Damoiseau XO 42°

Six long years in carefully selected oak casks have given Damoiseau XO a remarkable aromatic richness.
This aged rum won a gold medal at the Concours Général Agricole de Paris in 2011.

Nico's tasting notes

The first nose of this Guadeloupe rum is greedy but also vegetal. Tobacco and tea perfume the sugarcane field, where citrus fruits have also been planted. It's necessary to let the alcohol escape a little before delving a little deeper into the gourmandism. We then return to the pastry register, with its fatty almond powder and candied fruit. A light woody-peppery note judiciously counters this greedy debauchery.
Aeration reveals a very sweet white rum with a slight smokiness. The alcohol brings more acidic notes of red fruit and green apple. Then the sweetness returns, with an impression of cake batter enriched with cream and almond liqueur.

One doesn't necessarily expect this frank, dry attack on the palate, marked by cocoa and very black coffee. The palate is powerful, a little alcoholic and powdery, with a dusty woodiness. We're still surprised when, once the storm has passed, we find a white rum that's just peppery, as if stripped by the gusts.

The finish is similarly vegetal, like a spicier white rum.

"The charm of this mermaid will seduce you and draw you into the rollers, before revealing herself without artifice..."