I have to agree with you on dilution. The XO definitely is a neat sipper. I like to put a cube of ice in a lot of drinks but this one just loses too much flavour.
Hm. On the topic of coming from a whiskey world... of the plantation rum set, I actually prefer the Xaymaca over the XO 20; the extra funkiness and complexity in the Xaymaca helps to balance out the sweetness. The XO is nice, I just wish it were either stronger, or less sweet.
Currently selling for $52.99 here in Ohio US. It's available but not always easy to find. I have to make a 40 minute drive to the nearest store that carries it. Still its one that I try to make sure I always have a bottle in house. For me it tends to be a once a week or so pour because of the price and the fact that I have to make a longer trip to replace it.
I still have yet to find a plantation rum that I don't love, and across the 14 bottles I have each one is distinctively different from the others, and unlike anything else on the market at the same time.
Plantation 5 year used to be one of the best under-priced rums on the market. But that has changed - it has been steadily going up. I love the 20th Anniversary and no, its not 20 years old. It is delicious though
I struggle with this one a little, so I’ve never bought it. Within the more aged rums in Smuggler’s Cove Cat. 3, this one is so much more money. It’s $87 (~£51ish) in Ontario Canada. In that category I can get A12 for $52 (~£30) or ElDo12 for $55 (~£32). I know those are different styles, but they operate in the same type of drinking occasions for me. Something to enjoy mostly on their own but also can punch up a great cocktail. For an extra £20 I can buy a whole other bottle of something in a different style/category to enjoy as well. So I’ve never had it.
Hey Steve, St. Nicholas Abbey, have you ever tried anything from there? Can't say I have. Price puts me off. Curious if it's something you've had a dram of and what you thought.
Yeah, I've mentioned them in a Video! if it's not already out, it'll be in the next one... but I think that video is already Public... just can't remember which one.
Is Diplomatico Reserva noticeable sweeter? I love the XO, but I'm afraid to buy the Diplomatico Reserva because everyone says it is not rum but instead a licour by having so much sugar! What's your experience?
Maybe, we'll see how the next Poll goes. As it's a blend, it doesn't really fit in a set country... (Edit - I've just looked...Poll is out on the 26th Nov)
Hi Steve!🤝 I got your point but try to see mine: So let's get started.This is a high quality rum right? Yep it's. No dout 'bout it-That's a great rum. It's got rather long tropical ageing let alone continental one . My question is: hasn't it lots of flavouful tasty tannins and flavours and good things on itself from the barrels where it's been for such a long period in casks??? Why the hell they get it dosed???? Ain't it enough for what it's sucked from thos barrels alone to be considered a good rum??? Or maybe to please philistines??? If so -it ain't that good(((
Ah my friend, this allows a perfect little teaching moment, and one I wish the vast majority of "Rum Geeks" would comprehend. Right, so ignoring your own personal opinion about whether a Rum should have sugar or not, what most True Rum fans miss is that each brand, each rum...they are a Business first and foremost. And the whole objective is to make £££. Most sensible Rum brands are not there to please the minority. They are there to sell to the majority. Cos they'll make more Money. The simple fact is, adding Sugar to this beast of a Rum, helps it to be one of the biggest selling premium Rums in the world. It's aimed at mass market. It's not like certain other brands who think Sugar is the devil, who aim their Rums at the 5% (real life is closer to 3% of the Rum Market). There is a lot more money to be made selling a Good Rum to 95% of the Rum Market, than simply creating a few thousand bottles of Epic Rum a few times a year for the 5% who will appreciate it. Sugar sells. No matter what your feelings about dosing or not dosing, you have to look it from a Business point of view. Maison Ferrand (Plantation) chose to play in the big leagues many years ago. They chose to dose SOME or their Rums. Not all. Just Some. As a result, as I say in the video, they sell more Rum in a Week than others do in a whole year. Which of course then helps them pay more money back in to the local economy, create more jobs, a help their people sustain a better lifestyle. So who you are calling philistines...they are the exact people who finance the Rum world, who allow other brands make more Rum! (think Molasses sales, barrel sales, import, export). And just to finish off the lesson... many people laughed when Diageo bought Don Papa last year. However, Diageo have acquired one of the biggest selling Rums in the world. Which coincidentally has more Sugar in than the vast majority of other Rums. Now if Don Papa, Diplomatico, Bumbu and many other Sugar Bombs weren't there to attract people to Rum in the first place, then there would simply be little to no market for Rums with no Sugar! Because WE ALL START SOMEWHERE... You don't just magically start Drinking a 12yo undosed, wood heavy, tanin and spice heavy Rum. You start at Kraken, Capt Morgs, Bacardi... THEN you'd probably progress to maybe Plantation XO as a special purchase. but then you fall in love with it...and the Special Purchase becomes a regular. Hence why WIRD seriously struggle to keep up with producing it. It would take years of palate aclimatising to take the average Consumer to Geek levels! The Short version... It's simply a better rum to the 95%, the Mass market... than say Doorlys 12 which is aimed at the 5%, the Rum Connoisseurs. Sugar Sells! Oh...and yeah... it's something like 98% of all Rum that's sold, is used as a Mixer/or Cocktail Rum! BOOM. Lesson Over!
Hi Stevo!🤝 Thanks for the large-scale lesson👌 I guess I got the point. There's absolutely no point in trying to please just 5% of so called "rum geeks' like me. The only counter plea is that they have the same competition in the world of whisky, whiskey, and bourbon, but somehow they do it without any additives except E-150 which ain't got any taste at all (I've tried that) just the color "corrector". But your last phrase sounds like the most "painful" for me- 🤣 " it's something like 98% of all Rum that's sold, is used as a Mixer/or Cocktail' But I was meant to be a "neat drinking guy" like most of my friends. Cheers Buddy, thanks for your reviews, keep on "rockin''🥂@@StevetheBarmanRumReviews
I recently had a glass of the Plantation XO for the first time in a couple of years. Much worse than I remember it. Way too sugary, far too coconut forward, thin mouth feel, weak finish, poor alcohol integration..... there are much, much better rums out there for 50 quid. One to avoid as your palette develops.
I'd kind of ageree with that. I mean i still love it. BUT, as your palate develops, it does cease to become a favourite. But we all start somewhere right?!
![PySpark Full Course [2024] | Learn PySpark | PySpark Tutorial | Edureka](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/sSkAuTqfBA8/mqdefault.jpg)
![Eminem - Temporary (feat. Skylar Grey) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZaK9Wi5ho0o/mqdefault.jpg)
📔 DOWNLOAD MY FREE RUM eBOOK; stevethebarman.com/ebook (Updated as of May 2023) 📔
All your opinions of Rum are worth their weight in gold. You present perfection in all your Rum expertise.
An excellent rum, just bought a bottle for €35 in Berlin on sale..
I have to agree with you on dilution. The XO definitely is a neat sipper. I like to put a cube of ice in a lot of drinks but this one just loses too much flavour.
Hm. On the topic of coming from a whiskey world... of the plantation rum set, I actually prefer the Xaymaca over the XO 20; the extra funkiness and complexity in the Xaymaca helps to balance out the sweetness. The XO is nice, I just wish it were either stronger, or less sweet.
I got this on your recommendation.
Love the plantation products.
I think I prefer the R.L. over the XO as my favorite sipper.
Currently selling for $52.99 here in Ohio US. It's available but not always easy to find. I have to make a 40 minute drive to the nearest store that carries it. Still its one that I try to make sure I always have a bottle in house. For me it tends to be a once a week or so pour because of the price and the fact that I have to make a longer trip to replace it.
I still have yet to find a plantation rum that I don't love, and across the 14 bottles I have each one is distinctively different from the others, and unlike anything else on the market at the same time.
Plantation 5 year used to be one of the best under-priced rums on the market. But that has changed - it has been steadily going up. I love the 20th Anniversary and no, its not 20 years old. It is delicious though
It retails for EUR 46.25 in the land of Kevin De Bruyne.
Price is about AUD$96 so your Aussie price is pretty spot on.
I struggle with this one a little, so I’ve never bought it. Within the more aged rums in Smuggler’s Cove Cat. 3, this one is so much more money. It’s $87 (~£51ish) in Ontario Canada. In that category I can get A12 for $52 (~£30) or ElDo12 for $55 (~£32). I know those are different styles, but they operate in the same type of drinking occasions for me. Something to enjoy mostly on their own but also can punch up a great cocktail. For an extra £20 I can buy a whole other bottle of something in a different style/category to enjoy as well. So I’ve never had it.
I understand that. But for many people the XO is their go to sipping Rum. It’s deffo not a cocktail rum 👌
Hey Steve, St. Nicholas Abbey, have you ever tried anything from there? Can't say I have. Price puts me off. Curious if it's something you've had a dram of and what you thought.
Yeah, I've mentioned them in a Video! if it's not already out, it'll be in the next one... but I think that video is already Public... just can't remember which one.
Plantation XO and Diplomatico Reserva are my two favorite sippers.
What about bumbu original? I like all 3 but I started off with bumbu
Is Diplomatico Reserva noticeable sweeter? I love the XO, but I'm afraid to buy the Diplomatico Reserva because everyone says it is not rum but instead a licour by having so much sugar! What's your experience?
@@jvidiait’s incredibly sweet. Very thick in the mouth. As is Bumbu mentioned above. Not for me.
Hi Steve. Will you be reviewing the new Plantation Sealander?
Maybe, we'll see how the next Poll goes. As it's a blend, it doesn't really fit in a set country... (Edit - I've just looked...Poll is out on the 26th Nov)
£44 On offer in Waitrose😊
Hi Steve!🤝 I got your point but try to see mine: So let's get started.This is a high quality rum right? Yep it's. No dout 'bout it-That's a great rum. It's got rather long tropical ageing let alone continental one . My question is: hasn't it lots of flavouful tasty tannins and flavours and good things on itself from the barrels where it's been for such a long period in casks??? Why the hell they get it dosed???? Ain't it enough for what it's sucked from thos barrels alone to be considered a good rum??? Or maybe to please philistines??? If so -it ain't that good(((
Ah my friend, this allows a perfect little teaching moment, and one I wish the vast majority of "Rum Geeks" would comprehend. Right, so ignoring your own personal opinion about whether a Rum should have sugar or not, what most True Rum fans miss is that each brand, each rum...they are a Business first and foremost. And the whole objective is to make £££. Most sensible Rum brands are not there to please the minority. They are there to sell to the majority. Cos they'll make more Money.
The simple fact is, adding Sugar to this beast of a Rum, helps it to be one of the biggest selling premium Rums in the world. It's aimed at mass market. It's not like certain other brands who think Sugar is the devil, who aim their Rums at the 5% (real life is closer to 3% of the Rum Market). There is a lot more money to be made selling a Good Rum to 95% of the Rum Market, than simply creating a few thousand bottles of Epic Rum a few times a year for the 5% who will appreciate it. Sugar sells. No matter what your feelings about dosing or not dosing, you have to look it from a Business point of view.
Maison Ferrand (Plantation) chose to play in the big leagues many years ago. They chose to dose SOME or their Rums. Not all. Just Some. As a result, as I say in the video, they sell more Rum in a Week than others do in a whole year. Which of course then helps them pay more money back in to the local economy, create more jobs, a help their people sustain a better lifestyle.
So who you are calling philistines...they are the exact people who finance the Rum world, who allow other brands make more Rum! (think Molasses sales, barrel sales, import, export). And just to finish off the lesson... many people laughed when Diageo bought Don Papa last year. However, Diageo have acquired one of the biggest selling Rums in the world. Which coincidentally has more Sugar in than the vast majority of other Rums. Now if Don Papa, Diplomatico, Bumbu and many other Sugar Bombs weren't there to attract people to Rum in the first place, then there would simply be little to no market for Rums with no Sugar! Because WE ALL START SOMEWHERE... You don't just magically start Drinking a 12yo undosed, wood heavy, tanin and spice heavy Rum. You start at Kraken, Capt Morgs, Bacardi... THEN you'd probably progress to maybe Plantation XO as a special purchase. but then you fall in love with it...and the Special Purchase becomes a regular. Hence why WIRD seriously struggle to keep up with producing it. It would take years of palate aclimatising to take the average Consumer to Geek levels!
The Short version... It's simply a better rum to the 95%, the Mass market... than say Doorlys 12 which is aimed at the 5%, the Rum Connoisseurs. Sugar Sells! Oh...and yeah... it's something like 98% of all Rum that's sold, is used as a Mixer/or Cocktail Rum!
BOOM. Lesson Over!
@@StevetheBarmanRumReviewswell said Steve, excellent write up.
Hi Stevo!🤝 Thanks for the large-scale lesson👌 I guess I got the point. There's absolutely no point in trying to please just 5% of so called "rum geeks' like me. The only counter plea is that they have the same competition in the world of whisky, whiskey, and bourbon, but somehow they do it without any additives except E-150 which ain't got any taste at all (I've tried that) just the color "corrector". But your last phrase sounds like the most "painful" for me- 🤣 " it's something like 98% of all Rum that's sold, is used as a Mixer/or Cocktail' But I was meant to be a "neat drinking guy" like most of my friends. Cheers Buddy, thanks for your reviews, keep on "rockin''🥂@@StevetheBarmanRumReviews
Diplomatico single vintage is better!
Plantation XO still good
Completly agree but more expensive and hard to find(
🤝👌
I recently had a glass of the Plantation XO for the first time in a couple of years. Much worse than I remember it.
Way too sugary, far too coconut forward, thin mouth feel, weak finish, poor alcohol integration..... there are much, much better rums out there for 50 quid. One to avoid as your palette develops.
I'd kind of ageree with that. I mean i still love it. BUT, as your palate develops, it does cease to become a favourite. But we all start somewhere right?!
@@StevetheBarmanRumReviews We sure do!I started by raiding the Lambs from my parents spirit cabinet 😅