I started out a bit hesitant with the nose—fresh paint dominated my first whiff, slowly unveiling ginger, nuts, and brown sugar with time. The high proof was clearly evident by the nose-tingling burn. But the taste, quite frankly, blew me away. This is the most impressive rum I’ve enjoyed to date. Its cask strength, while definitely noticeable, was not the burning beast I expected. Instead, the burn was controlled, providing warmth and development to a delightfully balanced composition of sweet butterscotch, rich fruits, toasted nuts, and smoky wood. Given my limited experience, this tastes like a deft combination of the lighter and sweeter Plantation XO (tropical fruit: banana, mango, coconut) with the darker and denser El Dorado 15 (caramelized nuts, coffee, and charred oak). Still, let me be clear—this is on another level in terms of quality, sophistication, and complexity. This is a rum you take your time appreciating. Absolutely deserving of all the praise, and a must-try for evolving palettes eager to progress beyond the popular sweetened rums out there. An utter joy to sip and savor. I’ll be sad when this is gone. [10/10]