Rum Spiced rum 47% ABV Gluten-free

Kraken Black Spiced

Caribbean blend (Proximo Spirits)

Sold at 47% in the US and 40% in much of Europe. A retailer nutrition panel for the 40% bottling lists 3g of sugar per 100ml (30g/L), with molasses, sugarcane extract, E150d caramel and natural flavours on the ingredient list. No independent lab figure found for the 47% bottling.

Hangover index

7/10

Heavy

vs. category average 6/10

Chemistry profile

Congeners: Moderate
Histamines: Low
Polyphenols: Low
Sulfites: Very Low
Tannins: Low
Sugar: High
Additives: Very High

Compare More Rum

In its favor

✓Rum base is distilled from sugarcane molasses

What to watch

!Heavy added sugar and caramel colouring on the 40% bottling's label
!At 47% in the US, a 1.5oz pour carries about 18% more ethanol than a 40% rum
!Spice and flavour blend is undisclosed

Factor by factor

Congeners Moderate

▾

Byproducts of fermentation (methanol, acetaldehyde, fusel alcohols). Strongly linked to hangover severity; darker, less-distilled spirits carry more.

Histamines Low

▾

Produced by bacteria during fermentation/aging. Trigger flushing, headaches, congestion in sensitive drinkers. High in red wine, beer, aged spirits.

Polyphenols Low

▾

Plant compounds with antioxidant activity. Slightly protective at low doses but at high concentrations may worsen hangover via tannin/quercetin reactions.

Sulfites Very Low

▾

Preservatives (SO₂) added to wine and some beers. Common trigger of headaches, asthma, and allergic-type reactions.

Tannins Low

▾

Astringent polyphenols from skins, seeds, barrels. Bind proteins, slow alcohol clearance, and aggravate dehydration-style symptoms.

Sugar High

▾

Residual sugar amplifies hangover via blood-sugar swings and dehydration. Liqueurs and cocktails are the main offenders.

Additives Very High

▾

Colorants, flavorings, glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbates. Cheap spirits and ready-to-drinks often hide these in trade-secret formulas.

Allergen flags: spicescaramel coloring

Kraken is a dark spiced rum, black from sugar syrup and caramel colour rather than from long barrel ageing. The US bottle is 94 proof, so it is both sweeter and stronger than most spiced rums on the shelf.

The European label figure of roughly 30g of sugar per litre is the reason it scores so high on sugar and additives here, and the sweetness makes the strength easy to miss.