On the Cabangu plantation in Minas Gerais the sugar cane stood tall, while a boy looked up at the sky and thought about flying.
Alberto Santos Dumont ended up as a pioneer in the air. Back down on the ground, the sugar cane turned into something else entirely: a spirit that is allowed to take its time.
The expert's description
Santos Dumont XO Brazil Spirit Drink is a Brazilian Rum Based Spirit Drink matured in Bourbon casks, Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks and Port casks, bottled at 40%.
The base is Brazilian sugar cane, distilled in copper pot stills. The young distillate is then split across three cask types, each pulling the flavour in its own direction. The Bourbon cask brings vanilla and a dry, peppery edge. The Pedro Ximénez Sherry cask layers on ripe fruit, honey and old oak. The Port cask rounds everything off with sweetness and a soft, vinous character.
The master blender then marries the three components, and the blend gets one final rest in a single hand-picked cask. That last step is what gives each bottling its own character rather than a flat, uniform house profile.
Note that it cannot legally be called rum. It sits in the Spirit Drink category, which is not a trick or a shortcut but a matter of rules. The moment something is added, or the distillate falls outside the formal requirements for rum, the product moves into the Spirit Drink category. Plenty of the softest and sweetest bottles on the shelf live here.
The brand is owned by Old St. Croix Spirits, formerly A.H. Riise Spirits, based in Dragør, Denmark. The name is a tribute to Alberto Santos Dumont, whose father ran the Cabangu coffee and sugar cane plantation in Minas Gerais.
Tasting notes
Nose
Banana and coconut first, then ripe apricot and apricot kernel. Vanilla and a little honey sit underneath.
Palate
Soft tannins, clear honey and a fruit sweetness leaning towards fermented fruit and dried figs. The Port cask shows up as a vinous, almost syrupy roundness, while a touch of black pepper keeps the sweetness in check.
Finish
Long and sweet with toffee and dark chocolate. Right at the end a dry oak note arrives and tidies up.
Specifications
Name: Santos Dumont XO Brazil Spirit Drink
Distillery: Santos Dumont
Country/Region: Brazil
Type: Brazilian Rum Based Spirit Drink
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks, Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks and Port casks
Distillation method: Copper Pot Still
Edition: XO
EAN no.: 5712421040002
Serving suggestion: Neat or over a single ice cube at 18-20 degrees
Flavour profile
Sweet · Fruity · Sherry Matured · Port Cask · Soft
Did you know?
Alberto Santos Dumont asked Louis Cartier for a watch he could wear on his wrist while flying, because he could not fish a pocket watch out mid-air. That request became the starting point for the wristwatch as we know it.
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