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Image courtesy of 1423.dk
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Another solera by Oliver & Oliver. Not bad, but it doesn't quite deliver.
Information
It is no secret that slaves has played a huge part in the
creation of rum. As labour in the production of rum, and as currency to pay for
exotic caribbean products (rum being just one of them) brought home to the
richer and more civilised (cough!) Europe.
The series of rum has been made as a tribute to those who
has paid the highest of all costs – and often forced to – so we can enjoy the
marvellous spirit of rum/rhum/ron today.
This is the Ron Esclavo XO – a rum made by Oliver &
Oliver out of the Dominican Republic, but exclusively for Danish wholesaler
1423.dk. There is no information or mention of the product line on the Oliver &
Oliver webpage, so I am relying in the information supplied by 1423.dk.
The sample under review has been supplied to me directly
from the people behind 1423.dk.
Being an Oliver & Oliver product I am anxious to see if
they have finally managed to make something different than their usual spanish style
solera sweetness. However I fear that it will be yet another very, very sweet
rum, as all previously encountered Oliver & Oliver products has been
exactly that. And seeing the popularity these kinds of rum get in my corner of
the world, who can blame them?
According to the information from the wholesaler, we are
dealing with a 23 year old Solera bottled at an ABV of 42%, which is slightly
higher than the standard 40% - and actually one of the highest ABVs found in
the Oliver & Oliver sphere, only surpassed by the special cask Opthimus
products.
There is no information available about distillery, type of
still used or composition of the solera in which maturation has taken place.
Neither do I have any information about potential additives (sugar or
colouring).
Presentation
Presentation
Having only a sample at my disposal, I have to rely on
webpage images for the real presentation.
The rum comes in a regular copper coloured box with only the
standard information – nation, ABV, and brand name. On the side we find what
looks like signatures from the team behind 1423.dk
Inside we find a nice, short bottle which doesn’t sport much
in the direction of details except for a slightly thickened bottom.
The label work is something special though.
A very modern expression with the information from the box
sitting on top of a giant ”XO”. Some might find it a bit tacky. I think it
looks quite refreshing.
I haven’t been able to find sufficient picture material to
clearly identify what has been written on the back of the bottle. It does
however seem to be a short story about the Esclavo product line.
The gate to the golden drops are protected by a natural cork
with a plastic stopper, cloaked in a copper shrink wrap with the wholesalers
name on it.
The rum it self is a dark brown with a ruby hue and when gently twirled, obese legs materialises themselves on the inside of the glass.
Nose
Nose
As you pour the rum, you already get a blast of molasses and
vanilla, along with huge rum soaked raisins. And those scents are also the
first to escape the glass.
Underneath that classic surface, I got rich apricot jams,
cinnamon rolls and milk chocolate with orange.
It also has a mild oaken presence, which drags along some
leather and a little wood polish.
Far in the background some ripe cherries hid and was very
reluctant to reveal themselves.
At the very edge of it all was a slight spicy sting.
All in all a very rich and downright incredible nose. I like
it.
Taste
Taste
On the palate the rum exhibits some of the components from
the nose, but first and foremost it is a
very sweet piece of booze.
Heavily dominated by maple syrup, caramel and liquorice, it
is definitely something for the sweet tooth.
The oak and leather shouts from the background and only
manages to break the sugary surface every once in a while.
It has a rich fruity side to it with raisins and ripe
cherries being the most obvious elements.
Raisins, ripe cherries
Not as complex as the nose, but quite fat and juicy.
A little too sweet for my personal preference, but still not a bad effort.
Finish
Finish
Short, sweet and sticky.
Again heavy on the syrup and liquorice, with a side of very
mild oak and leather. And that is about it until you reach the very end, where
you are left with just sugar and spice.
It has a decent warmth through out and has no coarse
elements what so ever.
A disappointing finale if you ask me. I would have expected
it to stay around longer given the slightly elevated ABV.
Rating and final thoughts
Rating and final thoughts
I must say that I enjoyed the Esclavo XO quite a bit. Even
though it is to the sweeter side, I found my self accumulating sips at a decent
pace. And after an initial feeling that this rum was not going to impress me
much, I found myself liking it more and more as I went along.
Personally, I find it a bit too sweet and sticky to be an
over all favourite. Even though it does go a bit above the standard 40% the
extra strength doesn’t manage to clean up the sweetness very well.
It stands in sharp contrast to the Rum Nation Peruano 8,
which is also a sweet rum at 42% ABV, but which cleans up perfectly and hence
avoids getting sticky.
I can’t help but feel that the extra strength saves some of
the glory for this rum, as I suspect that a 40% version would have been an
outright syrup tsunami.
The nose was a delight. Complex and rich. A real pleasure. Unfortunately the palate (and later the finish) was not entirely able to deliver on the promises made by the nose.
Value for money could be better. Dialling in at more than €60
you have a lot of other options.
If you are into super sweet rums, you have the Millonario 15
for around €50, the Diplomatico ResEx for around €40 and the Centenario 20 for
around €55 to name a few.
If you prefer it a little less sweet and perhaps more spicy or dry, you could
get the Peruano 8 for around €40, the Abuelo 12 for around €43 and the El Dorado 15 for around €50.
To sum it up: You have many, many option if you have €60 to
spend, and I am not sure that the Esclavo XO would be the best place to start.
Never the less if you are into sweet rums and you can find
it, you ought to try it out. It might however pose a difficult task to source
this rum if you live outsider northern Europe (and perhaps Germany).
A nice rum over all and even though it is not one of my
favourites, a fair judgement would be a …
Rating: 65/100
Note
Image courtesy of www.1423.dk
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