Copper & Brave Circus Black

Copper & Brave Circus Black is a spiced rum from the German bottler Copper & Brave, carrying no age statement and bottled at 41%. It announces itself as a flavoured rum from the first sniff, and rather than hide that, it leans into a dark, sweet, dessert-leaning style that aims to stand a little apart from the crowded spiced shelf.

The nose is dark and heavy, vanilla and milk chocolate suggesting something rich and confected. The palate follows suit, vanilla and milk chocolate joined by a creamy, almost dairy-like note and a warm spice underneath. Honesty is due here, this is a sweetened, spiced style built for easy drinking rather than a dry sipper, and it reads more like a chocolate dessert than a barrel-aged rum. Poured over ice, stirred into a sweet cocktail or treated as an after-dinner indulgence, it offers a more interesting set of notes than many of its spiced peers.