Josh, your observations of the “dark mahogany” implies LOTS of dark coloring. The 8 year really didn’t accomplish much, and using it as a marketing bullet for the 10-11 year Eximo is curious, to say the least. “Eximo takes everything that Bacardi has accomplished with their 8 year rum and cranks it up to 11 (excuse the pun) in one of the most enchanting and alluring expressions of this style of rum we’ve had.” Interestingly the “Eximo” seems to be the 8-year (a very average rum) that has spent a few more years in the barrel and I quote: Bacardi’s use of sugar and no doubt other additives and flavoring are absolutely necessary, as is the charcoal filtration needed to remove impurities. No pot stilling, no double distillations, simply a mixture of a crude 80% product with a near vodka, highly refined industrial product. A much, much lesser amount get a fast run through what is called a “beer still”, large boilers, at high speed to around 80%, in an alleged single run. This relatively thin white spirit is by far the basis for their rums. Bacardi’s success is largely political, including lobbying for literally hundreds of millions of US taxpayer dollars to make rums from massive column stills whose product would better be called near vodka, to an alcohol of between 92 and 95%. It’s really hard to comment on any Bacardi, as it appears that their departure from Cuba left more than their equipment behind. Have you tried Facundo Eximo? I know several folks that quite enjoy this rum–it would be good to hear some other points of view! Better rums can be had for less than $40. When one considers the super premium rum landscape and its pricing structure, that statement becomes obvious. It would be incorrect to call Facundo Eximo “bad”, but I would be lying if I told you it was worth $65. I enjoyed the Neo when I tasted it at Bacardi in Coral Gables, and I figured the next rung on the ladder would yield better results. As I stop to ponder the long finish, I determine it’s the oak tannins at the rear palate that dominate, followed by a hint of sweet caramel. The solvent quality (which in contrast to the aromas is diminished on the palate) is still present in-between sips, especially in the throat. Subsequent sips yield flavors of dark cherry, figs and a bit of banana. The bright entry is grounded by heavy oak tannins, and I’m able to enjoy the melon and caramel alongside the cinnamon, black pepper and orange zest. It’s definitely improved with some oxidation, but the biting solvent quality manages to weave its way throughout the aromas.Īs the rum washes over the palate, my perceptions shift from negative to positive. After the fruit comes caramel and a good amount of vanilla. Things settle down a bit more after another minute, and now I can detect a good dose of oak followed closely by ripe melon, kiwi and figs. The nose continues to be quite hot, which has me re-checking the ABV on the label.

When I return to continue my nosing, the dominant characteristic is now reminiscent of model airplane glue. The nose is a bit jarring in its astringency, so I let the glass rest for a minute. A swirl in the glass produces a thin ring from which droplets slowly develop. In the glass, the rum is a deep mahogany. Metal cap at left, wood-topped synthetic cork at right I would suggest using a stronger adhesive and/or roughing up the cap interior prior to application in future runs. I find this pretty unacceptable for a $65 rum. Fortunately for me, I didn’t drop the bottle in the process. On this bottle, the metal cap (while lovely) almost immediately pulled away from the wood. The closure is a synthetic cork topped with wood and an engraved metal cap. There is an obvious nod to quality with thicker glass (especially at the base) and some really beautiful raised glass design features. The Facundo bottles are completely different than the other bottles in the Bacardi line, and the Eximo bottle is no exception. Today we’ll taste the Eximo, which is bottled at 40% ABV and retails for $65. There are four expressions in the Facundo line: Neo (white), Eximo (10-year), Exquisito (7-23 year blend), and Paraiso (17-32 year blend). Coming from the house of Bacardi is a new line of premium rums bearing the given name of the company’s founder: Facundo.

Bacardi eximo