Plantation - XO Barbados 20th Anniversary Rum 70cl, 40% ABV

Product Information

Plantation XO 20th Anniversary získal nespočetné množstvo ocenení, medzi najvýznamnejšie však patria: zlatá medaila z International Wine & Spirit Competition 2012, RumXP Gold z Miami Rum Festival a hodnotenie 94/100 na výstave Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2015.

Despite all the information provided re Barbados rum, the proposed GI and the different approach to rum by Plantation and its parent Maison Ferrand, you end up finishing the review by tarring all Barbados rum with the same brush in the statement: “If this is the future standard of Barbados rum, then I will not buy anymore Barbados rum in the future.” Irrespective of whether Maison Ferrand win or lose (hopefully lose) in their efforts to change the Barbados GI, the other producers are not likely to follow their lead and as such you should very much advise drinkers to try Barbados rum, but to encourage them to look at the rums from Foursquare, Mount Gay and St Nicholas Abbey distilleries. Plantation Original Dark showcases toasty oak tannins and burnt Demerara sugar notes with Christmas fruitcake, funky Jamaican fruit, and a spicy crème brûlée aftertaste. Summary Plantation 20th Anniversary Extra Old Barbados Rum represents the magnum opus of Gabriel's efforts to source the finest Caribbean rum and nurture it to fruition. The paragraph with the statement: “But they just can’t call whatever they make in WIRD Barbados rum” is a little one sided. You’re right that rum that is sent over to France, to be second aged and treated to their dosage process of adding “aged sugar” (their words not mine) shouldn’t get to call it Barbados rum, based on the GI that’s been proposed by the majority of the distilleries on the island. But, in theory, there shouldn’t actually be anything to stop WIRD producing Barbados rum, which could meet the proposed GI and therefore be able to call it Barbados rum. Of course whether they’re willing to do so is a different matter.Takto rumy z Barbadosu (a dalších karibských zemí), které tam několik let zrají v sudech po bourbonu směřují do Francie a kde pokračují ve zrání v dubových sudech po koňaku Pierre Ferrand XO Grande Champagne. V současnosti společnost vlastní i známou barbadoskou destilérku West Indies Rum Distillery, kde se kromě rumů Plantation rodí i Bumbu, či Dos Maderas rum. Výroba Plantation XO 20th Anniversary The rum I Prefer and gave a 9 to is the shorter, squater bottle without the string/rope mesh around the bottle.

MF is not all for the GI being proposed by the other side. They say some of the protections are preventing innovation. MF also says they truly believe that a GI must be inclusive and faithful to the roots of ALL Barbados rum-making. They agree that for a rum to be considered Barbadian rum, it must be distilled and aged in Barbados… but for one year only. They also don’t agree with the no sugar added part. Because, for those unfamiliar with Plantation, Plantation often adds sugar to their rum. They also secondarily age their rum often in ex-Cognac casks which are aged further in France. Just like their Grande Reserve, Plantation Barbados 5 Years is produced from a blend of Barbadian rums, aged for three to four years in the tropical climate of Barbados. The version of the GI MF is fighting for simply looks like they are trying to cash in on the rising reputation and prestige of Barbados rum. (Hugely brought about by Foursquare’s Richard Seale). I can see the concern for duppy’s share (Caribbean equivalent of angel’s share) due to the hot climate but a minimum of only year of aging in Barbados? It’s clearly a selfish angle seeing as they’re the only one among the Barbados rum distilleries that has aging facilities outside of the country (MF’s Châteaux Bonbonnet). It’s reminiscent of the times when the colonists just took resources away from their colonies to make themselves rich.Maturation must be in new oak or in refill casks from a list of recognised wine and spirit denominations. A bittersweet opening, mid-palate reveals molasses cookie, pineapple, ginger, and vanilla. Becomes a reasonably-rounded rum with soft chocolate and vanilla on the finish. Summary For additional flavour, in France, it is then re-casked to finish ageing from several months to a couple of years in casks formerly used for cognac. Yummy!

On the other camp is Maison Ferrand (MF) whose rum arm is Plantation. Plantation used to only be an IB rum bottler. Then MF acquired the West Indies Rum Distillery (WIRD) in Barbados in 2017. They are now distilling and aging Barbados rum in WIRD. They still continue to source rum from countries like Fiji, Panama and Trinidad. Along with that acquisition were shares in Jamaican distilleries Long Pond and Monymusk/Clarendon. I’ll add that they also want to make changes with the already established Jamaican GI. Am I being unfair? No, unfortunately for Plantation the more “serious” rum enthusiast – those that want unadulterated spirits are largely unenthused by Plantation’s efforts. Even when they release undosed product.

― THE SPECIAL EDITIONS ―

The bottle with the mesh is slightly less sweet. It is darker, than the honey gold of the shorter bottle. It doesn't have as much complexity. It's still a decent sipper but falls short of great. A Central American molasses rum, Plantation Gran Anejo, is distilled and aged in Guatemala in casks formerly used for American whiskey before being re-casked and further aged in France at Maison Ferrand’s Chateau de Bonbonnet in barrels formerly used for cognac for up to a year. This is not my own personal opinion as I have spoken with a great number of people about Plantation. A lot of people completely boycott their products do to having sweetened rum from then in the past.

Always the alchemist, Plantation has created a “dark” rum by blending their 10-15 year aged Jamaican rum together with 1-3 year aged Barbadian twin column and pot still rum. Tak tuto láhev na polici v obchodě rozpoznáte ihned. Ať už bude ve vysoké pěkné nastajlované krabičce hnědé barvy, nebo bude jen tak samotná. Láhev (0,7 l) je jinak docela masivní a těžká se silným dnem. Při nalévání je to opravdu fajn pocit mít ji v ruce (jen ať vám při tom nepadne na nohu…).Tropical ageing : 8 to 10 years the rums used for XO are chosen for their structure with aromatic characteristics suited for intensive oak aging Plantation Rumowns the West Indian Rum Distillery in Barbados plus has shares in the National Rum of Jamaica. The brand can source some excellent rums from Barbados and Jamaica for pairing and blending. That Barbados rum will be aged in Barbados as the climate of maturation has a defining impact on the nature of a spirit. Extra Old Plantation Barbados (ve verzi 20th Anniversary) je „k mání“ i v každém větším obchodě, dokonce nezřídka i v akci. Takže pokud vám padne v supermarketu při nákupech do oka, klidně si jej přiložte do košíku. This is my opinion alone… and probably the opinion of many other rum geeks. This is too sweet. This “rum” tastes more like a coconut chocolate flavored liqueur. Drinkers with a sweet tooth may give this a high score but this is really not for me.