Don Q Añejo XO

Don Q Añejo XO is a twelve year old column still rum from Destilería Serrallés in Puerto Rico, one of the island's long established producers. Bottled at 40%, it sits in classic Spanish style territory, soft and smooth, and works as a gentle step up in age and oak from the brand's younger releases.

Matured in ex-bourbon casks, it offers caramel, oak, vanilla and a darker, roasted edge on the nose, with wood, vanilla and a touch of smoke on the palate and a thin, dark chocolate and oak finish. The Puerto Rican column still style keeps things light and clean, and while the rum reads soft and lightly sweet, it carries enough wood depth to interest. Some drinkers wish for more body, but as an easy sipper or a mixer with a little more age behind it, it does its job.