Darren 327 Fortis Double Aged Rum XO

Darren 327 Fortis Double Aged Rum XO is a no-age-statement Caribbean molasses blend bottled at 40% in the unmistakably sweet, dessert-leaning style. It sits alongside the likes of Bumbu and old Don Papa, a rum aimed at drinkers who want their pour smooth, fruity and frankly candy-like rather than dry and structured.

The profile is all bright fruit and sugar, red fruits, raspberry and orange on the nose, a sweet, tropical-fruit palate, and a finish of caramel, molasses and raisin. Honesty is essential here, this drinks like a fruity liqueur, bubblegum and tutti-frutti sweetness smoothed out to an easy 40%, with little of the wood or funk that defines traditional rum. For fans of sweet, playful rums it scratches exactly that itch, ideal for relaxed sweet sipping or a fruity cocktail, while purists will recognise it straight away as a sugar-forward crowd-pleaser.