Mezan XO Jamaica

Jamaican funk, dry finish and some years in wood. Relatively new in the market but great quality overall. Pot still notes and great complexity, full of depth and character

I fell in love with this bottle at first sip, now if I want real rum I go for this one.

This is true stuff. No added sugar or coloring. Very smooth for a Jamaican with funky tropical fruits in the nose and slight sweetness of ripe bananas on the palate. Almost perfect introduction to Jamaica, but I guess this would be even more interesting at a slightly higher proof. But regarding it's price the Mezan XO is incredibly good.

This is an elegant masterpiece, smooth yet full of overripe fruit, pot still funk, freshly sawed sandalwood and a touch of allspice. Not nearly as intense as more traditional Jamaicans (Hamilton, Smith & Cross, Wray & Nephew), this is a more nuanced and refined rum which deserves to be enjoyed neat. It's wonderful.

Typical fruity Wedderburn style aroma, altered through long years of tropical aging. Nice and fruity, but you taste the aging, it's not like bold unaged funky Jamaican rum, it does have that certain extra that makes it more pastry-like, deep and complex. I must say it reminded me a lot of the Plantation Jamaica Vintage 2005 13 yo. rum. The flavour and aroma are very similar. Hence I'm rather surprised about the difference in their ratings on this site! Apparently the Plantation rum does have some added sugar, while this Mezan doesn't. But in the big scheme of things this is a small detail. It wasn't a striking difference to me. To me this great rum is the perfect choice for the Tiki cocktail classics Test Pilot and (with the addition of a nutty Spanish style Sherry cask aged rum) the Mai Tai.

EDIT: IIRC the Plantation 2005 Jamaican is even somewhat more intense in the nose.

I think I may have come across another brand to really enjoy to go along with Plantation and Clement.

According to the label, this rum (and I assume based upon their website all Mezan rums) is "unblended, unsweetened, uncolored, and only lightly filtered".

In the bottle and in my snifter this rum is a light yellow hue reminding me of something I dare not mention here (TMI). It has a very nice aroma and good legs. This is small batch rum with only 5000 bottles produced. One they are gone, they are gone for good. My bottle is labeled as coming from batch number 008146.

According to online sources this rum is a blend from two distilleries in Jamaica: Monymusk and Hampden. Then the rum blend is re-aged (whatever that is) in used bourbon barrels.

The flavor is quite interesting. There is an initial sweetness to it that is subtle but the aging in bourbon barrels bring about a noticeable oakiness to it. I get some vanilla and banana (?) mixed in. There is a nice warmth to it...not really a burn. And the finish is somewhat dry with the oak tannins present.

No two ways about it...this is a sipping rum par excellence. It would be a crime to use this in mixed drinks. Maybe a little water on one cube of ice to bring out the subtleties but that's it. This is a very smooth rum.

..természetesen a jó értelemben, egy merőben "új" , öszetett illat csapja orrba az embert az üveg nyitása után :) sajnos nem dugóval van zárva ... illatra kb olyan mintha kinn a természetben szagolgatnánk egy tálba összepakolt banánt , fűszeres fakérget, pici karamellt és ráöntenénk pici mézet . Egy érdekes ám nem túl intenzív illatvilág. Pohárba öntve halványsárga , világos aranyos színű, nem túl testes italt kapunk..pár perc pihentetés után a pohárból nyoma vész a " zavaró " alkohol illatának . Lecsengése közepesen hosszú, száraz ,keserédes....unikum :))

Wow, after leaving the rum just sitting in the glass for a short while the smell from this rum really hit home. As time wore on the aroma permeated into the air and I love it. I think I finally understand what people mean about the funk of Jamaican rum. Anyway, the taste...

My initial thoughts were that it was clean and I understand the references to tobacco and on the swallow banana but not in an overpowering way. I tried this with cola and a slice of lime, too much coke and the unique taste is drowned but just right and you have a premium mixer. However, for myself I will generally be treating this as a sipper. There’s some alcohol burn but it’s short and adds positively to the sip.

Pretty clear gold color. Floral and fruity notes and the oak stay discreet. Lot of banana flavor. The taste is sweet with a short dry finish . First rum from this company. Nice discovery .

With his 'untouched' caracter, this Mezan has a nice light gold color. On the nose , as annouced the banana is well present. Smooth and a little too short in mouth.
It was quite a suprise and a like the idea of honest rum which do not try to change what it is by adding extra ingredient.