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.