Rum.

What it smells like.

Rum smells of molasses and dark sugar with an alcoholic warmth and a spiced edge. It is sweet, but the boozy lift stops it sitting flat the way a plain sugar note can, and it gives a blend a slightly hedonistic quality.

It is the note that rescues gourmand blends from being childish. Under cherry it is excellent, with cinnamon it turns festive, and over tobacco or coffee it goes properly dark. It is a cold-weather note by nature: in high summer a rum-heavy blend can feel heavy and airless.

In a blend.

Adds a boozy depth that reads as adult rather than sweet. Rum is one of the best ways to make a gourmand blend interesting.

Sweet. Soft sweetness without overpowering.

Pairs beautifully with.