Captain Morgan Deluxe Dark Rum
Review: Captain Morgan Deluxe Dark Rum 81/100
a review by Chip Dykstra (Aka Arctic Wolf)
Posted on October 13, 2011
The Captain Morgan Rum Company can trace its history back to 1945 when Seagram’s CEO, Samuel Bronfman, negotiated the purchase of the Long Pond Distillery from the Jamaican Government and formed the Captain Morgan Rum Company. The company’s iconic brand, Captain Morgan’s Original Spiced Rum was based upon a recipe purchased from two local Jamaican pharmacists, the Levy Brothers who had developed the recipe using rum from the Long Pond Distillery. The Rum Company moved its production from Jamaica to Puerto Rico in the 1950s, and in 2001 Seagram’s sold the rum brand to the spirits giant, Diageo.
The subject of this review, Captain Morgan Deluxe Dark Rum is a blend of Caribbean rums which have been aged in white oak barrels for at least two years. (Note: The Diageo marketing team here in Alberta provided me a sample bottle of this rum for my review.)
In the Bottle 4.5/5
To the left I have a nice J-peg of the Captain Morgan Deluxe. As you can see, the bottle is a little different in shape from the standard rum bottle. The glass is has a pebbled surface for easier gripping, and above the label we have two swords crossing embossed on the glass referencing the link between Captain Morgan the Privateer and the Captain Morgan Rum. A crown shaped plastic cap tops the bottle in a bottle presentation which catches the eye but is not ostentatious. I would have preferred that the bottle had featured the iconic Captain Morgan Logo on the label as well, but I guess they save that for the Spiced Rum.
In the Glass 8.5/10
This is labeled as a dark rum, and when it is poured into the glass, it does not disappoint. The rum has both the colour and the rich aroma of dark molasses. Many dark rums are coloured and flavoured with a combination of caramelized sugars, molasses, and various flavours and spices, and I am pretty sure this is the case for Captain Morgan’s Deluxe. The rum smells of molasses, burnt caramel and vanilla. The aroma is strong and inviting, yet perhaps a little aggressive and demanding. There is more here than I would experience in a typical dark rum which has not spent as much time in an oak barrel.
In the Mouth 48/60
This rum seems to have a little spicy thrust in its delivery. It heats up the palate with some peppery spice, and then lays down a layer of molasses and dark caramel across the palate. I can taste some dry fruit, (prunes, raisins, and dates) and a little leathery tobacco deeper down. I also taste a wide swath of vanilla, and some odd spices which seem to hint at ginger and nutmeg.
The rum is just a little rough, and although I can drink this neat, I do not believe the rum is really meant to be sipped. The flavour lacks the depth of a well aged sipping rum. I taste a faint bitterness, and a metallic aftertaste persists which becomes cloying when I continue to sip.
The Deluxe Rum seems to be meant for the rum and cola cocktail, or perhaps for a tiki style drink. When I sampled a little rum and cola, I found that I enjoyed myself far more than when I sipped the rum neat or on ice. It does become a little sweet when mixed with cola which of course implies lots of ice.
In the Throat 12/15
I am left perhaps a little perplexed and confused in the finish. The exit is rather short, with the rich caramel and molasses flavours disappearing quickly. A faint bitterness persists and the aftertaste is somewhat metallic. Fortunately, a nice spiciness lingers as well which saves the finish from crashing.
The Afterburn 8/10
This Deluxe Rum is a nice dark rum for sitting on the back deck and knocking back some cold rum and cola cocktails. The time that this rum has spent aging in oak gives it a just a little depth of character which is appealing to me; but, it does not quite elevate the rum to the status of a sipper.
I like the Captain Morgan Deluxe Dark Rum as a mixer, and I expect that if cold rum and cola is your thing, then you will like it too. (See the feature recipe below)
If you are interested in comparing more scores, here is a link to my other published Rum Reviews.
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Recipe Suggestion:
Here is a nice rum and cola cocktail that is outstanding with two different Captain Morgan Rums:
The Captain’s Mandeville
1 oz Captain Morgan Spiced Rum (100 Proof)
1 oz Captain Morgan Deluxe Dark Rum
1/4 oz Chartreuse
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/4 oz grenadine
ice
cola
ice
Pour the first five ingredients into a metal cocktail shaker with ice
Shake until the side of the shaker is well frosted
Strain into a tumbler glass filled with ice
Complete with cola
Garnish with an orange slice (optional)
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My Scores are out of 100 and you may (loosely) interpret them as follows:
0-25 A spirit with a rating this low would actually kill you.
26-49 Depending upon your fortitude you might actually survive this.
50 -59 You are safe to drink this…but you shouldn’t.
60-69 Substandard swill which you may offer to people you do not want to see again.
70-74 Now we have a fair mixing spirit. Accept this but make sure it is mixed into a cocktail.
75-79 You may begin to serve this to friends, again probably still cocktail territory.
80-84 We begin to enjoy this spirit neat or on the rocks. (I will still primarily mix cocktails.)
85-89 Excellent for sipping or for mixing!
90-94 Definitely a primary sipping spirit, in fact you may want to hoard this for yourself.
95-97.5 The Cream of the Crop
98+ I haven’t met this bottle yet…but I want to.
Very loosely we may put my scores into terms that you may be familiar with on a Gold, Silver, and Bronze medal scale as follows:
70 – 79.5 Bronze Medal (Recommended only as a mixer)
80 – 89.5 Silver Medal (Recommended for sipping and or a high quality mixer)
90 – 95 Gold Medal (Highly recommended for sipping and for sublime cocktails.)
95.5+ Platinum Award (Highest Recommendation)
The Rum Howler Blog 
Ken Irwin said
Captain Morgan Deluxe Dark Rum is no longer available in Ont.according to our local Liquor store ! Very disappointing .Been drinking it for 44 years and my late Dad drank it exlusively.Is it still being made ???
Arctic Wolf said
Hi Ken
The Deluxe is still available in Alberta, although I have heard rumours that it will be discontinued and the new Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum will replace it. (The Dark Deluxe is still listed on the Captain Morgan website as being available in Canada.)
scott cameron (@dsc8990) said
in Ontario we had a CM special deluxe that has not been on the shelves for the last year.
is it finished or is it available somewhere else.
Arctic Wolf said
Maybe one of my readers knows about the Special Deluxe?
Ale Rivers said
Hi, I have been a big fan of CP Spiced for a long time. Couple of months ago I bought a bottle of dark captain in vegas at the airport, I was hooked, since then, I have not been able to find it anywhere, I live in San Diego, do you know where I can find this captain?
thank
Ale
Arctic Wolf said
I am not sure how widely the Captain Morgan Dark is distributed in the U.S., however, it has wide distribution in Canada. Maybe someone reading the comments can help you out.
Arctic Wolf said
Note: In the past, Captain Morgan rums sold in Canada have included some Canadian distilled rum in their blends for tax purposes. However, it is unclear whether this is still the case as The Hiram Walker Distillery which once produced this rum appears to have abandoned the practice of rum distillation. The Canadian based website for Captain Morgan makes no mention of any Canadian distillate in the blend.
Brian&Rod the Captain Team said
Is Diago still producing the DELUXE rum???
Arctic Wolf said
It is available at Willow Park in Calgary.
Ruminsky van Drunkenberg said
Haven’t seen this around yet, Chip, any idea whether it’s commercially available here?
Arctic Wolf said
You know its funny Lance, I swear I have seen this in a few Liquor stores but it’s not listed at Liquor Connect so I cannot direct you anywhere in particular. What I do know is that the product is not listed on the US based website of Captain Morgan, only on the Canadian based website.
Wish I could be more helpful….
Ruminsky van Drunkenberg said
Just saw one at Willow Park…but sprung for a Ron Abuelo 12 instead 🙂