Rum Review: Cruzan Black Strap Rum

Now's here's the real stuff - traditional, cleans your socks on the way down. Unlike the Royal Navy, the pirates drank while eating, sailing and fighting - the first multitaskers. Here's to Port Royal, the Port of Orgies! Say it loud and say it plowed!
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How do you rate Cruzan Black Strap Rum as a sipper (5 is best)?

5
1
13%
4
0
No votes
3
6
75%
2
1
13%
1
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 8

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Capn Jimbo
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Rum Review: Cruzan Black Strap Rum

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Cruzan Black Strap Rum: "Jesus, Mary and Joseph!!"
(Sue Sea's first quick sip and pre-review, lol...)
Jimbo: "A Coffee Caramel"

Hoo boy! Cruzan was the second dark rum we tasted in our Dark Rum Smackdown (this section), and it is the quintessential dark rum. Black as night and marketed as a reflection of history. As you may know, a daily tot of rum fueled the early Carribean navies, and in larger quantities led to piratical plunder and orgies. The earliest rums were, in fact, darker - this led to a preference for dark rum. A problem since improved refining processes also resulted in lighter rums. The solution:

Secret amounts of caramel or burnt sugar were added to produce the desired color. Ergo the most famous: what became Pusser's Navy rum. And Cruzan's created competition: Cruzan Black Strap Rum. The reviews:


Sue Sea
:
Oh boy! I will not soon forget my first, tentative sip of Cruzan's Black Strap. Wow! Like Jackie Gleason's "Pow! Right in the kisser!". But strangely, this powerful dark captured me as a special sipper. Black Strap comes in a traditional bottle with a simple, strong, dark blue transparent label that exclaims "Black Strap Rum" and "Navy Tradition".

Its aroma was unmistakeable: molasses and lots of it, with a bit of caramel, coffee and maple syrup. Black Strap is pretty heavy, and tastes of coffee, toffee and molasses. Like a caramel toffee melting in your mouth. The finish is comparatively unremarkable, but leaves a strong but pleasant aftertaste of coffee licorice, and a bit of what I will call hickory smoke. But major coffee! Very lovely under the right circumstances.

I feel this rum would make an excellent coffee rum, with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. Or maybe the reverse! Think dessert rum, a very slow sipper that is not overly thick.
Me:

Cruzan Black Strap surprised me. This rum is dark, really dark. Try a near-black dark mahogany - but with a surprising thin green edge. Its nosing starts out strong, simple and direct. Molasses. Big molasses - but with a sweet, syrupy coffee background. It is heavy bodied, but not offensively so. Not clingy or cloying like more than a few of the "premiums". The taste is entirely consistent. Black Strap's finish is quick and nondescript, lightly peppery. But it leaves a delicious coffee/licorice aftertaste.

Sue Sea and I both reached a similar conclusion. Cruzan Black Strap can also serve as a unique and memorable dessert sipper to accompany, uh, dessert. A must buy.

Score as a sipper (10 is best): 6.

Note: If you do rate this rum (as a sipper), please also post and share your experiences with Black Strap as a mixer. Thanks...
Last edited by Capn Jimbo on Tue Jul 20, 2010 6:55 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Pyrate Surgeon
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Post by Pyrate Surgeon »

To offer up a suggestion, as I routinely keep an ample stock of Curuzan Black Strap Rum in my pantry--yes, you did read correctly, "Pantry"--the next time you wish to whip up a Rum cake, replace the water called for in the mix and use Black Strap Rum. It will imbue the cake with a stronger, fuller flavor of rum than most rum cakes that I've tasted from commercial vendors. But for the capper, after the cake is fresh out of the oven and had a chance to release some of it's heat, drizzle some of the rum over it's crown.

Pure heaven in solid form! :D
The Rhum comes After the surgery, mate!
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Post by Goddess of the Rums »

Oooooo, I LOVE rum cake, what a delicious post Mr. Surgeon! It's another sunny morning here in my Miami paradise and your post has inspired me to add a shot to my morning pancake mix. I'll let all of you know the results quite soon and add them to my comments here...

Ciao!

...back again (about 1 hour later)...

My next door neighbor stopped by, noticed the lovely aroma and asked me what I was making. Nothing special, just bacon, freshly ground Columbian Supremo coffee and I'm trying a new pancake recipe. She stayed for a cup of coffee, and I shared the pancakes with her.

"Mmmm, what's in them?" she asked, "It's like banana but different!". I then advised, nope, just a shot of Cruzan Dark rum. They were delicious! I normally throw in a handful of blueberries, but was afraid this would conflict with the rum. Now that I've tasted these rum pancakes, I do think blueberries just might work as well.

I should add the rum adds a nice, rich tan color to the pancakes. A big thanks to Mr., or is it Dr. Surgeon...
Lance for hire...

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Pyrate Surgeon
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Post by Pyrate Surgeon »

Many thanks to ye, Goddess of the Rums.

Perhaps I should set the log book straight.... :lol:

Amongst the historical re-enactors along the West coast, I be known as Sorsha MacGregor, Barber-Surgeon on the Account. I haves me fun bot teachin' and passing on what knowledge may be usefull to others. Cheers!
The Rhum comes After the surgery, mate!
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Post by Mike.357 »

this was another bottle I picked up recently. Nothing much to add to Sea Sue's words. She hit it on the head.
.
One good pour of this is enough for me. Could never drink it all night long.
I like it but a little goes a long way.

3 stars
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sailor22
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Post by sailor22 »

Visited a friend recently who kept a bottle of this in the freezer. Great idea! Poured neat straight from the freezer it had a strong black lickerish nose and taste that morphed into coffee and molasses as it warmed. And hell yes it was BIG. Big Fun!
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Post by edgarallanpoe »

This is *the* rum for a Corn -n- Oil. Some people believe that any black rum will do...it won't. This has a really funky/earthy taste that goes well with the Falernum.

Recipe is as follows...


2 oz. blackstrap rum (preferably Cruzan)
1/2 oz. John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum
1/3 oz. fresh lime juice
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
Lime shell or wedge for garnish

Fill small glass with crushed ice...not cubes (the result is that the crushed ice shards will resemble corn kernels in the extremely dark drink.)

I have also seen this drink finished with a splash of cola on top. I prefer the original but have fun experimenting.

Build drink over the crushed ice.
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Post by The Black Tot »

Thanks Edgar! I'll keep my eye out for this and try your recipe.

The start of this thread is pretty old by now. Is the Black Strap Cruzan still being made, and is it as good as it was in 2008 (no formula changes)? Or are we doomed to eternally dusty hunt it through the alleyways of forgotten America?

I know the Estate Diamond went downhill.

Either way, a guilty pleasure. Jimbo was discussing a year or so ago that even though they'd re-issued the Estate D, he couldn't do it on general principle now, knowing what we now know about Cruzan's contributions to rogue rum's suffering.

Dammit, I don't think I can do it now, either. Maybe I'll have to buy one and then figure out how to flavor a rum from an ethical company to achieve the same result - I definitely want to try that Corn N Oil!

My conscience is wearing a derby hat today!!!
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