AH Riise XO Port Cask Rum comes from the American Virgin Islands, and more precisely on the island of Saint Thomas.
This is a blend of 15 rums column-distilled from molasses mash and aged in American oak barrels for up to 20 years. The blend is then aged in Port casks for a further 6 months.
Each bottle is numbered and comes from the same barrel.
Nico's tasting notes
The rum nose is very sweet and fruity. Unlike the brand's other rums, the first moments are not marked by a few heavy exotic fruit notes. Here, we're immediately plunged into something syrupy, liquorish, like a fruit syrup. Cinnamon is clearly present, providing a pastry-like quality. The alcohol expresses itself and escapes from this thick liquid. Vanilla rounds out the finish, with melted candy sugar and candied citrus peel. Alcohol mingles with pepper and tickles the nose.
Aeration confirms and reinforces the sweet, gently spicy profile. You'd expect a sweet rum, now refreshed by finer spices like cardamom, and a sweet, icy mint edge. With time, the rum settles on candied fruit and spices, giving the brand its trademark Christmas cake character.
The palate reveals the hint of heaviness (very ripe, even cooked banana) that was not present in the first scents. The rum is gripping, acidic, high in alcohol but very sweet and full-bodied. The candied fruits and spices are full-bodied and consistent, catching the taste buds thanks to a coffee powder.
The coffee permeates the mouth for a while, still with a candy-like impression that in the end is more reminiscent of cola.
