El Pasador de Oro XO

I admit to being partially biased to sweet Rums, and this is one. But only just. Maybe butterscotch or carmel. Yes, oak but so mellow. And so smooth, aged in French cognac casks. Warm finish that maybe does not last quite long enough. Love the thick bottomed bottle, hate the lable. This Rum tied for me with another of my favorites, Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva. Not that they are the same but both are my go-to for a quiet sip, ice or not, both are my best affordables so far.

New recommendation from friend. Very good XO alternative to standard brands

Barcelo Imperial and El Pasador de Oro XO.
They are approximately the same price.
After quick introduction of both we had preferred Barcelo.
El Pasador is a bit weird on the nose and does not feel XO enough. Barcelo, indeed, is more solid, more man's stuff, classic dominican style.
At the end of the night 75% of Barcelo (score 8) and 20% of EP (score 7) are gone.

It's a very good rum, with balanced flavors and smooth

Agreable au nez, le gout est encore au dessus ! Des arômes prononcés de caramel et de vanille, les futs de cognac ont donnés un gout très doux et légèrement sucré

I also had a long-term liking for this rum. It is a mixture of 6 - 15-year-old rums from Guatemala, aged for the last 6 months in France in cognac barrels.

Bottle: It looks very luxurious and I would not guess that it is rum at a price of around 40 Euros. Thumbs up for this.
Color: Medium amber, almost gold.
Aroma: Slightly sweet and pleasant without pungent alcohol. I could smell vanilla, honey, ripe fruit (especially peaches), raisins, cloves, cocoa and fine smoke.
Taste: Very delicate and absolutely delicious. The sweetness is very balanced (neither little nor much). The taste is vanilla, raisins, honey, chocolate, cognac tones and slightly oak wood.
Aftertaste: Medium to long. It burns slightly, but it's not unpleasant at all, quite the opposite.

A clear candidate for a bottle (for that price)!

Overall rating: 9+ / 10

The El Pasador XO is a fantastic rum. A few people here described it perfectly. Produced in Guatemala and finished in France, this rum is of an outstanding quality with a wonderful smoothness. No disturbing burning alcoholic notes. Nice bottle and a fantastic price (39€). A clear winner.

el pasador de oro XO is a plasant spirit, but has an almost too-refined impression. vanilla and toasted almond predominate, without much additional complexity; the mouthfeel is slightly thick and coating. very smooth and not "boozy" at all. makes one think of ice cream and coffee.

I know a great number of rum aficionados have tasted true "top shelf" rums that cost what I paid for my last car, but given my limited budget, $50 - 70 is about as top shelf as I'll get. This was a recommendation from a clerk at total wines and more, and far out stretched his praise. This is a beautiful sipping rum with wonderful molasses, caramel and vanilla finish. The mouthfeel is just a tad thin, but not overly so. I goes down smoothly with just a hint of burn. My favorite rum is Ron Cartavio, but I can only get it in CA. This ALMOST as good. The only thing Ron Cartavio excels in is mouthfeel. It brings a little more body. But, this rum at $20 cheaper and being available locally is a winner.

This is a really great rum at a price that won’t break the bank. I’d rank it about 8.5 if I could. The body is light. One the nose a little alcohol and I get some plum. The taste is ripe fruit, and a hint of burnt sugar. Going down there is little burn and some residual sugars. A hint of something like graham cracker as well. It is a pleasant rum that will impress anyone who is not familiar with sipping rums.