La Maison du Rhum Tradition Anglaise XO

Description

A bold, pot‑still‑leaning tribute to the great British‑heritage rum style. Rich, muscular, and unapologetically old‑school – EXCLUSIVE to the Tribe, we’re back into the wonderfully eccentric world of La Maison du Rhum with the second stop on our exploration – La Maison du Rhum Tradition Anglaise XO!

The La Maison du Rhum is a blend of XO rums (matured for a minimum of 6 years) from un-named distilleries in Trinidad (probably Angostura), Jamaica (likely Hampden or Worthy Park) and St. Lucia (better than even odds it’s St Lucia Distillers).  It has been aged in a mix of first-fill and older ex-bourbon casks. Bottled at 45% abv with absolutely no added colour or sugar.

The Tradition Collection is La Maison du Rhum’s most accessible and stylistically focused range – a trio that distils the essence of the world’s major rum “families.” Tradition Française (which we featured in January) celebrates Agricole heritage with grassy, cane‑juice brightness; Tradition Espagnole leans into the lighter, column‑still Latin style; and Tradition Anglaise champions the richer, pot‑still‑driven British tradition. Instead of single‑distillery bottlings, these are carefully composed blends that highlight the style rather than a specific terroir, making them perfect for drinkers who want to understand the differences between the world’s rum cultures.

La Maison du Rhum has built its brand around a simple but powerful idea: every rum‑producing nation has a story worth telling. Rather than creating a single house style, the brand travels the world selecting standout distilleries, unique vintages, and expressive casks that capture the character of each region. Their bottlings are deliberately educational as much as they are delicious – labels packed with origin details, still types, maturation notes, and production quirks. It’s a brand designed for explorers, collectors, and anyone who loves the diversity of rum.

Within that trio, Tradition Anglaise stands out as the boldest and most muscular expression – an ode to the molasses heavy, pot still influenced rums of Jamaica, Trinidad, and St Lucia. It’s crafted to showcase depth, spice, and dark fruit without tipping into extreme funk, making it both a gateway for newcomers and a satisfying sipper for seasoned rum tragics. As a whole, the Tradition Collection acts as a guided tour through the rum world, offering clarity, contrast, and character in a way few brands manage.

Our Tasting Notes

Nose: A beautiful balance of funky fruit salad, fragrant vanilla and summer evening jasmine with a pinch of musk LifeSavers in the mix. It’s big, round and delicious on the nose.

Palate: Lovely and viscous with an initial peppery curtain that parts (literally moving to the sides of my tongue) to reveal a chorus of fruit mince, short pastry and crème caramel in droves!

Finish: Medium length, not a real chameleon in the finish –  more of the flavours of the palate swirl as they fade-out. There’s a flash of raspberry jubes somewhere in there alongside espresso coffee and marmalade flashes.

Despite the bi-line in the label declaring this as a “High Esters” rum (and it is compared to the Tradition Francaise we tried in January) – it’s by no means a ‘funk monster’. There is enough ‘ester-oomph’ though, to really round out the caramel/coffee/dark chocolate notes that abound alongside those syrupy sweet overripe fruit notes. The result is a rum that really punches (flavour wise) well above it’s 45% abv. SO easy to sit on neat or with ice – but also stands up to a splash of coke (and a squeeze of lime) to make a stand-out Cuba Libre!