![]() For example, listen to what the folks at had to say: This machine is oh so powerful and well-oiled (or perhaps sugar syruped)! Not a trick to missed, and they’ve been spreading the word for so long that the usual victims automatically fall into line. In the end, I simply cannot.Īgain bravo, Josh! For what? Simple, yet again for having the Cubanesque cajones to tell it like it is in the face of the Bacardi Marketing Machine. While the Exquisito is a bit of a step up from the Eximo, I again struggle to justify the price tag of $100. The finish is quite long, and is dominated by the oak and cane syrup mixed with a hint of molasses and smoke. Finally, the spice layer arrives, bearing pepper, nutmeg and cardamom before the oak tannins regain control. The oaken base is topped with cane syrup and molasses, then topped again by ripe plum and figs. There is still a hint of airplane glue-like esters as was the case with the Eximo.Īs the rum enters, I again find myself far happier with the flavors than the aromas. Beyond the wood is vanilla, citrus zest and black pepper. ![]() The initial aromas are of tropical fruit and melon combined with oak. On nosing there is a bit of astringency, but not nearly as much as with the Eximo. A swirl produces a set of legs that move liberally back to the bottom. In the glass, the Equisito is darker than the Eximo, displaying a deep mahogany color that borders on dark brown. As I pull the synthetic cork for the first time, I’m pleased to discover it does not separate from the cap as in the case of my Eximo bottle. Whereas the Eximo bottle features a small label and loads of sultry raised glass features, the Exquisito goes in a decidedly different direction, using gold leaf to imply an early 1900’s Cuban party scene. A blend of aged rums between seven and twenty-three years, Exquisito is bottled at 40% ABV and retails for $100. As with NEO, Eximo helps solidify the emerging premium rum categories with an entry well worth every penny of its $60 price.Another entry in Bacardi’s super-premium Facundo rum line, Exquisito is the second highest expression. Eximo takes everything that Bacardi has accomplished with their 8 year rum and cranks it up to 11 (excuse the pun) in one of the most enchanting and alluring expressions of this style of rum we’ve had. The finish for the Facundo Eximo Rum is fantastic, slightly dry and incredibly long with bitter dark chocolate, vanilla, raisin, oak, and tobacco, flavors that continue to dance on the palate long after Eximo has come and gone. The midpalate is a sheer love letter to oak and presents a strong oak flavor in one of the most pleasant and satisfying ways we’ve seen. The midpalate of Eximo is all about oak, with the sweet vanilla and caramel notes from the entry combining with tobacco and slightly bitter dried raisin, interweaving with the oak notes with tight and impeccable integration. The journey isn’t nearly as dramatic with Eximo, but the shift is quite pleasant. As with NEO, Eximo goes on a journey from sweet and round towards dry. What’s interesting about Eximo is that it presents more oak than spice, with flavors that can be described more as deep oak, dry oak, or smokey oak than oak spice. Although the nose suggests bourbon, the entry proclaims RUM with vanilla, caramel, and toffee right there with the oak. The nose on Eximo also has a wonderful old bourbon-like quality to it, reminiscent of the character we’ve seen in 20 year old bourbons. ![]() The aromas in Eximo’s nose integrate amazingly with the sweeter notes layered in between varying levels of oak. The nose on Eximo is strong oak backed by vanilla, caramel, bananas foster, and bitter dark chocolate. In the mix are a few rums older than 10 years old (and were 1-2 years at the time of original blending), giving Eximo a total age range of 10 – 12 years. Eximo is a 10 year old rum which was blended before it was put into the barrel 10 years ago. It takes a tremendous amount of skill to do this blending BEFORE a rum is aged, and that’s what Bacardi has done with Eximo. That product must state the youngest rum in the mix, but often there are small amounts of older rums to help add dimensionality and depth. Blending after aging gives a blender a great amount of ability to balance and shape the character of a rum. Facundo Eximo Rum (40% ABV / 80 proof, $60) – a lot of aged rums are a result of blending a number of different rums together after aging into a single, unified product.
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