This is a five-year-old Barbados rum from the Planteray range, aged in bourbon barrels before being transported to Cognac Ferrand in France for a finish in Cognac casks! Very good indeed...
Calves leather and caramel. Hints of cinnamon and dried coconut, a little vanilla too. Dried banana develops...
Surprisingly sweet palate entry, with molasses and hints of leather to the fore, alongside orange rind and salted butter. Allspice.
Becomes very sweet on the finish. A bevy of fiery spices appear on the tail.
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I am mainly a single malt (and blended scotch) drinker with occasional curiosity about bourbon and rye, cognac, armagnac, tequila, grappa and now rum. I drink spirits neat, from a Glencairn glass and with a drop of water. I realize that this isn't a high end rum, but also not a mere mixer for melting ice or making long drinks. I saw it locally for under $18 so thought it's worth a try. I like sweetness in sipping spirits (doesn't mean it should be added), but rums are sweeter than others (sugar or molasses is added, ugh). Could be good after a meal (say, if you had creme brulee, panna cotta or flan for dessert), but not everyone might like this sweetness. I am not into "smoothness", but this rum appears balanced, without youthful harshness or solventy burn. I detect some coconut in addition to just typical rum and cognac notes (vanilla, brown sugar, maple syrup, caramel, etc.) I haven't tried enough rums to know if this is "bad", "typical" or really good. To me it's enjoyable, sippable, but not as interesting as a even a nice basic single malt. One reason I prefer malts is because of some perceived fruity acidity - it really balances out the woody notes and sweetness and depth of maturation - the way you add gremolata (parsley/garlic/lemon) to osso bucco. Even though I enjoy armagnac, bourbon, rye and the like, to me they lack that essential bit of fresh fruitiness that many of the malts have (unless you get into older malts). Must be why lime and mint work so well with rum :) I could see using this occasionally to take a break from whisky (as Ralfy likes to say "a change is as good as a rest" and all the rest of it ;) I am looking forward to trying some higher-end rums and also some other styles of rum (rhum agricole, cachaca).
Magnificent, though not perfection, it is better than any mainstream spirit on the market today. Magnificent enough even to whip up a passion for discovering and escaping into a world of seafaring conquest and the ruthless pirates of olde. But that would be only a diversion, because the true magic of this rum is that it is magnificent enough to inspire a life long journey into the infinite pleasure of connoisseurship.
Love it
Very sweet, light, buttery. Good value. For me RL Seale 10 year old is still the ultimate glass of rum but this is a good value buy.
One of the best places to start your rum-journey.. Quality, Tasteful, Characterfull and Not that expensive.. Enjoy
