Riviere du Mat XO

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

Special Features:

Blending is central to Rivière du Mât XO: five traditional rums come together in a bottling whose youngest components have matured for at least six years in oak casks. Their average age is eight years. The selected rums come from the ageing cellars in Saint-Louis in southwestern Réunion.

Maturation takes place in French oak. The distillery's cask selection includes both new casks and casks previously used for Cognac. The tropical climate accelerates maturation while also increasing evaporation losses. For the XO, the matured rums are blended into a fruity, spicy whole, with subtle wood and cigar notes adding further accents.

The copper-coloured rum has mahogany highlights. It is bottled at 42% without chill filtration or added colouring. The bottle contains 0.7 litres and comes in red gift packaging. A tasting glass at room temperature is suitable for enjoying it neat.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Dried and macerated fruit shape the nose, accompanied by floral notes. With air, subtle woody tones emerge and mingle with hints of Havana cigars.
• Palate: The rum feels soft and dense on the palate, with an intense flavour. Cooked, jam-like fruit meets gingerbread, black pepper and hot paprika.
• Finish: In the intensely aromatic finish, candied fruit gradually fades while the spice lingers longer. A taut structure carries the finish.

Distillery/Bottler:

Founded in 1886, Distillerie Rivière du Mât is located in Saint-Benoît on Réunion's east coast. It makes its traditional rums from molasses derived from sugar cane grown on the island. Fermentation takes place in open vessels. The distillation team then controls the separation of aromatic components using a multi-plate column, shaping the character of the rums during distillation.

Cask maturation and blending take place in Saint-Louis. There, cellar master Jean Grondin combines rums of different ages from new and previously used casks. Inspired by Cognac production, this method allows different stages of maturation and wood influences to be balanced. The distillery also uses distillation residues to produce biogas; fertilisers obtained in the process are returned to the sugar cane fields.

Facts: