Mount Gay XO Cask Strength Limited Edition

I tried this bruiser of a rum at the famous Rum Bar in the beautiful Whitsunday Isles in North Queensland.. wow , what a kick in the face this was..
Im a fan of Mount Gay rums with their "no additives" policy.. love the XO but this is a more skillful blended and complex version.. leave to sit for at least 15 minutes.. lots of oak , bourbon notes , spice , leather and slightly smokey. When you swallow this warms your whole body.. probably not my best idea in tropical north Queensland ! This is a Bang.. in your face rum that I loved , maybe not your average sipper though.. experienced rum drinkers only please.

Mount Gay did this one right. Oak, vanilla, toffee, leather, fruits and floral....very well balanced. But, there's a kick on the finish! It's a smooth rum but there's a lingering bite that this sipper provides.

I'm not a huge fan of Mount Gay rums, as I find them all too dry for my personal liking. And though this too is relatively dry, it's easily the best of the Mount Gay rums I've tried.

Smells and tastes of oak, bourbon, spice, caramel, vanilla, and almond. I think it's a tad sweeter than the regular XO. The 63%abv works nicely, and I find it easy to drink straight. If you like Mount Gay rums, you'll probably love this.

A nice mahogany color with gray green reflections. On the nose are classical notes of banana and chocolate with also coffee. But it seems more complex than the normal XO version. There are also candied fruits, nuts. On the palate, it explodes, the alcohol is well present but very well integrated. The whole is very homogeneous with chocolate always present, candied fruits, pastry notes as usual for Mount Gay. A superb final very long and very complex, it's very rich. A superb realization that finally gives the possibility to the fans of cask strength to find among this brand a product to live up to their expectations.
Real rate = 9,5

The nose is very pronounced spicy oak notes. You can almost taste the Bourbon that was in these casks prior. Vanilla, a nice creamy nuttiness and a slight hint of banana, toffee and caramel. Despite the ABV there is very little “menace” as I like to call it. It’s still a very nice well balanced, skillfully blended spirit.

Sipped even at 63% it is a surprisingly mellow and pleasant experience. I would recommend a little water but not much – just to bring out all the flavour. Not too much or you might as well stuck with the regular XO.