Blackheart Spiced Rum Review

Spiced rum has been a popular choice in adult beverages for years, and the undisputed leader in the genre has been Captain Morgan. In recent years, however, several new varieties have emerged offering a cheaper alternative to the Captain. These alternatives range from cheap knockoffs of Morgan to high quality budget rums. Most have nautical names like "sailor Jerry" and "Admiral Nelson" as a not so subtle connection to Captain Morgan. New to the scene is "Blackheart."

At less than $13 for a 750 ml bottle of this 93 proof concoction, Blackheart seemed like a steal, more so with the attached $10 rebate form. Because I'm dedicated to helping the public by providing good product reviews, I took the time to sample this one for those who aren't sure about making the buy.

The first thing I notice is that the bottle is nothing impressive, which is fine with me, that's how prices stay low. The label features a pin-up girl pirate and old style calligraphy on the front. The back of the label has some story about a sexy, seductive, pirate chick named blackheart who.........bla bla bla, who cares? They made it up because it looks cool on a label. The bottle and label, however, are not what's important. Let's get to what's inside.

The first smell after opening the bottle indicated something different from other spiced rums. The opening was notably darker and hinting at perhaps something more complex. The first sample taste was not so much complex as intense and offensive, however, this is to be expected when sampling a high proof rum standing alone at room temperature. To properly test Blackheart, it had to be mixed into a drink to see how well it blends.

Test One: Vanilla Cola. I love some Captain and Coke, so this was an important test. When I mixed the drink I was surprised at the smoothness. I could barley taste the alcohol, and actually wondered briefly if I had made a measuring error. My concern was short lived as I began to quickly feel the effects of the Blackheart. A smooth drink with a punch? Test one was a win.

Test Two: Lime Shooter. Spiced rum, lime juice, and a shot glass....interesting, but probably not the best idea for those of us over the age of 25. The drink itself was good in a "I'm doing horrible things to my body" kind of way. The Blackheart holds up as well as any other rum I've sampled in this shot.

Verdict: Surprisingly smooth without lacking strength, Blackheart is a pretty good value for the spiced rum enthusiast.