Kasama Tanduay Gold Rum Barrel Aged 75% Dark Chocolate

When barrel-aging process meets bean to bar chocolate, expectations run high, yet few chocolate bars deliver the depth and cohesion that Kasama’s Tanduay Gold Rum 75% Barrel Aged Dark Chocolate achieves.

The starting point is solid: Trinitario cacao grown in Tupi, South Cotabato, a Philippine origin that already delivers complexity and balance. The rum involved is not a generic addition but Tanduay Asian Gold, distilled from heritage sugarcane and aged up to seven years in ex-bourbon barrels. While the term "Gold" in spirits has often been used to market poorly aged or artificially colored products, here it refers to a blend of genuinely aged rums, with both color and character naturally developed through time spent in charred oak barrels.

The connection runs deeper than flavor alone. Founded in 1854 in Manila, Tanduay Distillery is one of Asia’s most iconic rum producers, a living piece of Philippine heritage. Kasama Chocolate, co-founded by Stefan Klopp, Vince Garcia, Dom Voser, and Oliver Koth-Kappus, brings this legacy into dialogue with Philippine cacao, crafting a bar where two distinct local traditions meet through a deliberate and respectful process. The packaging itself reflects this connection, featuring artwork by Mara Cortez, a Vancouver-based Filipina artist whose design further ties the visual identity of the bar to its cultural roots.

Kasama applies a controlled aging step: roasted cacao nibs rest for four weeks inside oak casks, along with this specific rum. The aim is not to mask the cacao’s identity, but to allow a slow aromatic exchange, one that integrates rather than dominates.

Ingredients: Tanduay Gold Barrel Aged Cacao Nibs, Unrefined Cane Sugar*, Cacao Butter*

(*Organic)

Batch Number: 21

The aromas are slightly less complex than what unfolds on the palate, yet still engaging. It opens with sweet, rounded scents reminiscent of certain warm men`s colognes, those built around tobacco and vanilla accords. I distinguish honey, vanilla, sweet woodsy, soft spices, orange confit, and sandalwood.

Tasting Notes

• Dulce de leche (caramel, dairy notes, burnt cane sugar)

• Almonds

• Toasted coconut

• Orange confit

• Rambutans

• Charred oak vanilla barrels

• Nutmeg

• Ripe persimmons

• Honeysuckle

• Sandalwood blossom honey (undertones)

• Green tobacco leaves (finish, aftertaste)

Appearance (5/5): Homogeneous, glossy, and uniform.

Tactile Attributes

• Fineness (5/5): none detectable particles.

• Texture (8/8): Creamy (almost oily).

• Astringency (5/5): absent.

• Roundness (8/8): engaging and balanced tasting experience.

• Melting Point (4/5): relatively fast.

  
  

Flavor Profile and Aftertaste

• Cacao Flavors and dairy notes (8/10): Moderate intensity.

• Secondary Unpleasant Flavors (0/5): None detected.

• Overall Aromatic Quality (10/10): Rich, complex, and full of intense aromas and flavors.

• Balance between chocolate-inclusion (10/10): excellent, well balanced, intense, and highly aromatic.

Taste

• Sweetness (5/5): Balanced and well-integrated.

• Bitterness (5/5): none.

• Acidity (5/5): none.

• Aftertaste (3/5): 8 minutes.

• Harmony and Gustatory Pleasure (10/10): Excellent.

Final Sensation (5/5): Excellent and complex.

Total Score: 96

This score places Kasama’s Tanduay Gold Rum 75% Barrel Aged Dark Chocolate in the “Excellent” category, reaching almost 100/100 final score. Wow!

Personal Reflection

This "flavored" chocolate doesn’t aim for an immediate impact, yet it leaves a lasting impression. Barrel aging can go in many directions; here, the result feels focused and well thought out.

The first impression on the palate is balanced and inviting, but as the tasting progresses, more subtle and unexpected notes emerge, such as orange confit, rambutan, and persimmon. Towards the finish and into the aftertaste, I began to notice a surprising green tobacco leaf character: mild herbal depth with a creamy, sweet, and refreshing mint flavor. Particularly prominent as a lingering aftertaste bringing a refreshing contrast to the warm, treacly primary flavors.

Alongside that, a fine sandalwood blossom honey subtlety appears: delicate and aromatic rather than overtly sweet, adding a refined layer of earthiness to the tasting experience.

I particularly appreciated how the influence of the spirit notes complements the cacao without ever overwhelming it. The character of Philippine cacao remains present and vibrant throughout the tasting experience, with the barrel-aging contributing an additional layer rather than taking center stage.

I also think the choice to work with 75% cacao is smart, but I find myself curious about an 80% option to see how far the flavor profile could stretch within this framework.

In the end, this is a bar that doesn’t rely on force or intensity. It’s built through time and patience, and it rewards the same in return.

Thank you to Kasama for letting me taste it.