Mezan Jamaica XO Rum 70cl

Could tell it was a good quality rum, but I found it a bit soft and uninteresting.

A Christmas present that took my by surprise a nice funk with a nice hint of banana and spiced tobacco.

Being a solid Foursquare fan, the Mezan Jamaica XO presents me with a problem:
I don't know how old it is and what wood it was matured in.
I'm good that is not sweetened or coloured and that Jamaica takes their stuff seriously.
I don't mind that it's a blend.

Glass: remarkably pale, suggesting this has not had decades in barrel, maybe average age 5-6 years.
Nose: spiritey, subtle funk, ripe bananas and pineapple
Palate: light, fresh, overripe fruit, no wood, no toffee; sweetness 1/5
Throat: lively burn, but not sustained, short length of aromas

It's a sipper, but a cocky teenager kind of a rum. Punching above its weight, but gotta give it credit for the attitude.
I'll come back to it, but considering that a 12yo Rum Sixty-Six is 3/4 of the price not too often.

Delicious banana funk, great for sipping or mixing.

Funk on nose and palette. Astringent dry wood on finish, with a bit of burn.

Overall, kinda thin and one dimensional. If it had to be Jamaican- for similar money, I'd buy Smith and Cross; to sip,I'd happily pay the extra for Hampden 8YO.

Good for sipping, strong sweet notes with hints of tropical fruit like banana and papaya. There is a little spiciness on the finish. Overall this rum is packing a lot of flavour into fairly pale colour body. Personally I enjoyed it most on ice with just a few drops of lime juice.

Judging by the reviews this is marmite! (By the way, there is no marmite in it.) I drink good rum straight. I did not expect much from this, but I think it’s excellent. Yes indeed, banana comes through really strongly on the nose and back of the tongue, but some subtle spicier after-taste too. It’s fantastic. Not a mixer. Enjoy after dinner or with a winter dessert like Christmas pudding.

The colour is great, and what's more it gives the drinker the confidence that this is not an additive filled rum. The taste is pleasant, banana is prominent, but I can also taste raisin in there. Overall great value rum, great taste, unadulterated, what more do you want.

I came across this rum while trying to find the best overall value for my mixed drinks. I've found rums in this price point suit my needs. It's very hard to find a rum rated higher without a significant jump in price. I love the Don Pancho 8, but decided to give this a go, just to see. Since based on the rating and price it's comparable. Unfortunately, this rum did not work for me. It has a strong odor of alcohol and an intense banana note which is completely clashing with the pomegranate-based drinks I'm making. If you're making drinks where banana will blend nicely, you might have better luck.

dark rum doesn't mean old rum, as evidenced by the marketplace that uses caramel coloring with abandon. Mezan has no caramel color. the natural color of the rum is in evidence, not the Madison Avenue interpretation of what color old rum should be. And ask your favorite brand if they add sugar or glycerin to their rum... or staves of oak instead of resting in oak barrels. I'll bet they cannot say with a straight face that they don't do those things.. OH, Mezan? Nope. NO chill filtering, NO caramel color, NO sugar added, NO glycerin. Untouched rum.