This zero proof rum from Lyre's gave us strong notes of caramel, with subtler hints of cola, butterscotch, baking spice and mint.

My first encounter with Lyre’s Dark Cane Spirit was a few days before our blind taste test. The rum alternatives were beginning to arrive in the mail, and unable to contain my excitement I cracked open two of the first to be unboxed (Crystal Barbados and Lyre’s Dark) and stole a few sips. Crystal Barbados came first, and, well, I was a bit deflated. Then I tried Lyre’s, and the primary reaction I had was relief; I wasn’t even that concerned whether it tasted like rum, I was relieved it tasted *****good*****. And the rest of our taste test panel agreed—Lyre’s consistently got the highest ratings for both sipping neat and mixing into a daiquiri. On the nose, it’s a bit like a young, dosed Demerara, if you turned the saturation to 100, and added a dollop of butterscotch. If an actual rum smelled this way, I would be concerned it smelled a bit too sweet but Lyre’s cascade of caramel and cola works well. Notably, there’s not much of the faux oak that tends to be hit or miss for me in many other zero-proof rum. On the palate, its relative reservedness is hard not to contrast with its boisterous nose, but beyond that, it’s hard to find any faults. A pleasant acidity and sweetness assert a continuity with the cola fragrance. Hints of baking spice and menthol swell into one of the subtler finishes, but after a few sips, there’s a satisfying burn at the pack of your throat. The tasting experience, along with the delightfully goofy (but very well executed) bottle give the sense that Lyre’s knows exactly what they’re doing, and they’re fully committed to the bit. Of all the rums we tasted, it may not have been the one that most convinced you it was rum, but it was the one that most convinced you you weren’t missing out.