Brazil is the homeland of sugar cane. Miles of green fields, heavy heat and a tradition of pressing the juice fresh instead of boiling it down to molasses. This is where this bottle comes from - named after a man who would rather fly than stay on the ground.
Expert description
Santos Dumont XO Elixir is a Brazilian Rum Liqueur built on Santos Dumont XO Rum aged in Bourbon casks, PX Sherry casks and Port casks and bottled at 40%.
The base rum is distilled from freshly pressed sugar cane juice - not molasses - in old pot stills. Then comes the ageing, and it happens in three stages. Bourbon casks of American white oak lay down vanilla and a dry peppery edge. PX Sherry casks pull honey and ripe dark fruit into the rum. Port casks round it off with sweetness and a light tannin.
Once the rum is finished, local herbs and a measured amount of cane honey are added. That is the step that turns Elixir into Elixir. The result is not a dry rum you analyse your way through, and it does not try to be. The label says Elixir, and that is exactly what is in the glass: thick, amber and sweet, with beautiful legs down the glass. Bottling happens in small batches under Old St. Croix Spirits ApS in Dragør, which is also behind A.H. Riise.
Tasting Notes
Nose
Banana and coconut first, then ripe fruit and a nutty note of apricot kernel. Honey sits underneath it all, and after a little time in the glass, vanilla and candied orange emerge.
Palate
Sweet and full-bodied. Honey and fermented fruit carry the palate, with caramel, coconut and raisin in the background. There is a light tingle on the tongue that keeps the sweetness from turning flat.
Finish
Warm and long. Honey and dried fruit, a touch of cinnamon and oak spice at the very end.
Specifications
Name: Santos Dumont XO Elixir
Bottler: A.H. Riise Spirits
Region/Country: Brazil
Type: Rum Liqueur
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks, PX Sherry casks and Port casks
Distillation method: Pot Still
EAN no.: 5712421040200
Serving suggestion: As an after-dinner drink with coffee, or in a cocktail glass over crushed ice
Flavour Profile
Sweet · Honeyed · Coconut · Fruity · Spiced
Did You Know?
Alberto Santos-Dumont grew tired of fumbling with a pocket watch while piloting his flying machines. He asked his friend Louis Cartier for a solution, and in 1904 he got a watch strapped to his wrist. It is still called the Cartier Santos - one of the world's first wristwatches, invented because a Brazilian needed both hands in the air.
See our full range of Santos Dumont
Listen to our podcast:
