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Plantation XO was one of the first random bottles I bought during Lockdown, 100 bottles of various rum later it’s still possibly my favourite and it’s the bottle which definitely made me dive deep into the rum world
I have the plantation 5 year in my cabinet, but I have been wanting to try this. I’m disappointed to find out they add sugar after distilling, but I will try this anyway. I am a Demerara El Dorado fan and they do not add sugar anymore to thier rums. This plantation XO always teases me when I am at a liquor store. I am an American and these cost $62 over here. I am getting the feeling that it is worth every dollar. 🎉
A lot of brands (inc Whiskey, Brandy, Gin etc) all add Sugar. It’s not the devil, despite many geeks viewpoint on it. Simple fact is Rum with Sugar (even at a small level like Plantation XO, Plantation 5yo - or up to higher levels like Diplomatico, or Abuelo) outsells Rum without Sugar by A LOT. probably in the regions of 10000-1. The market demands it, so if you wanna sell product, you make something the market will actually buy at volume. Selling a few bottles here and there of unadulterated Rum is fine…but won’t make you a sustainable distillery in the long run.
I just picked up a bottle of this today. I’ve tried most of the plantation rums and I seem to like them, so I’m interested into sipping this one, one evening.
How would you rate it compared to their 5 year? I’m turning 21 soon and plan on trying the 5 year to see if I like it, so I’m wondering if the XO is would be a next step if I’m into it.
got mine today with beautiful pair of glasses. first thing smelling it from the bottle was sweet pear. pouring it into the glass its total pineapple and floral. i love that there is no alcohol smell kick in the face. smells really special. love that smell of fruits and florals. was looking for some fruity rum and i guess this is the one. tasting it for the first time... woooooooow. spoon of honey with hint of wood. just awesome
I must say i am very new in this whole rum thing. My first bottle was a Don papa i got as a gift, then i bougt myself a bottle of bumbu and this xmas (after watching your video) i got myself lucky bottle nr 3 : plantation XO. Can't wait to find out how this one compares to the other two 🎉 Thanks for the great reviews 👌!!
Agree. It’s lovely. One of my Favvys. BUT. It’s not for a proper proper Rum Lover cos of all the added Sugar. It’s not Diplo sweet. But has a lot added. A lot of (let’s call them Rum Geeks) wouldn’t go near a Rum like this.
@@StevetheBarmanUK recently tried Plantations Fiji. That's my new fave. Not what I was expecting but it's very good. The XO was a present and happily devoured haha!
@@allisterwhitehead trying to criticize someone’s grammar (asshole move to begin with, do you get invited to parties like all the time or what?), while missing 2 commas, and not including the universally accepted asterisks (*) for the corrections😂😂
Follow up after watching…you said you “haven’t encountered too many excellent rums” - what!? All those bottles back there? Just kidding, but anyway I wish more rums came in 50ml - 375ml bottles so I don’t have to spend $40-50 every time I want to try something new
I hear this a lot, the only problem is, it’s the glass that’s actually quite expensive. You’d only really see a $5-7 reduction in a half size bottle. 700ml (or 750ml for you guys) are actually cheaper cos more brands want them. For a brand to buy special 375ml bottles would probs cost double to what a 750ml would. I’m talking generic bottles btw…not special designs. So for brands, it makes no sense to sell smaller bottles cos the price difference will be negligible.
I have enjoyed a tasting kit from plantation. I thought this XO was an amazing rum. I thought the pineapple bottling was slightly better and that’s on my bottom shelf now. XO will be bought next. Liking your videos Steve.
the crucial question is 😃 ... how it would hold against doorly's 8y or xo with added 20 g/l of sugar. 8y is exbourbon cask, xo should have also some fortified wine cask (as this reviewed xo). i can not tell based just on the taste if it is a rum or whisky ... it is too much rounded (probably with sugar). just personal opinion ...
I get where you’re coming from, but it ain’t a crucial question. Just take each Rums at face value. There’s nothing wrong with the XO at 20g/l. There’s nothing wrong with Doorlys 8 or XO either. Just totally different Rums. People like what they like.
@@StevetheBarmanUK yes, but it would be interesting to compare it together - but there is no chance to get 'unaltered' destilate from plantation. from 'flavoured' i like when it is really flavoured and does not play it somewhere inbetween. l prefer from this cathegory pyrat xo ... in the past it was marked as rum, now it is sold as rum based spirit 😃 ... hmm, still rum written on the bottle. there were some issues due to 'casks after orange liquere with some amounth of orange liquere liquid'
Steve, great review, as you know not a massive Plantation fan, although I do rate the XO. From memory I gave it something like 82 on Rum X. I think at circa £50 it does a good job of introducing people to sipping rums, as such I think it's something of a good all rounder. There has been a bottle in my collection since it was launched and always gets restocked. Is it a stand out rum IMO no, bit it's one I keep coming back to periodically and it's never disappointed. Its also a very good rum to give someone with little previous experience of sipping rum.
yeah, I'd agree with that...To an experienced Rum drinker, i get there will be more serious rums coming out to play. But to a lot of people though, this will be the pinnacle.
STEVE!!!!! Great review!!! I would love to taste this in a Corn and Oil!!!! If this tastes anything like Fiji, I def want in!!!! I think I'll get a bottle just in case!!! CHEERS!!!!
hi steve enjoying these review vids. have you heard of cabal 1513 rum kt sounds interesting and amazon have it on sale for under £20 at mo its £37.50 at masters of malt and whiskey exchange. so i got a bottle. keep up the videos
Yeah, I’m never too sure about these kinda brands. I get we all start somewhere, but a lot of these are just people trying to capitalise on a new trend. So buy in generic Rums and Brand it to look cool. Of course I’ll reserve judgement though. I mean it won’t taste bad, cos it’ll probably come out of somewhere like E&A Schear in Holland.
@@StevetheBarmanUK yeah get what your saying and. I cant find how old it actually is but i like the fact that its .all natural bottled at 43% natural colour and non chill filtered. And i thought for £20 if its no good i can drown it in coke. Im also waiting for my 1st two plantation rums i got the 3star and origninal dark comeing. Ill let you know about the cabal when i get it.
What glas do you prefer when you are drinking rum. I have like that glas you have in the video and glencairn since I'm mainly a single malt guy. Nice channel. Greetings from Sweden
Don Papa is a heavily sweetened Rum. In fact most call it a Spiced Rum due to the excessive Vanilla you get off it. You’re talking up at the 40g of Sugar per litre. Now there’s nothing wrong with that, But it does play in Bumbu territory, not Rum territory. So for me it depends. I don’t mind sweeter Rums. But personally, Plantation XO is 20 leagues (at least) above Don Papa. It’s not even a fair fight. BUT. If you’re used to heavily sweetened Rums, then you’ll prefer Don Papa. It’s that simple.
I got a bottle of this about 5 years ago, been in cupboard unopened. Just got another bottle today. What one should I open first or does it matter? Is the taste likely to change at all if its been in an unopened bottle for an extended period?
What I am confused about is how runs get a coconut smell on the nose. Do they add coconut to the molasses when distilling? I cannot imagine getting a coconut flavor from just wooden barrel aging. Could somebody answer that question?
The best way I relate it when doing in person events (as most people understand this analogy). Imagine Wine. Like a NZ Sauvignon Blanc. Big notes off that are like Gooseberries, Melons, Elderflower, Citrus. Yet it’s made from Grapes! Rum is like that. You take into account the Climate, Flora, Viticulture…all that influences Fermentation/Distillation/Aging. It’s not added flavours. It’s simply flavours that develop over time. One of the UK Distillers, their liquid tastes like boozy Pineapple Juice straight off the still…absolutely zero Pineapple has come into contact with it.
@@StevetheBarmanUK yes sir. You are right. I also researched about esters and how certain flavors like pineapple and coconut come out on the finish. When I finally cracked open the plantation 5 year, I could actually sense a coconut finish to it. The bottle says it has an almond note to it, it I think the sugar added to it and made the esters come across more on the coconut side. It was not overkill on the coconut like an actual coconut rum, but just slight enough to be pleasant and sipped neat.
Sorry Steve, I really don't like this rum! A few years ago, I loved it, however now I'm further along in my rum journey, I find this rum to be overly sweetend and although I get hints of coconut in the taste, overall it just leaves my mouth feeling like I've had a thin saccharine mouthwash! To put it bluntly, it's a mess. I appreciate that this is an incredibly popular gateway rum for those who are moving away from spiced rum, much like diplomatico and bumbu. For me, this isn't a fine bajan rum. Unfortunately I recently bought a bottle to compare against mount gay black barrel and Doorlys xo. I really should have saved myself 50quid! Any ideas what I can mix this with to make it almost drinkable or should I keep it for guests only! All the best
Thats cool. You like what you like. For many people it is an Epic Rum. It's far from a Mess and I actually know plenty of Foursquare fanboys that will actually enjoy a drop of the XO, so that's a testament to its quality given the Foursquare vs Plantation divide. Yes, it's only 40%. Yes it's sweetened. But the quality speaks for itself. Thats the thing I will argue till the cows come home. It's absolutely fine to not like something. But just because you don't like something, you should still be able to appreciate the Quality. Take my reviews on my other channel... most people know I love younger Rums. But I ain't ever gonna bash something I don't like... say ED15 or Doorlys 14, (I'll drink XO all day long over those) cos it'd be stupid to deny the quality. (also... just to round that off... I think the Plantation XO is actually the most Exported Barbados Rum worldwide! I mean I'm 99% sure it's actually Plantation Biggest Selling Rum - Do you get my point about it being a "Mess") Now rant aside... 😂 Okay coming back... I don't think I've ever heard anyone prefer the Doorlys XO... it's a Sherry Bomb and actually I don't see the quality in that at all... its the one Foursquare Rum I'll bash all day long! 😇😂 (and actually the 1 Foursquare Rum, a lot of the Foursquare Fanboys avoid) Anyway... moving on... Look, if you really don't like it neat. Obvs don't do a Rum Fashioned, cos that's adding more Sweetness. But it will make a fantastic Daiquiri. It's fantastic with Ginger Ale. Also, Coconut Water too. Its just got those lovely Tropical Fruit vibes that play so well with lighter Mixers. BUT... I ain't ever mixing it... I'll use the Plantation Barbados 5yo for that! StB x
@@StevetheBarmanUK thanks for taking the time to reply Steve, I really appreciate your input. Yeah, I get that plantation sell a lot of xo and like I said, a few years ago I was a fan myself! I guess it's amazing how much your pallette changes over the years. As for Doorlys xo being a sherry bomb, well I like sherry cask finished rum! Maybe it's because it goes so well with a cigar!? While we are on the subject, ED15 is may favourite rum, bar none. So I guess we are always going to be Poles apart! I have an unopened and untried bottle of Doorlys 14, so if you're not a fan I guess I might be!! I'm saving that one for birthday. Thanks for the advice on the daiquiri, I'll give that a go. I'm usually a neat sipper but my wife likes a cocktail. I never realised there was such a division regarding Barbados rum, I kind of get it now. I guess you like what tastes good depending on where your pallette is at. Thanks again Steve Lee
This rum is way to sweet for my taste and also kind of bland. I'd much rather sip on the Appleton 12 or Doorly's 12 that you have sitting behind you on your shelf.
I get that. But your comparing Apples to Oranges. 2x 12yo Rums to a blend of mixed ages. Yeah there is up to (i think) 20yo in the XO (it all gets blurred cos of the Continental and Tropical aging), but there’s also some younger 8yo Rums. It is a much softer, less “whisky” vibes Rum which is why it gets the love. I do love A12 and D12. And ED12. But all of them a different things. And all have big notes of a Whiskey. The XO fills that void quite well for me. Great Rum, without the Heavy Bourbon Aging.
problem is this is not rum it's just suger I bought a bottle and don't finish it just too sweet I like a rum to be a rum fat rum pirate give this 1 star I would give it half
