Ron Zacapa X.O. Rum 750ml

Ron Zacapa was created in 1976 by Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the founding of Zacapa, a town in eastern Guatemala. Chemist Alejandro Burgaleta developed the blending and maturing process that defined the brand, and it is now distributed internationally by Diageo. Each bottle carries the traditional petate, a band woven from dried palm leaves, a nod to the country's craft heritage that still wraps the base of every bottle today.

Zacapa rums are distilled from virgin sugar cane honey, the first pressing of fresh cane juice, rather than the molasses used by most producers, giving the spirit a fuller, more textured base. The rum is aged using the Sistema Solera, a fractional blending method in which older rum is drawn from the base tier of a stack of barrels while younger rum moves down to replace it, so each bottle contains material from many vintages. Maturation takes place at high altitude in Quetzaltenango, where the cool mountain climate slows the aging process. The XO expression draws on components aged up to twenty five years and finishes with additional time in French oak casks previously used for cognac.

The result is an intense, mahogany colored rum with aromas of burnt caramel, roasted nuts, and orange zest, opening onto a palate of dried fruit, chocolate, and tobacco, closing with a long, semi sweet finish of vanilla and warm spice.