It’s an obligatory test for any rum: how does it taste neat?

But the neat test applies particularly well to flavoured rums: it’s the best way to really see what such a rum is made of — even if you’d never otherwise drink it without a mixer.

You see, too often, flavoured rums are held back by “artificial” aftertastes, something that becomes clear when you consume them without ice or coke.

That brings us to the newest flavoured rum on the market, Monkey Rum, the brainchild of “Drinking Made Easy” host Zane Lamprey.

Monkey Coconut Rum, which launched recently alongside Monkey Spiced Rum) is the product of Trinidadian rum.

And the result is something rather good.

The rum has a nice “toasted coconut” flavour with a little vanilla on the edges, and, more importantly, you can even drink it neat.

The latter is something the company even boasts about — but it’s justified.

This is the rare flavoured rum you can drink neat or even with a few ice cubes. And it’s smooth enough to work inside a traditional Cuba Libre with a coconut twist.

The verdict? Something pretty neat.

— CJ