Santos Dumont XO

Opened up this rum, tasted it, found it to be strange and overly sweet, googled it, to my horror the name that haunts me in my dreams appeared... A.H. Riise...

Nose: Banana, coconut, perfume, stonefruits and honey
Taste: Some funky notes with fermented fruits and vanilla washed away quickly by a rush of sugar
Overall: This has some promising notes... for a millisecond, then it is completely washed away by a rush of sugar that takes over everything. Not good.

Generally sweet rum. Notes of honey, vanilla, caramel and fruits

Where is the rum in this? Tastes like a designed and fabricated booze made from neutral alcohol full of sugar and what, the latest offerings from SABIC? I hate these kind of products and the way they are put in the market as if you get something very special: it is just a hoax!

After two sips I threw out the rest of the content in my glass as I guess the alcohol is the least dangerous ingredient here. I cannot go lower than a '1' so hence my high rating.

Krásna fľaša, ktorá vám napovie číslo sudu a fľaškovania. Pre mňa je to veľké prekvapenie, nakoľko som túto značku, taktiež pána na etikete, poriadne nepoznal. Teraz mi je to už jasné, priekopník v lietaní, na ktorého počesť bol tento rum vyrobený a pomenovaný.

Fľaša: pre mňa ide o jednu z najkrajších fliaš (podobná ako A.H. Riise Celebration), aj keď, priznám sa, inklinujem skôr ku "pirátskemu" vzoru fliaš ako má Pyrat Rum XO, resp. Diplomatico. Krásne dotvarovaná zátka fľaše. Čo ma však prekvapilo, priznám sa veľmi nepríjemne, je etiketa, ktorá je len nalepená ale to je detail krásy.

Vôňa: krásna sladká vôňa pripomínajúca mi macerované hrozienka, med a jemne aj vanilku. Nepreráža žiadny lieh, či akákoľvek alkoholová stopa.

Chuť: primerane sladká, trocha exotického ovocia, necítim alkohol, nepáli len jemne pohladí hrdlo. Záver je príjemný stredne trvajúci. Nemám výhrady

Záver: príjemné prekvapenie, už o tejto značke mám dostatok informácií, za mňa je to veľmi kvalitný rum s kvalitným obsahom. Aby som nezabudol, aj balenie, v ktorom sa nachádza fľaša je decentná. Túto fľašu si musím strážiť, pretože sa príjemne míňa.

Gut gemachter Rum mit eigenem Charakter.
Düfte von Bananenschale, Leder und Trockenfrüchten.
Sanfter Auftritt im Gaumen mit zarten Holznoten, Karamell und Vanille.
Im Ausklang schwingt die ganze Komposition lange mit.
Für Alle die mal etwas Anderes wollen.

Well done rum with its own character.
Fragrances of banana peel, leather and dried fruit.
Smooth appearance on the palate with delicate wood notes, caramel and vanilla.
In the end, the whole composition resonates for a long time.
For all who want something else.

It's strong, smooth, and sweet with a buttery feel in your mouth. I couldn't pick up any specific flavors beyond it tasting like rum.

It's pretty good in coke but not not distinctive in any way. I think it might be a better sipper over ice.

I had just a sample for this test, so it’s just a first impression.
Santos Dumont XO is a Brazilian rum produced from freshly pressed sugar cane honey by the Danish company A.H. Riise. It’s distilled in pot stills and then aged in different types of barrels before blended.
Haven’t found any age statement, but they call it XO which probably means that it’s at least 6yo.
The name Santos Dumont comes from a World Famous Aviation pioneer, back in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. His father Henri Dumont was known as the Coffee King of Brazil.
From nose to finish it’s possible to recognize coconut, honey, banana as well as other fruits and of course lots of sweetness (It’s an A.H.Riise).
Even though I’m not a fan of sweetened rum this is quite OK, maybe because it’s produced from sugar cane honey in pot stills and that that gives it another profile.
Picture: My emptied sample.

Many thanks to Joola69 for sharing this with me as part of a rum exchange.

I liked this a LOT more than I expected to; this is easily the best Brazilian rum I've tried to date. I even rate it above some of the far more expensive heavy hitters, like El Dorado 25-Year and Panamonte Reserva XXV.

Smells and tastes of caramel, molasses, honeycomb, and butterscotch.

This is an amazing rum; now I'll have to find a full bottle for my own cabinet!

Edit: Joola69 got me a bottle for my own cabinet, since I couldn't find this anywhere in the US! Thanks!!!

Príjemne hrejivý rum zlato jantárovej farby. Vo vôni cítiť sladké drievko, vanilku, jemne ovocné tóny. Chuť je stredne sladká, kopírujúca aromatické vnemy. Záver je hladký, dlhší a hrejivý so stopami po orieškoch. Ako celok veľmi nápadne pripomína rumové pralinky...=) Zaujímavý kúsok.

Smooth, rich and warm. Overcooked fruits and honey flavour. Very oily and buttery feel in mouth. Something strange in flavour profile make it unique. Mushrooms or human musk, but in good way. Expensive bottle.