D24 vs XO, Pahang vs Johor, and now D24XO or XOD24?

October 12, 2025

D24, XO, Pahang, Johor. There’s also D24XO, what even is that? Sounds confusing? Not experts, but here we are sharing what we have learnt from hearing, reading, and eating of course, and hopefully it clears some things up.

Firstly, XO and D24 and technically the same cultivar, i.e. D24, as per registered under the Malaysian Department of Agriculture. Same species, same botanical variety.

Yet because of different growing conditions (or other factors, but such secrets will only be known to the farmers), result in generally 2 vastly different taste profile categories.

However, seller marketing strategies result in confusing naming sometimes, and potentially even mis-naming (same happens with Musang King D197).

In our opinion, based on taste profiles, the only 2 real and vastly different taste-types are:

• D24 (aka ‘Sultan’)
• Johor XO

Then, whether it is A) grown in Pahang, Johor, or elsewhere, B) altitude, determines the quality and degree of fermentation.

(left is D24, right is Johor XO)

Johor XO

Let us start with the Johor XO. As named, grown in Johor, which is lower altitude than Pahang generally. So it seems it is not necessary for very high altitudes to achieve high fermentation.

Even though botanically a D24 cultivar, the taste characteristic is consistent, and a clear category of its own.

Distinctive characteristics:

• Very alcoholic, and not like a well-fermented D175 Red Prawn alcoholic. A totally much much higher level, similar to a very diluted hard liquor. Personally would describe it like a diluted fruit soju
• Very soft, once you break through the skin membrane, can be runny just like a broken egg yolk
• Flesh colour is generally whiter than D24 (sometimes can be very white)
• Seeds generally smaller than others, and the seed is soft and easy to squish (must be from steeping in all that ethanol)

Once you’ve tried an authentic Johor XO, you’ll see that it’s really not possible to pass off any other sub-type as Johor XO. It is clearly in a taste profile of its own.

Johor XO can be an acquired taste. There are those who really love its uniqueness, and there are those who really find its taste and texture off-putting. And that’s okay.

Enjoy some pictures of Johor XO (see the squishy soft seed):

D24 / Sultan

D24 is grown over many places like Johor, Pahang, Cameron Highlands region, etc.

It is also named Sultan, D24XO (with as many ‘X’ and ‘O’ as you want to add, or reverse the order to XOD24 also).

Before Musang King D197 was registered in 1993 and popularised in early 2000s, D24 was the ‘Musang King’ of back then in terms of popularity.

Usually, sellers append the ‘XO’ to the back of D24, to suggest high-altitudes and fermentation, e.g. D24XO, XOD24. And honestly, create some confusion. But it would be going rather too far to call it ‘XO’, and try to blatantly pass it off as Johor XO, because it would never achieve the same taste profile of Johor XO, a high level of alcoholism completely distinguishable and separate.

The higher the altitude, the supposed better the quality, and level of fermentation. BUT, it is never to the level of alcoholism as Johor XO.

In addition, the high altitude can also be identified by a white dust over the durian husk surface, like icing sugar. Sometimes claimed to be pesticide, it is not pesticide, but a natural process due to the high altitude mists. Even the flesh itself can seem powdery sometimes.

It is very hard to proclaim a single ‘taste profile’ for D24. Some sellers and durian enthusiasts would tell you, that D24 is one of the most inconsistent in quality, and varied in taste profiles. This cultivar is also said to have many supposed mysteries, such as tasting better during rainy season (unlike other cultivars), and the smaller the fruit the better the taste, and so on.

Thus, it is very hard to say, a D24 will taste a certain way, but if we were to attempt to highlight some more commonly encountered characteristics:

• Taste of high altitude quality D24 can have strong vanilla flavour
• Higher the altitude, the more white powder, and the more firm the flesh (see pictures below for an idea)
• Flesh colour more yellow generally
• Seed generally big and the usual hard durian seed, unlike Johor XO (but very rarely you may get small seeds sometimes; its a natural fruit come on)

Enjoy some pictures of quality D24, supposedly high altitude Pahang D24 (as just mentioned, high altitude D24 may look unripe upon opening, like some pictures below, but oh mind you these were very very nicely ripe, as per our taste test 😉):