Ron Zacapa XO Rum

Ron Zacapa XO Solera Gran Reserva Especial is an elegant, Aged Rum by Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala in Retalhuleu, Guatemala. It is only made with the concentrated first press of sugar cane, known as virgin sugar cane honey. A strain of yeast extracted from pineapples is used for fermentation, then distilled at sea level in continuous column stills. It is then taken to the 'The House Above the Clouds' to be aged for 6 to 25 years. Rums are then blended as they age in a sequence of barrels from American Whiskey cask to a Sherry cask, Pedro Ximénez cask & finished in a French oak Cognac cask. It has an aromatic birth with notes of mature toasted oak, burnt caramel, Bourbon, cedar, pipe tobacco, dark chocolate, hints of tropical flowers & vanilla; while a rich & spicy life adds notes of dark cherry, sultana, date, prune, brown sugar & toffee; that led to a long, burnt & smoky death adds notes of raw honey, more sweet chocolate & root beer. December 2019 / April 2020

I'm a pretty big fan of Zacapa 23, even though it is a bit sweet, I think it's a solid rum for a decent price. I had high hopes for the XO, however, I wouldn't exactly say it reached my expectations. On the nose it's evident that this will be sweet, with dark chocolate and a hint of orange peel. The palate is rich, with plenty of sweetness and oak. I was hoping for a bit more, but the sweetness sort of got in the way. The finish is actually pretty long and has almost no burn. I do think the XO is better than the 23, however, for the price, which is pretty much double the cost of the 23, I'm not sure it's worth it. When I initially had this, I was just getting into rum and I thought this was the gold standard, but after trying many others over the years, I don't think that can be said anymore. Still solid and if you are new to rum or have a sweet tooth, this rating could be bumped up to a 4, but it's just too sweet for my liking.

The nose has ample cane sugar, heavy caramel, blood oranges, ancient leather, shoe box, pralines, bran muffins, and raisin bread. The latter is the clear contribution of the cognac finishing: unsweetened, baked brown raisins. In the palate, more cane sugar, a bit of agave, cola, herbal wood, and burnt caramels. The finish rounds out with a mild fruit contribution, particularly dates, signifying once more its cognac contribution. Compared to its brother, Zacapa 23, this is no where near as saccharine, although it is sweet, and is impeccably smooth. For all the confectionary notes, it does not become syrupy. Nor, like Zacapa 23, does it become dominated by chocolate and vanilla notes. Instead, this is a harmonious marriage of a premium cane sugar rum and a well-aged cognac cask.

Stephanie’s right, this one falls a little flat. You get a background of rich molasses and brown sugar sweetness but it’s a bit thin all around and while the cognac provides a fruity aspect it also brings along a bit of cognac’s dry tannins that “compliment” the thin, slightly raw spirit quality. It’s really not bad, I wouldn’t turn it down, but I don’t think it’s one I’d purchase. Not currently available in Ontario.

Two years after my initial taste of Zacapa XO... my opinion is the same. This is one of the best rum, the best value, and the best taste that I had the opportunity to taste. Now, this is not as heavy and complex as Appleton Estate 21, but still a great sipping rum, for one of those nights that you just want to chill and listen to your preferred music... Latin, Jazz, etc...

Zacapa XO starts with balance : honey and flowery notes, a bit nutty and peachy behind. The alcohol is present but not overpowering. It's quite good! But it lacks a certain "syrupness" in the texture and therefore feels too watery. The taste doesn't linger long, apart from some woody notes, which is a shame. Overall good but not worth spending too much money on it.