Mount Gay XO Extra Old Rum

I am much more of a whiskey guy than a rum guy, but this was the rum that briefly had me convinced I *might* be a rum guy. Bold, fruity, sweet. Dry oak. Molasses, curacao oranges, apricot, baking spices. Vanilla, floral, banana and cinnamon. Nice oily mouthfeel, with a slight, sweet heat. More fruits on the taste (orange, stone fruits), peaches in syrup, slight bitter chocolate. Tobacco sweetness, barrel char. There's a slight soggy-wood astringency on the finish, but it's the lone weakness of a remarkable rum. Distiller's review undersells the quality of this rum, but they are right in one sense: that it's also an excellent substitute for whiskey in whiskey-based cocktails (particularly the Old Fashioned).

My favorite sipping rum. I've tried the Mount Gay 1703, and it's just not for me.