Horizon Black Hole Spiced Rum 70cl 42%

Is there anything on the other side of a black hole, or are they just galactic alligators gobbling up anything that dares come near them? You may think that question is a bit much for a spirits retailer, but this is the kind of thing that comes to mind when drinks like Horizon Black [Hole] Spiced Rum appear! It's a lip-smacking black spiced rum built around a blend of Caribbean rums, and flavoured with black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, orange (both sweet and Curaçao), star anise and vanilla. To say the flavour is "out of this world" feels a bit too... Well, obvious, so we'll simply say that its flavour profile is particularly booming indeed. The label features the first ever image of a black hole from the Event Horizon Telescope, which is rad and reminds us that there are things out in space chomping away at bits of universe (also cool).

Nose: Oof - that’s intense! Curaçao, red cola cubes, stewed dark fruits and toasted cardamom and clove combine with a huge amount of vanilla initially. There’s dark chocolate, rich molasses, star anise and a hint of spent fireworks underneath.

Palate: Ground ginger, cinnamon and an earthy twist of black pepper add spice at the forefront, which is joined by notes of root beer, treacle, Seville orange marmalade and more vanilla, as well as black fruits, liquorice and charred oak.

Finish: It’s a full-bodied finish, with dark molasses, baking spice and hints of marzipan and espresso.

Overall: This one certainly packs a punch. It’s dark, delicious and the spices are really well-integrated.