KISS Toasts 50 Years of Hair Metal With ‘Hotter Than Hell’ Blended Rum

(Photos: Brands for Fans)

Last week, KISS celebrated the 50th anniversary of its acclaimed 1974 album, “Hotter Than Hell,” with a blended rum that pays homage to each of the band’s glam rockin’ members.

The spirit is a blend of 14-year-old rums aged in ex-bourbon and Batavia Arrack leggers (a type of barrel) sourced from Guyana and Jamaica. Batavia Arrack, a rum subvariety typically credited to Indonesia, is distilled from a combination of malted red Japanese rice and fermented sugarcane. The spirit is bright, bold and, depending on who you ask, a little intimidating; reviewers have described its palate as somewhere between bread dough, basil, browned bananas and saffron.

Hotter Than Hell Rum is said to boast hints of those flavors in subtle form alongside notes of almonds, vanilla and fudge. On the nose, aromas of butterscotch and dark chocolate that could likely be attributed to the use of ex-bourbon casks.

For many, however, the highlight of the show will be the bottle itself. Each aspect of its label was designed as a nod to the band’s alter egos: a golden star for The Starchild, a bass drum for The Catman, pointed flames for The Demon and lightning bolts for The Spaceman. Bottled at 45% ABV, the rum is now available for pre-order online at £55 ($71).

“This blend embodies the raw energy and power of KISS while offering a refined experience that rum aficionados will appreciate,” Filip Lundquist, CEO at Brands For Fans and parent company Umida Group, remarked in a news release. “With its deep flavours and robust character, it’s a fitting tribute to a band that has been pushing boundaries for 50 years.”

The release was helmed by Bands for Fans, a Swedish company launched in 2018 that specializes in rock band-themed spirits releases. Over the years, the company has launched collaborative bottlings with Motörhead, Rammstein, Slayer, HammerFall and Def Leppard just to name a few.

No name in its catalog has been shown quite as much love as KISS. If anything, the company could be classified as a KISS factory; Brands For Fans has teamed up with the brand on two varieties of gin and three varieties of rum dubbed with heavy metal names like Black Diamond, Detroit Rock and  Monstrum. Hotter Than Hell is their sixth collaboration to date.

Kiss Hotter Than Hell Rum Tasting Notes, Per the Brand

• Nose: Sophisticated notes of butterscotch, dates and dark chocolate
• Palate: Smooth yet complex, leading with distinct tones of arrack and crème caramel. Clear oak character follows, rounded off with hints of almond, vanilla and fudge
• Finish: Full bodied and well-balanced, highlighting the character developed through extended aging