Bumbu XO

Bumbu XO is the more grown up sibling in the Bumbu range, a column still rum from molasses bottled at 40% with the bananas and obvious candy of the original turned right down. Where the standard bottle leans on flavouring, this one reads drier and more rum forward, built for drinkers stepping from sweet branded rums toward something a little more honest.

The column still keeps the spirit light and clean, so the character here comes largely from the wood. Expect roasted oak, coffee, charcoal and toasted nuts on the nose, with vanilla and caramel softening everything and a faint fruity cane sweetness underneath. The finish is gentle, sweet and woody rather than long or complex. It sits comfortably neat for an undemanding pour and holds up well in a rum and cola, an approachable bottle that trades intensity for easy drinking.