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. Anyway, lets take a look at what we are getting in this bottle. Mezan Diamond Distillery Guyana 2007 PX Cask Finish comes in Mezan’s rounded stubby bottle. This is a Cask Strength offering and is unsweetened, uncoloured and un-chill filtered. So the standards are set and presented prominently on the front label. No fannying about here. This is rum from a Single Cask (though I understand it is a blend of rums – we’ll come to that later). My bottle is from Cask number 1 of 3 and is bottle number 72 of 423. 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.

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. The nose on this rum is full of Dunder and Jamaican Pot Still “funk”. For those un accustomed to such rums this may not immediately appeal. For those, like myself who know how well such rums work in mixed drinks and as occasional sippers it will be a welcome and familiar aroma. 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. The Jamaican rums in this blend come from at least two very well respected distilleries. Monymusk and Hampden Estate. Both companies do well in the domestic market but their reach outside of Jamaica is mainly through bulk rum sales to be used in blends. Both currently have rums available in the UK. Hampden Gold and Rum Fire from Hampden Estate and Monymusk have a Gold Rum on offer. Neither can match the reach or popularity of Appleton Estate. Jamaican rum is produced in such a traditional and well-regulated manner, not too mention the wonderful tropical climate that these producers would have to be doing something truly awful to be producing a bad rum. 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………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. As Managing Director of the self styled “untouched rum” Neil Mathieson has set the bar high in terms of expectation. 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. It has some quite strong alcohol notes yet a quite surprising note of vanilla. I can detect some oak and woody notes, quite a lot of spice. All in all its really quite complex. Some nice tropical fruit notes and a even a hint of toffee/caramel.

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? 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. 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. 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. The initial sip is quite sweet with notes of sweet sherry, toffee, raisin and plum. This isn’t the full story though. Further sips reveal notes of tobacco, oak and some heat – a touch of green chilli/wasabi. The mid palate moves into a mix of tobacco, vanilla and sweet Rum and Raisin ice cream. With some toffee sauce maybe…….So I was quite surprised to find that my wife had decided to buy me a bottle of this Mezan Diamond Distillery Guyana 2007 PX Cask Finish. To be honest she’s really been pulling out some great stuff over the past couple of years. The type of rums I consider buying but opt for something slightly different. Then wish I had bought them a few weeks later, when they sell out! In the Caribbean, known as much for its idyllic beaches as for its deep-rooted rum traditions, a spectrum of aromas and styles has evolved, unique to each island and each distillery. Mezan's selection, meticulously curated by the cellar master, brings forward this rich diversity, offering rums that represent the purest expression of the Caribbean's rum-making heritage. 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. In the glass Mezan Diamond Distillery Guyana 2007 PX Cask Finish is a very dark brown almost mahogany in colour. 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.