If you live in a state-controlled liquor authority state, and you are deeply in love with cocktails and exploring their flavors, you will inevitably find yourself denying your state the revenue they seek to extort from you by driving somewhere else to bring home something you can’t find on your own shelves. Although not available in the great(?) state of Ohio, Doorly’s X.O. Rum is essentially available anywhere you can find a Total Wine, and it’s reasonably priced at only $20 a bottle. So should you take a road trip?
Doorly’s X.O. Rum
This Barbados Rum is matured twice, once in oak, and once in Spanish Oloroso Sherry. It is also a product of the unavailable-in-Ohio Foursquare distillery.
Sight: Lighter than the bottle implies, it’s a sherry oloroso shade with a caramel like allure.
Smell: Beautiful aromas of toasted nuts and warm, sticky caramel waft out – accompanied by brown sugar and notes of vanilla. A subtle baking spice is in the background with touches of toasted oak. An almost date like sweetness pervades the nose and works itself to be the predominate of some dried fruit smells that linger round the edges.
Sip: The body starts out smooth and well rounded, but still very much viscous and not overly thin. Elements of caramel, oak, and nuttiness come thought, but the body’s nose does not lead to a sweet palate. Rather, the complexity of notes of spice, dried fruit, vanilla, and peppery wood are thoroughly savory in nature until toward the end, where things move a hint toward a more balanced point.
Savor: The ending maintains a warm vanilla and nuttiness with hints of barrel aging around the edges. The flavor lingers quite pleasantly, with just a hint of tannic nature.
On its own, we’ve quite enjoyed having Doorly’s X.O. Rum around the house as another option. In some ways, it functions much like a more complex Kirk & Sweeney, leading strongly with vanilla and caramel notes, but better bolstered with elements of cask finishing and nuttiness. The flavor profile is great for considering in Tiki drinks, even if it wouldn’t be my first choice for sipper. That said, it’s smooth enough that it would still be enjoyable on it’s own or over ice.
In Cocktails
Evaluating in a Daiquiri, Doorly’s X.O. Rum stands out beautifully. The caramel and fruity notes are pulled out with subtle spicing that compliments the lime well. The hints of nuttiness come through on the finish, emphasizing the warmth and sweetness. These same elements transition beautifully to Grog. The elements of oak and spice with tropical fruit lead the charge as lime and sweetness round out the edges. Overall, these elements work great exceedingly well and should hold up for other Tiki and cocktailing applications.
Doorly’s X.O. Rum Overall
For the price, Doorly’s X.O. Rum is frankly nothing short of spectacular for the price. If I had a Total Wine in my backyard, I would without a doubt have a bottle of this on hand at all times. If you’re a fan of aged rums, give Doorly’s a try.
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