of a small number (seven IIRC) of cocktails that have been trademarked/copyrighted by a drinks company, in this case Goslings, so technically if it has anything other than Black Seal you CAN'T call it a Dark 'N' Stormy. (Although I'd be surprised if the trademarking has any real legal weight outside of Bermuda.)

The Goslings Family reserve, as referenced above as a product soon to be released, is a quite simply stunning rum - wonderful packaging too  (a nice presentation box and the bottle has a black wax seal.)

Cheers,

Matt

←

Agreed on the family reserve, though I'm not sure it's worth $65 for me. Matt, you have any opinions on the 151?

[Mattmvb]

I love Goslings Black Seal, I wouldn't have anything else in a Dark 'N' Stormy.  In fact the Dark 'N' Stormy is one of a small number (seven IIRC) of cocktails that have been trademarked/copyrighted by a drinks company, in this case Goslings, so technically if it has anything other than Black Seal you CAN'T call it a Dark 'N' Stormy. (Although I'd be surprised if the trademarking has any real legal weight outside of Bermuda.)

The Goslings Family reserve, as referenced above as a product soon to be released, is a quite simply stunning rum - wonderful packaging too  (a nice presentation box and the bottle has a black wax seal.)

Cheers,

Matt

←

Agreed on the family reserve, though I'm not sure it's worth $65 for me. Matt, you have any opinions on the 151?

←

To be honest, I've only ever tried it in a comparative tasting - I thought that the high alcohol content masked the wonderful tropical fruit notes a bit too much for my liking. I've never had the chance to play with it though, I'm going to get hold of a bottle and see what it's like when mixed. One of a large number of spirits on this ever growing list of mine that I'm slowly working through!

Cheers,

Matt

[thirtyoneknots]

Finally picked up a bottle of the Goslings 151 to try, hoping it could be mixed 50/50 with the regular stuff to make a more intense punch rum.

My hopes were realised when I tested it out today in a planters. As much as I like the standard Goslings Black Seal, the addition of the 151 definitely punched it up in the funk department. I didn't make any formal note, and in fact I didn't even really try it by itself, but I think it just might be the ticket for that type of application, and perhaps even as a limited substitute for the Lemon Hart 151 that is inexplicably unavailable in Texas.