Ron Zacapa XO Rum
Ron Zacapa XO Rum is a 750mL Guatemalan rum bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof), blended under the Sistema Solera from rums aged between 6 and 25 years, matured at 2,300 metres in the Quetzaltenango highlands, and finished in French oak casks that previously held cognac. It is the flagship expression of Master Blender Lorena Vásquez. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: Sistema Solera blend of rums aged 6 to 25 years (component range — see applier flag)
- Base: Virgin sugar cane honey (concentrated first press, not molasses)
- Casks: Solera sequence through ex-American whiskey, sherry and Pedro Ximenez casks, finished in French oak ex-cognac casks
- Ageing: 2,300m above sea level, "House Above the Clouds," Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
The Flagship of the House Above the Clouds
Zacapa was created in 1976 for the centenary of the town of Zacapa, and every bottle carries a hand-woven petate band made by women of Mayan heritage. XO is presented in a flat decanter-style bottle, the luxury end of a range built on virgin sugar cane honey fermented with pineapple-derived yeast and aged slowly in the cool highland air. Explore the house on the Ron Zacapa vendor page, or browse our full rum collection.
Tasting Notes
Per the brand's published notes: mahogany with red hints; mature toasted oak, burnt caramel, dry-roasted nuts, marzipan and orange peel on the nose; a balanced palate of dark cherry chocolate, sultana, date and prune with clove, vanilla and cinnamon, shaped by the ex-cognac French oak; dried mango, raspberry and a touch of ginger on the finish.
How to Enjoy
Pour it neat or over one large cube, and try it alongside dark chocolate, the brand's own pairing. The core solera expression is in our rum collection as Zacapa 23.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zacapa XO a 25 year old rum?
No — it is a Sistema Solera blend whose components are aged between 6 and 25 years. Twenty-five is the oldest component, not the age of everything in the bottle.
What is virgin sugar cane honey?
The concentrated first press of sugar cane juice. Zacapa uses it instead of molasses, and ferments it with yeast extracted from pineapples.
Why does altitude matter?
Zacapa ages at 2,300 metres in the Quetzaltenango highlands, where the cool, stable climate slows the ageing process — the "House Above the Clouds."
The solera's oldest rums, finished in cognac oak — order Ron Zacapa XO online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
