Abuelo XV Napoleon Cognac Cask Finish

D’une belle couleur ambrée, il est sur des parfums de vanille et cacao

There are two reasons I was reluctant to try this one. First I am not a big fan of cask-flavouring as too often the styles of spirit are too different and the result ends in a bit of both but never as good as they are apart. Especially rum and cognac don't go well together (Plantation...) in my book. Secondly it is sweetened and I prefer my rums dry; in a way sweetening cask-flavoured rums is a confession that it doesn't really work I think.

On the nose the cognac is omnipresent; hard oak and grape are just as much there as the vanilla and tropical fruits and more present than other typical rum flavours. On the palate it isn't as bad as I feared when the fruit gets stronger and a leathery note comes through; it smells more like cognac but tastes more like rum. A bitter coffee appears too but all in all it lacks a bit of complexity for a 15yo. It is not terribly sweet but I think that is because of all the tannines from the oak suppress the sugar. Bitter and rather simple aftertaste of sweet oak.

I think the quality of the rum (before putting it into cognac casks and sugaring it) is really nice and deserves better but to each his own.

This rhum has a very attractive nose and a great cognac taste.
Maybe in the same style as the Plantation XO 20th anniversary but moe straight to the cognac point.
Very warm kiss on the whole. A good daily pleasure

Nose: old wood, rather rough, some moss
Palate: wooden and some chili. Somehow sweet and dry at the same time...

7,6

Cal19, day24

Special 15-year editions finished in sherry oloroso barrels, napoleon cognac and port tawny took us on a wonderful journey around the world. Unlike many whiskey editions, here the finish had a strong impact on the character of the drink and you could have fun catching nuances.

Pozycja obowiązkowa dla wielbicieli brandy. Dwa pozostałe z kolekcji są zdecydowanie słodsze.

Altid en fornøjelse at kikke ind til Rombo. Man kommer altid derfra med god rom

This is probably my least favourite of the three Abuelo XV expressions. That's not to say it's bad, far from it. I'd happily take it any time. But given the choice, I think I'd rather have one of the others. Maybe because it's the least sweet one. I got cognac on the nose, and the flavour is still great. Recommended.

The box looks solid and gloomy. “Nobleness”, a barrel, heather, vanilla, a confectionery aroma spreads from a glass and alcohol breaks through. The taste is multi-layered: first sweet, then burning and bitterness, again sweetness, oilyness, moderate astringency and again burning makes you swallow faster. Also apricot and sourness are felt. This rum is appropriate to dilute slightly with water and the palette of impressions will become even greater. Long aftertaste. Citrus fruits on the table will be very handy, kumquat is perfect. Inebriation brings a minor mood. But in the morning you will not feel the previous load.

Ron Abuelo is a brand that many people have divided opinions towards. I have never tried one of them before, but I wanted to give one of the cask finishes a go.

Nose: Ripe fruit, raisins and cocoa with a bit of oak peaking through
Taste: Oak, ripe fruit, caramel, vanilla, peppercorn and a long and somewhat suprising dry finish with cognac notes
Overall: I am always somewhat reluctant to taste these "cask finishes" that have become more and more popular, because they seldom do anything to impact the taste. With that said you really get a cognac feel in this rum, which helps the complexity quite a lot. I was affraid that this rum would be to sweet, but that was certainly not the case. A great, but a bit to expensive, rum.