Deadhead Dark Chocolate Flavoured

Deadhead Dark Chocolate is a flavoured version of the skull bottle Mexican rum, and at 35 percent it sits much closer to a dessert liqueur than to a classic aged spirit. The appeal here is unapologetically sweet and confected, a chocolate forward novelty in an eye catching monkey head bottle rather than anything built for slow neat sipping. It is honest about what it is, a boozy chocolate treat.

The underlying rum spends time in ex bourbon wood, but the flavouring dominates with intense dark chocolate, vanilla and caramel running from nose to mild, sweet finish. There is little structure to speak of, and drinkers expecting depth or layered flavour will find the chocolate arrives and then simply stays, soft and sugary throughout. Taken on its own terms it shines in shots, over desserts or stirred into sweet cocktails, a fun, indulgent pour for those who enjoy flavoured spirits and do not mind the candy register.