Doorly's : XO

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for Doorly's XO

Tasting

Color
A deep hue ranging from coppery bronze to mahogany, flecked with golden highlights. The liquid displays excellent clarity and reveals legs of moderate viscosity on the sides of the glass.

Nose
The aromatic profile opens with warm notes of vanilla, caramel and maple, inherited from the bourbon cask. These are layered with touches of banana and orange zest, before giving way to the complexity of the sherry cask: dried fruits (raisins, hawthorn berries, cherry), and nuances of walnut and caramelized butter.

Palate
The palate opens with sweet flavors of fruit, caramel and brown sugar. The texture is silky, almost creamy. On the mid-palate, spices (cinnamon, white pepper, clove) assert themselves, balancing the sweetness. The influence of the sherry then reveals notes of prunes, dried apricots and walnuts, supported by a subtle tannic structure. The finish, of medium length, lingers on sweet spices and dried fruits.

Pairing Suggestions and Tasting Moments
Thanks to its remarkably balanced and approachable profile, this spirit is best enjoyed neat, at room temperature. It makes an excellent entry point for enthusiasts wishing to discover complex spirits without giving up a certain sweetness on the palate.

Mixology
Particularly versatile, it excels in cocktails that showcase the spirit. It is perfect for a traditional "Corn 'n' Oil" (with falernum, lime juice and Angostura), an Old Fashioned, or even a "Gayle Seale Daiquiri". It also pairs very well with ginger beer for a twist on the Dark 'n' Stormy.

Other Characteristics
Bottled at 43% ABV, this spirit is guaranteed free from any added sugar or artificial flavoring. It has undergone cold filtration to ensure its clarity.

An Authentic, Pioneering and Unadulterated Rum from Barbados

The Doorly's Heritage and the Excellence of the Foursquare Distillery
The history of Doorly's dates back to 1908 with the founding of Martin Doorly & Company. This historic brand distinguished itself by becoming the very first to export rum from Barbados in finished bottles, thereby revolutionizing the industry's quality standards. In 1993, the brand was acquired by R.L. Seale & Company. Today, Richard Seale, master distiller and fourth-generation representative, is its current owner and leader. Under his guidance, the spirits are crafted at the Foursquare distillery, built in 1996 on a former sugar plantation in the parish of St. Philip. Foursquare stands out for its absolute commitment to transparency, refusing any additives, and for its environmental initiatives, notably using solar energy for sustainable production.

The Art of Double Maturation in Doorly's XO
Created in the early 2000s by Richard Seale, the XO is an emblematic expression that showcases the distillery's technical expertise. This rum comes from the fermentation of molasses before being distilled using a mixed method. It results from a meticulous blend of rich distillates from a traditional copper pot still and lighter distillates from a double column still (Coffey still). The components are blended even before being placed in barrels.

This aged rum stands out for its innovative double maturation process, carried out entirely under Barbados' tropical climate, where the angels' share reaches 6 to 7% per year. The spirit first ages for five years in American oak barrels that previously held bourbon. It then undergoes a second maturation of one to three years in Spanish oak barrels that had previously held Oloroso sherry. This process guarantees a total aging period of at least six years. Finally, the product is presented in its characteristic squat bottle, sealed with a screw cap and adorned with the iconic blue macaw (Blue Hyacinth Macaw), a historic symbol of the brand.