Blackstrap Rum
A dark, full-bodied rum made with blackstrap molasses, giving it a deep, almost bittersweet flavor.
Origin
The Caribbean, an unofficial rum style historically associated with the darkest, most molasses-heavy grade of sugarcane byproduct.
History
Blackstrap molasses is the darkest, most bitter grade left after sugar refiners have extracted as much sugar as possible from cane juice, and rum historically made from it took on a correspondingly dark, intensely rich character. "Blackstrap rum" today is a looser, unofficial category rather than a strictly regulated style - some modern bottlings, like Cruzan's well-known Black Strap (introduced to compete with Myers's dark rum in the mid-1990s), aren't actually distilled from true blackstrap molasses at all, but are blends of aged rum with molasses flavoring and caramel color added afterward to achieve the style's signature intensity.
Flavor profile
Deep, dark, and intensely molasses-forward, richer, thicker, and less refined than a standard aged dark rum.
Tasting notes
Bold blackstrap molasses, brown sugar, and a slightly bitter, almost burnt-sugar edge dominate, giving tiki drinks a heavier, more assertive backbone than a standard dark rum provides - often used as a float on top of a drink rather than mixed fully through it.
Substitutes
- A standard dark or black rum with a splash of molasses stirred in, as a rough homemade approximation.
- Gosling's Black Seal or another intensely dark rum, for a similar bold, molasses-forward role.
- Blackstrap molasses syrup with a neutral rum, when the specific bottled product isn't available.
Common cocktails