Plantation - Original Dark Rum 70cl, 40% ABV, Barbados & Jamaica

Product Information

Taste: Very complex with notes of raw cane sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, leather, candied citrus, persimmon, cloves, salty, a trace almost peaty or iodine like, and just the right amount of bite or funk to counterpoint and contrast to give it a delightful edge. I won’t repeat a story about sausage making that was attributed to the blender and how it relates to rum blending here, but it was a great analogy that will require a 2 drink minimum to be related in its fullness. A more technical and informative ( but slightly less scatological) explanation of the process ( used with permission ) is here: Plantation Original Dark Rum is a blend of rums from Trinidad and Tobago that are aged in young American oak bourbon casks. They age the base rum for three to five years. Notes: This rum is a blend of Trinidadian and Tobago rums hand selected by Alexandre Gabriel. Aged in heavily charred American oak bourbon barrels in the Caribbean. The base rum is aged three to five years, and is blended with an 8 year old rum of a fairly heavy and robust nature. The resulting blend is then aged a second time for 12 to 18 months in medium-toasted Cognac Ferrand French oak barrels. This technique was common in the 18th and 19th centuries ( both by merchants and also by default in the ultimate owners storing it till use in their own cellars) but this practice has almost died out as almost no one stores spirits this way anymore sad to say ( except for real enthusiasts for their own use and a few bars)

Noted as a fantastic rum for sipping neat, the palate offers sweet notes of roasted coffee, vanilla, butterscotch, and dark chocolate in front. This is followed by fresh fruit and citrus in the middle with herbal accents and hints of nutmeg and ginger. Rácz I, Markert A, Mauer D, Stoffel-Wagner B, Zimmer A. Long-term ethanol effects on acute stress responses: modulation by dynorphin. Addict Biol. 2013;18(4):678-688. doi:10.1111/j.1369-1600.2012.00494.x The longer a rum is aged, the more expensive it tends to be as it takes up space for longer and offers better flavor and a higher quality experience. First Impression: Cane sugar, vanilla, dried fruits, Vietnamese cinnamon, cassia bark, candied citrus,Fiji ginger.

Traversy G, Chaput JP. Alcohol consumption and obesity: An update. Curr Obes Rep. 2015;4(1):122–130. doi:10.1007/s13679-014-0129-4 For a more luxurious sipping experience, Plantation XO 20th Anniversary offers a complex and rich taste at a very reasonable price. As I mentioned previously, XO 20th Anniversary also makes a great rum and coke; maybe not what they had in mind, but trust me, it’s fantastic. Tropical notes of prunes and coconut and spiced fudge with the woodiness of French oak. A lingering and complex finish of resin, spice, and dried banana. Summary

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 Once blended, the concoction matures further in a series of casks that were previously used to age American whiskies, sherries, and fine wines. The result is a complexity like no other and a delicious combination of flavors. One of the few Plantation rums with an age statement on the label, this might be considered the flagship of Plantation’s “signature blends” lineup, and is one of the brands they’ve been offering longest. The five year age statement is nice, if not particularly impressive—it makes this a “moderately aged” rum. It’s important to note that 3-4 years of that time is tropical aging in Barbados, and the remaining 1-2 years is aging in France in “Ferrand casks” previously used to mature cognac. That’s a significant period, which makes this ultimately a product substantially different than simply a Bajan rum—there’s also the moderate dosage to consider as well. Products like this are at the heart of the dispute between Maison Ferrand and the other Barbados distilleries. The finish is bold and complex with a touch of bittersweet chocolate, chai tea, and espresso. 3. El Dorado 21-Year-Old-Rum I get the typical Jamaica fruits like it the Plantation Overproof OFTD. Could it be a diluted version of the OFTD?Knopf, Alison., Alcohol and isolation: Experts comment on drinking behavior during COVID‐19 Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Weekly. Volume32, Issue13. 30 March 2020, doi:10.1002/adaw.32670 The palate is even more complex, starting with noticeable spice from the cinnamon and clove. This is offset by notes of candied citrus, persimmon, cane sugar, vanilla, and a hint of leather. Distilled in Fiji from fermented sugar cane, Plantation Isle of Fiji is aged in Fiji for 2-3 years in casks formerly used for bourbon before being re-casked in French oak casks and aged for a further year in the Cognac region of France.

Koob GF. National Institutes of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. NIAA's Director's Blog. Alcohol poses different challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The rest of the ageing period is performed in ex-cognac “Ferrand casks” in France. This rum provides a kaleidoscope of tasty tropical notes and the aroma of pipe tobacco too! Other: See our pictures from the Chateau and distillery where this rum is blended and cellared in our Adventure Section 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. Does well in any drink, Jamaica (Long Pond) and Barbados (WIRD) seem to be a good mix. As vomi 1011 writes : is like a diluted OFTD. For any bar. Light rum is aged for the least amount of time. Right after distillation, all rum is clear. At this point, a light rum will be filtered to remove all impurities and bottled as is. Dark rum, on the other hand, is the result of aging.

This brand is essentially Plantation’s slightly more approachable (but unsweetened) take on the higher-ester, funkier Jamaican rum that is so beloved by the rum community, and increasingly being discovered by the average consumer. This is a 100% pot still blend of rums from Jamaica’s Clarendon and Long Pond distilleries, coming from John Dore and Vendome pot stills, lightly aged for 1-3 years tropically and then married for 1 years in France in Ferrand casks previously used to mature cognac. In this way, Plantation puts their signature spin on this Jamaican rum, although in this case there’s no dosage, which is what makes this one “special dry.” Fans of Jamaican “funk” should know that this one is modestly estery, at 156 g/hL AA. This rum is then blended with a stronger, more flavorful rum that’s aged eight years. Once mixed, the blend ages together for another 12-18 months on Cognac Ferrand French oak barrels. LaBrie JW, Boyle S, Earle A, Almstedt HC. Heavy episodic drinking Is associated with poorer bone health in adolescent and young adult women. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2018;79(3):391–398. doi:10.15288/jsad.2018.79.391 It’s perhaps unsurprising, then, that the casual rum drinker and the serious rum geek often have wildly differing reactions and estimation of a company like Plantation Rum. This is a complex topic; one that takes into account ownership, secondary finishing practices, legal lobbying and transparency in labeling. Suffice to say, the Plantation brand has long been something of a lightning rod for discussion among rum devotees.Wayne SH. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Alcohol and Other Factors Affecting Osteoporosis Risk in Women