This zero proof rum from ArKay gave us strong notes of vanilla cake and refrigerant, with subtler hints of bubblegum, cotton candy, coconut, and crayon.

When I first opened the box containing our bottle of ArKay, I think I subconsciously started thinking about it like Waffle House. Waffle House isn’t a particularly pleasant place to be. The bathroom always has vomit in it somewhere. The seats are uncomfortable. But it’s able to be all these things ********because******** they can make you some damn good hashbrowns. To put a fine point on it, the bottle looks kind of goofy. But maybe (I thought) ArKay gets away with having a goofy bottle because it’s just that good. I couldn’t have been more wrong, because, in reality, it’s just okay. On the nose there’s vanilla cake, bubblegum (why does everyone insist on making their zero-proof rums smell like bubblegum?), and something I can only describe as mild refrigerant. Many other zero proofs use vapor-rub-like menthol to spoof the burn of alcohol, but this feels a little less like menthol, and a little more like opening up a chest freezer and inhaling deeply. On the palate, any attempt to investigate its flavor is cut short by the immediate and powerful burn. They’ve clearly figured something out because the burn is difficult to place. It’s not exactly a ginger burn, nor is it a menthol or capsaicin chile pepper burn. If anything, it feels closest to a wasabi burn (that I have come to learn is due to a compound called *allyl isothiocyanate*) but without any of the normal accompanying taste. The burn sticks around, and it made it difficult to finish our blind taste test without copious amounts of water. The kick is more pleasant than it is strange, but mostly it’s just impressively strong. Back on the palate (once you’ve gotten used to the continual searing sensation) there’s not too much more to it than could be found on the nose. There’s an artificial sweetness, that continuing note of refrigerant, and weaker notes of cake, cotton candy, coconut and crayon. It’s worth noting that ArKay has been at this since 2011, as far as I know, earlier than any other zero proof producer we’ve tried, and we can kind of see why. Particularly if your definition of success is providing a powerful burn that mixes well, ArKay has you covered. However, if you’re looking for an interesting tasting experience in its own right, you’d be better off looking elsewhere.