Ron Esclavo XO Cask

All I can say is wow, what an amazing rum. Truly a masterpiece! After well over 1,900 aged rums later, what an amazing find and what a big surprise. Ron Esclavo XO Cask Strength comes from the Oliver & Oliver group, so that does not surprise me a bit since most of their rums are simply stunning. The Ron Esclavo XO Cask Strength comes in a black clay bottle, handwritten label, it has a very deep color, surprisingly strong alcohol to the nose from being 130 Proof. Cask Strength differs greatly from the Esclavo XO in a sense that Cask Strength is all about chocolate whereas XO is all about coffee. The Cask Strength does not have any burn at all at the end which is very surprising taking into consideration its 130 Proof. This rum goes directly to my top 2 spot after well over 1,000 rums later. Stunning. Masterpiece.

Detailed scoring analysis:
10/100 Packaging, bottle and label design 10
10/100 Color of this rum 10
15/100 Nose test 15
20/100 Palate test 20
15/100 Afterburn of this rum 14
15/100 Availability to purchase this rum 11
15/100 Ultimate value for money 15
Total score 95

Wow.....and wow...

First of all, you do not notice the 65% alcohol since the taste is so intensive, explosive and you can drink many time and still can not figure all the flavours you can feel....

It is quite sweet on paper but you can not feel this since the combination of sweetness and alcohol is a truly harmony.

This is one of the best rum I taste so far....

Strong, but sweet and complex. Taste is like a bomb. Everybody have to try it. Word's are useless.

Fantastic full-bodied and well-rounded taste. Very strong at 65% but there's no harshness, rather it just boosts all the flavours. Nothing is out of place and it fills the entire mouth with a warm and smooth sensation. The taste lingers for a long time and in the aftertaste I sense a touch of viola

Fantastisk rom, gåshud på hela kroppen, alla smaker på en gång med kraftig käftsmäll! ABSOLUT VÄRLDSKLASS! Men börja inte med denna, utan träna smaklökarna med lite annat a rom först!

Let's start from the beginning. The color is reddish, catches your eye. I smell caramel, cherry and anise. For some reason the taste also reminded me of cherries. For a 130-proof rum it's very smooth and sweet. The taste lingers in your mouth. It packs a punch but it doesn't feel as strong as some 110-proof rums I've tasted, which really burnt. That is perfect in my book. This for me is a perfect sipper. You enjoy every single taste.

Tento kousek je extrém, jeho 65% dokáže vystřelit z kecek a přitom je tak jemný, velice aromatický, závěr je nekonečně dlouhý a hřejivý. A ta hliněná láhev je dokonalá, jen podtrhuje kvality a odkaz na otroctví. Je dokonale silný, ale přitom jemný rum.

This rum was my biggest surprise. I remember a big disappointment after a first sip. So big that I put aside a whole battle. After several weeks I came back ,poured a small ice cube ,let it breath 10 minutes and then a miracle happened.
The taste is what I expect from rum. Combination of syrup sweetness a high amount of alcohol is in perfect harmony. Finish is long,hot and sweet.

This rum is just out of this world, so much flavor and still so satisfying to drink even tho its a 65% rum.
It packs a real punch in about everything on the checklist

This is a beverage for connoisseur. Very tasty though high in alcool. One glass should be enough to demonstrate its round character and its overwhelming power.