Plantation XO 20th Anniversary Rum

Nose: Vanilla, oak, creme brulee, dark fruits, orange, toffee, a touch of hogo, lots of coconut and a refined oaky note. Palate: Soft molasses and vanilla entry. The development brings out brown sugar, molasses, coconut and a little orange oil. The texture is quite viscous and mouth-coating, and a quite syrupy, but in a rather simple one-note way. Finish: Short. Sweet and mild. No spice or bitterness. The nose is pleasant and promises a lot, but when you get to the palate it falls short of expectations. While I'm not particularly partial to sugar-dosed rums I don't strongly object either, so long as the dosage is subtle and well handled. However I felt that there was simply too much added sugar here which makes it too heavy and liqueur-like on the palate. In general I've found Plantation rums to be of high quality, and some of their range is outstanding. This was certainly above average, but it did not live up to the hype and the official score here seems very generous. "Above Average" : 82/100 (3.25 stars)

The blend of flavors from the barrels makes for a great tasting rum.