Oh, man. Talk about a blast from the past. I’m finally getting around to opening, drinking and writing about my bottle of XXX/ Five that I picked up when it was initially released about four years ago. I saved it for no reason- it just kept getting put on the “open next” list and never made it past spot #2 on that list … continually getting passed by some newer bottle that was catching my eye.
It’s about time.
Aficionados + Fine Drams XXX/ Five
- Distillery: “A distillery in Saint Catherine” so, Worthy Park (Jamaica)
- Bottler: Aficianados + Fine Drams
- 65.5% abv / 130 proof
- Aged: 2 Years
- Martin Cate Classification: Pot Still Lightly Aged (1)
- Dosed: No.
Neat
Very pale straw in the glass with thin lacing. Bright fruits, toasted oak, telltale funk (yet restrained), butterscotch, spearmint, and a bit of caramel in the aroma. Initially I was a bit letdown by the nose but as I dove into it more and more depth became apparent. It’s lovely. Medium body. Flavor has loads of ripe banana, butterscotch, light mint, funk, tropical fruit. It finishes with light oak fading into a balanced vanilla and baking spice with fruity undertones. I guess I was expecting a bit more of a brash rum but what we have instead is a lovely delicate dram. Highly enjoyable.
Daiquiri
The pale color of the rum makes for a very bright, near neon green daiquiri. The delicate notes of the rum get washed away by the lime in the aroma with only a vague outline of the rum coming through. The flavor is no different- a little funk, a little butterscotch but mostly lime and a sharp alcohol note that isn’t all that pleasant. I’m surprised and disappointed in this drink. Definitely not a rum for daiquiris.
Knickerbocker
Source: Jerry Thomas via 12 Bottle Bar
- 2.5 oz Amber Rum
- 0.5 oz Lime Juice
- 0.25 oz Raspberry Syrup
- 0.5 tsp Orange Liquer
Drop half of the squeezed lime into a shaker tin. Add the raining ingredients. Shake all with crushed ice. Pour the entire thing into a rocks glass. Add additional ice as necessary.
The spec on this drink- sheesh. Talk about a booze-centric cocktail. But, this drink does hail from the mid-1800s so it’s not outta line but maybe heavier than us in the 21st century are accustomed. With that out of the way- I dig this drink. The raspberry gives a nice fruity vibe to soften the rest of the drink. The XXX gives a nice bit of funk without overdoing things the way something like Smith & Cross surely would. The rum works much better here than in the daiquiri- maybe cause of the ratio vs the other ingredients or maybe it just vibes with raspberry well. For the cocktail itself- I’d make this again with a few adjustments. Probably knock the rum down by half an ounce and boost the raspberry by a quarter ounce.
The Last Sip
I’m not disappointed with this rum by any means, but I wish I had drank it when I first picked it up a few years back. To me, this is a great gateway Jamaican rum- the notes I want in a Jamaican rum are all there but in a more delicate and reserved manner. At this point in my rummings, I’m looking for a little more assertive rum. So, while I like it and am greatly enjoying drinking through the bottle it’s not one that is moving my needle too much.
Tuesday Pints 