Karukera Black Edition Alligator is an agricultural rum first aged for 4 years in classic French oak barrels. It was then transferred to "extremely burnt" new oak barrels. Indeed, the toasting applied practically charred the inside of the barrels, so that the resulting texture resembles that of an alligator's scales...
The result is a rum with smoky, spicy notes.
Nico's tasting notes
On the nose, it's primarily dried orange peel that comes through, underlined by a certain darkness. The citrus side develops, with a slight acidity and bitterness akin to lime zest. Roasted wood takes over, with fatty, pulpy roasted nuts.
Time reveals a fresher woodiness, with a soft, white heart. The rum settles into a pleasant balance of oak and peppery cane. There's a certain freshness with deep mint, not really green but almost resinous.
The palate is soft and roasted, with wood that has revealed a variety of aromas as it caramelizes. Roasted nuts start the parade, followed by cereals such as rye. Then it's the turn of fairly strong spices that numb the taste buds before leaving us with a cane of citrus nuances.
The finish is roasted like dark cocoa, but the vegetal cane has the last word.
"A meeting between a cane juice well perfumed by citrus fruits and a generously burnt barrel..."
