Mezan 2000 and Mezan XO reviews

The second standard reference style: aromatic, robust and full flavored - it's absolutely dunderful. To our ships at sea! May they sink very slowly!
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edgarallanpoe
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Mezan 2000 and Mezan XO reviews

Post by edgarallanpoe »

Like the rest of us on this forum I detest any additives in my rum. I am forced to accept coloring as it is a rare thing to find an uncolored rum...but I don't like it. Mezan claims that no additives of any kind are found in their rums. Nothing to alter taste *or* color. I had to try these based on this fact alone. Even if the rums turned out to be duds, I was ok with giving a company that refused to alter their products my hard earned cash.

My first purchase was the Mezan Jamaica 2000 from the legendary Long Pond distillery. I live in PA so I had to special order this. It ran about $50 and I had to order a minimum of 3 bottles. A sizable investment to be sure but I was willing to take the chance. I was glad I did.


I always test my rum in several ways. I test them neat, in order to gauge their unaltered flavor profiles and I make a couple of cocktails with them to see how they stand up when mixed with other ingredients.

I said in a previous thread that I rarely agree with a bottler's description of their spirits. I've often found them to be complete bullshit. This was an exception... Ripe fruit and buttery toffee abounded and the finish was amazing. All of the classic Jamaican flavor profiles were there, including that tell tale funkiness that only the Jamaican's deliver. It is bottled at 80 proof so adding a bit of water didn't really open this up IMHO it just served to dilute an incredible complexity.

Mixed in a daiquiri it never got lost and held its own against the fresh lime and simple syrup...that amazing, funky Jamaican finish was still there. It was one of the best daiquiris I have ever tasted.

I also mixed it with Boylan's ginger ale and a quarter of a lime squeezed and dropped into the drink. *This* was a seriously unexpected surprise. The combination of the ginger and lime worked perfectly with the rum to make one of the better drinks I have had. I used a ratio of 2.5 oz of rum to 4oz of ginger ale. Again...the funky finish never got lost and I was sorely tempted to suck down about 5 of these. lol But I refrained.

In short the Mezan Jamaican 2000 has moved to the top of my decent collection of really good rums. Get it if you can.

I recently purchased a bottle of their Jamaican XO at Total Wine when I visited my friend in Jersey. The Long Pond was so good I just had to try this as well. This one is a blend of Hampden and Moneymusk rums. This is another winner. At under $30 this is a steal.

The best way I can describe this rum is that it is a lighter version of Smith and Cross. I consider S&C to be one of the very best rums in the world at any price so this is high praise for the XO. It has all of the things I love about S&C, it's chock full of ripe fruit and Jamaican funk, but at 80 proof it doesn't punch you in the face like the S&C does. Buy it...now.

Both of these are fantastic rums and supporting a company that refuses to alter their rums in any way benefits us all. I have also purchased the Mezan Panama but haven't had a chance to sample that one.
AK9
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Post by AK9 »

Very good prices!

Have also got a longpond 2000 from TRC and find it very very good.
There is a discussion in one rum blog (think BAT?) that the 2000 versions of Long Pond from most IB's are probably not continental or weddeburn types, thus they are lower in esters. If that is the case I cant wait to try the high esters ones.

It would be useful to find which vintages of Londpond are available and which ones are "reported" as high ester ones. Would it be expected that all distillations from a specific year are of specific type? Or would they mix at the distillery?
Hassouni
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Post by Hassouni »

How would you compare the 2000 and the XO side by side?
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The Black Tot
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Post by The Black Tot »

The Bristol Classic Vale Royal Wedderburn is a Long Pond, as Cocktailwonk confirmed in his recent write up.

Being classed as a Wedderburn means it has very high ester count (from what I've gathered).

It's a beauty, and it was pretty cheap and available in the UK at least a little while ago. I still see it on the sites.

I bought a 12 case of it ;)
Hassouni
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Post by Hassouni »

The Black Tot wrote:The Bristol Classic Vale Royal Wedderburn is a Long Pond, as Cocktailwonk confirmed in his recent write up.

Being classed as a Wedderburn means it has very high ester count (from what I've gathered).

It's a beauty, and it was pretty cheap and available in the UK at least a little while ago. I still see it on the sites.

I bought a 12 case of it ;)
I've got a bottle (suitcases, and all)
AK9
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Post by AK9 »

We should hopefully have enough rum between all of us to survive any long term shortage!

Btw, cocktailwonk is mentioning that Longpond has not distilled for some time. Wonder how easy it is to start distilling again. Is there a point in time where the stills are impacted from.the non-use?
Hassouni
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Post by Hassouni »

Just picked up both of these. Mezan is very explicit right on the bottle about no added coloring, no added flavorings, and only minimal filtration. Good on them.

My one complaint is that they're a mere 40% ABV, and rums of this character really should be bottled higher.

Not doing a real review now, but the Jamaica 2000 is a full on Wedderburn style, long-fermented at Long Pond, as has been said. I have a 9 year Bristol Classic Long Pond in the "Vale Royal" style (explained somewhere on the Cocktail Wonk blog), and this is not terribly different, but that's 46% and everything is just dialed back in the Mezan. Still - estery, leathery, ultra dry, and a pretty good value at $60 (it's available elsewhere for even less). This would be a knockout at 46% or higher.

The Jamaica XO, which I just cracked open, is about half the price, and at 40% ABV more enjoyable than the 2000. It doesn't have that ultra dry leathery, borderline smoky note, but it's got tons of fruit - pear, papaya, other tropical fruit, and that signature Hampden funk, and for whatever reason, those work better at this strength. This is a no-brainer for $30, it might be the best value honest rum up there with Seale's 10.
edgarallanpoe
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Post by edgarallanpoe »

The Jamaica XO, which I just cracked open, is about half the price, and at 40% ABV more enjoyable than the 2000. It doesn't have that ultra dry leathery, borderline smoky note, but it's got tons of fruit - pear, papaya, other tropical fruit, and that signature Hampden funk, and for whatever reason, those work better at this strength. This is a no-brainer for $30, it might be the best value honest rum up there with Seale's 10.
It's definitely up there. I love it. However, the Smith and Cross at 55% and under $30 here is probably a better value. They are *very* close in flavor though. This really is killer stuff.
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