A.H Riise XO Reserve comes from the US Virgin Islands, located next to Puerto Rico, between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
This is a blend of rums column-distilled from molasses mash and aged in American oak barrels for up to 20 years.
Each bottle is numbered and comes from the same barrel.
Nico's tasting notes
The first nose reveals a hint of heavy rum (overripe banana), but this remains fairly stealthy, as vanilla and orange quickly assert themselves, enhanced by a large pinch of cinnamon. The cinnamon's powdery aspect really comes to the fore, all the more so as pepper and nutmeg come to the fore. The sugar is very present, giving us a kind of spicy candy.
We return to the orange zest when we shake the rum. This gives a slightly drier impression that tries to bring a little balance before the cinnamon melted into the vanilla makes a comeback. The spicy ambience continues with ginger and cardamom, reminiscent of the little gingerbread men we eat during the holidays.
The vanilla-orange-cinnamon trio that leads the way on the palate is definitely reminiscent of Christmas. It's a tropical Christmas, and a particularly West Indian one at that, since these aromas are reminiscent of the famous schrubb prepared in the islands for this occasion. The thick sugar of an orange liqueur takes over, depositing this citrus flavor on the palate for a long time to come.
