Angel's Share Title
Kaniche XO Double Wood Rum
While shopping at Total Wine, I came across this rum and thought it would be interesting to evaluate. The rum in a blend of pot and column still rums distilled in Barbados and aged for an unspecified time period in used Bourbon casks. The rum is then shipped to France and aged for an additional 18 months in used cognac casks at the Maison Ferrand estate. After the rum’s second aging, the product is blended to 40% ABV, bottled in France, and imported by Deutsch Family Spirits to the U.S.
Kaniche Rum
Appearance
The bottle of rum is sold in a dark-stained wooden box that slides open. The labels provide a minimum amount of information about the product. However, the Total Wine website had a little more information about how the rum was produced and aging information.The bottle is a long-necked 750 ml bottle secured with a synthetic cork, with a black security wrap. The liquid is a dark amber color in the bottle and glass. Swirling the liquid creates a thin band that quickly thickens and begins dropping waves of legs down the side of the glass. After the fourth wave, the band begins evaporating, leaving residue around the glass.
Nose
The aroma of this rum could be summed up in a single word: SWEET. However, it is a bit more complex than that. I discovered notes of caramel, strong coconut, and vanilla extract, with subtle notes of stone fruit and cocoa.
Palate
The astringency of the wood notes was a little off-putting from the first sip, as a strong sweet coconut mocha flavor dominated the palate. As I continued to evaluate the liquid, I found notes of sherry, caramel, charred oak tannins, copper, raisins, and baking spices. The finish is a bit combative between the bitter wood spiciness and the sweet notes, transforming into an earthy coconut sweetness that lingers on the palate for quite a while.
Review
When I purchased this rum, I thought it would be something interesting to evaluate as I had seen the Kaniche brand on the shelves for years. It was not until I brought it home that I realized it was, in essence, a Ferrand product under a different name. This was not a downside, as it just gave me a metric to compare it with other rums produced with a similar double aging method. During the tasting, the rum left a good bit of residue around the mouth that I did not enjoy. Overall, for me, it falls into that dessert, “after dinner” rum category when you want something sweet. I liked the earthy spice notes, but the sweetness was a bit overwhelming in the overall evaluation. If you like your rums on the sweet side, you will find this to be an enjoyable sipper. If you do not, I would suggest purchasing another product.
