Mezan Jamaican Barrique XO Rum, 70 cl

Product Information

In terms of producing untouched product Mezan Rum’s timing could not have been much better. Priced competitively and with growing interest amongst rum lovers Mezan offer an excellent gateway for the consumer who is keen to try untouched rums but whose budget perhaps does not extend to bottlings from the likes of Velier, Silver Seal and Samaroli. The cellar master takes care to dilute the rums only slightly, ensuring a fine balance between enjoyable tasting and the full expression of aromatic intensity. This careful adjustment allows the rums to be experienced at their finest - flavourful and aromatic without being overwhelmed by the alcohol. Thus, Mezan rums stand as a testimony to the distinct rum styles born from the azure waters and tropical climates of the Caribbean. Mezan produces a range of rums from all of over the Caribbean and Latin America, and its latest is this offering born in Panama, which starts with column-distilled molasses that is aged in second-fill American white oak casks, then finished in Portuguese Moscatel wine casks. No sugar is added. Well, I think I’ve given all the information I have on this particular bottling and I’m getting a bit thirsty. So lets see how this went down………

What was the thinking behind bottling at the 40-43% mark when so many Indie bottlers go for cask strength? Apart from wishing to put out unadultered rum what were the main visions for Mezan as a company when you first started out? Over the years has anything changed? Mezan have been producing this rum blend for some years now and this is Lot No 23030 – this Lot or Batch consists of 5000 bottles. It states on the rear bottle that the rum is double matured so once it is blended it is re-casked until it is selected to be bottled.It may be, that some of the notes I have written might give people and impression of overbearing sweetness. This is a similar profile to the likes of Foursquares Exceptional Cask Series. Sweet but not sweetened. There is so much going on with this rum, it’s difficult to describe everything that you will encounter. This drinks more like a Tropically Aged Demerara than a lot of other IB’s, I have had recently. This is a rich, fruity rum which shows just how rum really doesn’t need to be artificially sweetened. A secondary maturation or finish in a quality cask will give you all the sweetness you need.

As the rum moves onto the finish, you notice a shift and the sweeter notes are replaced by some tannic red wine and liquorice notes. The finish is very long and warming with a lovely array of oak spices, vanilla, dark chocolate and a smoky tobacco note. As Managing Director of the self styled “untouched rum” Neil Mathieson has set the bar high in terms of expectation. With the XO and vintage bottlings my preference is to offer people a product that they can drink straight. After thirty years of tasting professionally I personally never drink anything at cask strength so perhaps this has coloured my choice. This is not to say that we will not produce at other strengths but it will depend greatly on the liquid. One other point is that with no ‘enrichment’, the natural flavour is quite prominent, we continue to try to make this one of the major points in our selections. Over the past few years a debate has focused around the practice of adding sugar and other additives during the production of rum. For many such alterations are viewed as entirely unacceptable.When deemed to have reached optimal maturity, Mezan rums are bottled with just a hint of filtration to preserve their intrinsic character. This practice underscores the cellar master's commitment to highlighting the individual craftsmanship of each distillery. First up as you can see from the photo above this Mezan is a lot clearer in the glass than the bottle. It is almost straw like in colour and once again Mezan assure us on the label that it has not been coloured or sweetened in anyway.

When sipped it is as expected from the nosing but the ABV gives this an extra ooomph. This really adds even further depth to the rum. Now, Mezan have never become known as being a fantastic Independent Bottler in the way Velier, or before them Samaroli became famous. Until recently, they tended to bottle at between the 40-46% ABV mark. For many enthusiasts, looking at Independent Bottlings – this is no longer an option. Many want to see the Cask Strength Expression straight from the barrel. Mezan Jamaica XO is, unlike all the other Mezan rums a blend rather than a Single Barrel/Cask offering. Not only is it a blend of rums it is also a blend of rums from different distilleries. This rum has been matured in ex-bourbon barrels, aside from the last year where the rum was moved into an PX Sherry cask for the “finish” or secondary maturation. It was distilled in 2007 and bottled in 2019 and is noted as being aged 12 years. It was aged in Europe for 9 of these years. All this information is provided on the bottles rear label. As you can see.Beneath this, is a warming note of oak and some light vanilla ice cream. A touch of single cream and a slight peanut brittle type note. I’m getting shortbread and baking spices as well. It’s remarkably complex. It’s really lovely on the nose. Now, the exact still is not stated on the bottle. It’s about the only information that isn’t available. However, it is noted on the rear label that this “rum is blended from spirit produced by several of the column stills” at the Diamond Distillery. DDL have a number of column stills (I am not 100% sure how many were operational as of 2007) including the EHP Coffey Still originally housed at the Enmore Sugar Plantation and the French Savalle still which was moved from Uitivlugt. Both stills can produced a variety of different rum marques which are used in some of the El Dorado rum brand line up. The cellar master of Mezan is an intrepid traveller, seeking out the rarest of rums from time-honoured distilleries, including those from establishments that have since ceased operations, such as the famed Caroni. The collection is characterised by its specificity: aside from the Mezan XO Jamaica, each rum is sourced exclusively from a single distillery and a single year of production, ensuring a unique vintage. I cannot remember the last Mezan rum I reviewed. I’ve reviewed 6 so far. 2 actually from Guyana. In terms of my experience with Mezan Rum, it has been mixed. I really enjoyed their Panama expressions and the continuous release the Mezan Jamaica XO. Others bottlings not so keen.