Oliver & Oliver Ron Esclavo XO 23 Años

Ron Esclavo XO is a Dominican Republic rum made by Oliver & Oliver and bottled by the Danish company 1423, here in the soft, smooth Spanish style built for crowd-pleasing sweetness. The 23 on the label is a solera-style reference rather than an age statement, so this is best read as a sweetened, dessert-leaning ron rather than a rum aged two decades.

Column distillation gives a light, clean base, and the character is then driven by oak and added sugar, caramel, vanilla, honey and chocolate with mild spice and a creamy, round mouthfeel. At 42% it is gentle and approachable, the sugar doing much of the work, so it sits closer to a comforting after-dinner treat than a dry, austere sipper. For drinkers who enjoy the honeyed end of the rum world it is an easy, familiar pour, and it makes no claim to the purist style.