Old St. Croix (Riise) X.O. Haakon Royal Reserve

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 42% | Chill filtration: Yes | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Haakon Royal Reserve brings together selected oak-aged spirits from several distilleries in the Caribbean and Central America. Slow cask maturation shapes this golden, sweet and full-bodied blend. Alongside its dessert-like aromas, it reveals warm, dark aromatic notes and a hint of tropical spices. It is offered at 42% in a 0.7-litre bottle with gift packaging.

This edition commemorates a lifelong friendship. The future King Haakon VII of Norway, then Prince Carl of Denmark, met Valdemar Riise in the Danish West Indies in 1886. A 14-year-old naval cadet at the time, he had travelled to the islands aboard the frigate Jylland. During both of his visits, he was welcomed into the Riise family home. The bond between the two men and their shared connection to seafaring form the historical background to this bottling.

Haakon Royal Reserve is a sweetened rum-based spirit drink. Old St. Croix uses the designation Superior Spirit Drink for these blends and retains the existing recipes rather than adjusting their sweetness to meet the EU rum category.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Vanilla, coconut and butterscotch initially lead the aromas. With time, subtle hints of caramelised apple pie with a lightly burnt crust emerge, accompanied by a delicate lavender note.
• Palate: The defining aromas return on the palate, with coconut particularly prominent. The flavour is full-bodied and smooth.
• Finish: Vanilla and butterscotch linger through the long, smooth finish. A hint of orange peel complements these sweet notes.

Distillery/Bottler:

The history of Old St. Croix begins with Albert Heinrich Riise, who opened a pharmacy on St. Thomas in 1838. He used the region’s sugar-cane spirits in his alcohol-based preparations. His products included Bay Rum, a hair elixir made with twice-distilled rum. This work developed into his rum business; he later also exported spirits under the name Old St. Croix. Following the revival of A.H. Riise in 2010, the brand gradually returned to its historical name. The official change to Old St. Croix took place in 2025.

Today, blending is at the heart of the XO Reserve collection. The master blenders select matured, twice-distilled rums and combine them into bottlings with a recognisable flavour profile. Haakon Royal Reserve is made from spirits produced by several distilleries, rather than a single distillery bearing its name. Old St. Croix also keeps its maritime history alive through financial support for the frigate Jylland, now preserved as a museum ship.

Facts: