Nose: Sweet, toffee, vanilla, spices, oak. Hints of smoke.
Palate: Cocoa, caramel, prunes, spices, vanilla.
Finish: Long, sublimely smooth, hints of smoke on the tail.
When I was younger I read a description of a cold, wet child on a pirate ship being offered a sip of rum by a kindly sea-farer and feeling instantly warmed and cheered. This is the rum I imagine him drinking. If you're going for a classic and beautiful rum - go no further. It may not be as cheap as the similarly flavoured, but sweeter, Doorly's XO but this is a more complex, richer and ultimately more satisfying dram, and worth the extra £10 is has on Doorly's - although Doorly's is a fine drink. Ultimately a superb purchase, I just wish a 70cl bottle would last longer.
Red-tinged gold. Quite a pungent nose, sweet but slightly vegetal - like an agricole, or Wray & Nephew, but only a hint. Quite fruity, like berries dipped in honey. Still lots of bite, peppery finish. Great - a good crossover from mixing to sipping.