Old Monk XXX 7-Year

Smell of typical czech 4 Euro rum leads to taste of typical romanian 6 Euro cognac and finishes with typical russian hangover for free.

Smells very good, first taste is surprising, exactly how rum should taste, however in the end, the Kung fu really hits you.

I know this is a bizarre review but I am now on bottle number 3 which have been consumed over the previous 18 months or so. I can't quite work out why I don't hate this rum but then also cannot throw it out of my collection. Sometimes it tastes so strong and the smell knocks my sideways then other times it hurts so good! I'm at war with myself over the Old Monk and love it someday and hate it somedays I guess he will be here to stay so is that a bad thing or a great thing? Sometimes too bitter and lacking sweetness then surprises me with a mouthfuls of mild caramel eschews and treacle with coffee kicks. Not a rum for the fainthearted this is a thinking man's rum, but then I am not a thinking man! Oh dear Old Monk please help?

I join with other comments. Hard to describe all the spices that rum is included. Worth trying. Me and my friend's favorite beverage !

When you think of rum, you probably don't associate it with India. However, India is the number one producer of sugarcane followed by Brazil. Old Monk is a fine example of rum hailing from India. Can be enjoyed neat or mixed. If you can find Old Monk XXX, I would strongly suggest trying it!

The smell already was weird, a mix of vanilla and citrus
Then the taste, overly sweet, like a Jagermister, will have more vanilla and coffee too.
I would actually not really call this a rum, more a cough sirop.

The best use for this rum is probably mixing considering the price, but you can try to enjoy it alone. It will not stand up to any typical ~8y offering by large brands, but it's ok on its own.

Nose: Vanilla is the most obvious, not a high quality vanilla but I've definitely smelled worse. Some desert notes, and light fruitiness. Maybe cantaloupe, whipped cream, marshmallow, nothing heavy at all. A tiny bit of caramel but nothing prominent. The smell is better than the taste undoubtedly.

Taste: Much more vanilla, a bit of deeper bread notes almost charred maybe. Some basic caramel, although the taste is quite lacking in roundness. This tastes a bit too young and sharp for my taste, not enough oomph in the note intensities to offset these flaws. Expected for the price though. Aftertaste duration is fairly long, but the intensity is not quite up there. Prolonged note of something mildly sweet but light will linger, hard to pinpoint but again something like roasted marshmallow or cantaloupe is pretty close.

This is not meant to be enjoyed alone, but if you insist then I recommend some water or ice for sure. Cuts down on the sharpness noticeably and gives you a light hearted rum without too much fuss. A bit funky and sharp when neat, not desirable.

Neat: 4/10, with ice about 5.5 or 6/10, as a mixer maybe 6.5/10. This rating also factors in the price: if stepping up to $20-25 is of no concern then this easily falls down a full notch. It simply cannot compete with more established 8 year offerings, it's quite clear. The overall lightness of this rum can compliment other ingredients fairly well and not overpower them when mixed, which is quite nice considering the price.

Noticeably sharper than the 12y/Gold Reserve version, which is not a bad thing. Less sediment and coffee, but the nose has fruitiness. Really the difference between 12y and this is about preference.

Very butterscotchy and sweet. Decent for shots and mixing. But not everyone’s cup of tea. So much sugar it can give a slight headache.

Compared to some the bigger name rums this does not stand up. Unique to have in your collection but I would not offer it to drink. Taste has a sweet vanilla finish, a smell that is hard to pin point and almost artificial. It was ok as a mixer but not straight