AH Riise XO Royal Reserve Kong Haakon Limited Edition is a celebration of the friendship between two unique men: King Haakon VII of Norway and Valdemar Riise.
Riise was the owner of AH Riise Rhum and the pharmacy founded by his father Albert Heinrich Riise in 1838 on the island of St. Thomas in the Danish West Indies (now the U.S. Virgin Islands).
Haakon VII was known as Prince Carl of Denmark before being crowned King of Norway in 1905. His parents were King Frederick VIII and Queen Louise of Denmark.
This is a limited edition, and each bottle is numbered.
Nico's tasting notes
In brief: vanilla - bubblegum - marshmallow - mild spices - sweet - coconut milk
The nose is dominated by both vanilla and sweet fruit. It's quite fresh, setting it apart from the other rums in the range, which are more "wintery." The red fruit notes are reminiscent of strawberry bubble gum, then become smoother, evolving into a banana and vanilla marshmallow.
As it breathes, sweet spices like cinnamon dust the strawberry bubblegum, which has since embraced a few cherries and blackberries. The nuts are very light and rather white, reminiscent of a delicate nougat.
The palate is very round and extremely sweet, with the rum literally sticking to the palate. At times, it feels like a sweet punch with lots of vanilla and thick coconut milk. Finally, there's the AH Riise touch, with its distinctive spicy cola.
The finish retains the impression of a creamy coconut punch.
"Although the nose seems fresher and lighter than usual, the liqueur and confectionery character typical of the brand is still very much present..."
