Dos Maderas (5+5) PX is Caribbean rum I’d been hearing great things about for some time, so I decided to give it a try. The name “5+5” is a reference to the aging process. For the first five years, the rum is aged in the Caribbean in American oak casks. After that, it is sent to Spain. There, it is aged for another five years, this time in Spanish oak sherry casks. Thus the “5+5,” which essentially translates to “5 years + 5 years.” “Dos Maderas” translates to “Two Woods.”
The second part of the aging process actually is broken down into two steps. The first three years in Spain, the rum is aged in Palo Cartado sherry casks. The second two years, it is aged in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. So in total, there are three different types of casks involved. The concept of aging in sherry casks may be familiar to you if you have ever tried sherried whiskey. But sherried rum? This was a first for me, and an exciting one at that.
In the bottle, Dos Maderas (5+5) PX is a deep amber color, the hue so saturated it is almost red. It’s beautiful just to look at. This color is typical of a sherried beverage. The aroma is just what I would expect—sweet. You can detect a lot of different notes if you take the time to breathe them in: caramel, nuts, dried dark fruit, vanilla, sherry (of course), and something heavy and musty like leather.
The taste is absolutely incredible. Sweet notes of sherry dominate, along with caramel, vanilla, spice, and dark fruit. There is a hint of chocolate and coffee in the backdrop. It tastes like no other rum I have ever tried, especially with respect to all the fruit notes! The finish is long and delectably smooth. Oak emerges along with a hint of anise. The sherry flavors linger on the tongue before melting away.
The craziest thing about this rum to me is the price point. You can pick up a bottle for just $35-$40. Normally I would expect a drink like this to cost substantially more. It would easily have been a good buy at $60! So the fact I got it for $35 makes it a ridiculously good deal. It really is a unique experience, and again, very different from any other rum out there. If you enjoy rum and sherry, you will love Dos Maderas (5+5) PX, a perfect melding of flavors. This is the ultimate in sweet and smooth!
Dos Maderas 5+5 PX Review: Summary
Colour: Deep mahogany, almost red.
Nose: Caramel, nuts, vanilla, sherry, dark dried fruit, leather, earth.
Palate: Sherry, caramel, vanilla, spices, dark fruit, chocolate, coffee, oak, anise.
