Ron Zacapa XO Centenario Solera Gran Reserva Especial

I’ve been drinking premium rums for a few years now, and this is definitely the best I’ve ever tasted. I very much disagree with those reviewers saying it’s not that much better than the Zacapa standard 23 year old centeniaro sisterna, which is a lovely rum at half the price, but personally I much prefer the Diplomatico Reverva Exclusiva in that price range. But this XO is incredibly smooth and well balanced. Amazing.

10th November 2018

Stunning Spanish-style rum. MM really got the tasting notes down perfect. For you whisky people you will find it sweet, but it's really not cloyingly so. One of these beautiful spirits that leaves a beautiful trace on the palate for a good ten minutes.

27th October 2017

simply the best rum I've ever consumed, finished in cognac cask, which gives it an exquisite taste. Emmense flavours but without the afterburn many rums have when passing down the throat.

14th June 2017

Loved it!

29th April 2017

Great taste so good when you also smoke a Cuban cigar

4th April 2016

Highly enjoyable - great for spending a mellow evening sipping a few glasses with an old friend and a couple cigars on the patio.

12th March 2016

One of my favourite rums

29th February 2016

This is a great rum on the rocks. It's so luscious and smooth! A very sexy rum will buy it again.

30th December 2014

The Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 Year Old rum is delicious, so I assumed that this would be a step up. Unfortunately it's not. This is bland and tasteless and I must agree with most of the other reviewers that the 23 Year Old is by far the better choice.

5th October 2014

The title is a bit misleading, as this is without a doubt a good rum. However, as the "standard" 23yr Zacapa is a lot like this but bolder and more affordable, I see little point in this. While I agree that the standard version can sometimes be slightly too sweet, toning down the main quality that Zacapa is known for doesn't work all that well, as there are others that do this direction of flavour far better.

19th August 2014

This is great but the beauty of the 23 yo is the abundance of flavour. I like the XO but I LOVE the 23!!

7th February 2014

I like the 23yr old better, smoother finish and bold flavor better..

29th June 2013

Very sweet. Very flowery.
A lot of different flowery tastes layered upon each other.
I'm sure women in general will love this.
You definetely should try it, even if you are a man, it is pretty likely that you will fall in love with it.
Personally, I think it has one too many flowery notes.
/Joakim

3rd December 2012

Have been trying the top end of rum since getting hooked in the last decade. i was lucky enough to buy a bottle of this for 45 quid in duty free,so gets my 10/10. I struggled to get strong notes of any of the above which to me makes it the most mellow and pleasant experience I have ever had tasting high grade rum. The master blender has achieved close to perfection without bringing out any over stong flavours making it too distinctive making it very smooth and memorable on the palate. Have tryed very many cuban and carribean rums, this sets the standard so far but will not give up trying to better it. Cheaper alternative is diplomatico 15 year special reserve from venezuala, great value and a regular in he cabinet of mine. I have tryed the 23 year old zacapa and this I would rate a 9/10, two gorgeous rums, but as a one of treat I will keep revisiting the xo.

3rd November 2012

Copper gold. Quite a mellow nose. I see where the MoM taster is going, but I can't get anything like those nuances. Still, it smells good. Sweet, chocolate taste, a little smoke, lots of woody spice. Perhaps there is a hint of tobacco. Very long finish. Great stuff, but better value is to be found elsewhere.

31st May 2012

My tasting notes were pretty different to those given above. I got a nose of honey, molasses and burnt newspaper, which surprisingly smells really really good! The honey and mollases was present in the palate too, along with a fruity sweetness, though I couldn't put my finger on one particular fruit. The finish is pretty long and warming but I got a more peppery note as I moved it around my tongue. The whole experience was great though, it is the smoothest, most complex and most delicious rum I have had so far. The reason I don't score it higher though is because it is also the most expensive rum I have tried so far, and by some margin. Although it is great, and I can't stress that enough, it is GREAT, I am struggling to justify to myself getting a bottle because of the hefty price tag.

13th October 2010