Oliver & Oliver Ron Quorhum XO

Ron Quorhum XO comes from Oliver & Oliver, the Dominican house better known for blending and finishing rum than distilling its own, and the XO sits at the rounder, fuller end of their range. It is built from molasses spirit run through a column still, then matured to amber depth in the warm Caribbean climate that drives faster oak extraction and pushes the dried-fruit and caramel notes forward.

This is sweetened in the familiar Spanish style, so the sugar is part of the design rather than something to hide. Expect Demerara sugar, caramel and tropical fruit on the nose, a woody, molasses-rich palate, and a finish of burnt sugar and soft oak. There is little burn and plenty of cushion, which makes it an effortless after-dinner pour for anyone who likes their rum honeyed and easy rather than spirit-forward and dry.