A fascinating release from Plantation Rum (which has since changed its name to Planteray Rum).

This 2011 vintage bottling contains Fijian rum. The island in the South Pacific is often overlooked as a rum producing region, compared to its more famous Caribbean counterparts, but it produces spirit of a very high quality – as this expression shows.

The spirit has been made from a base of molasses and was distilled by the Rum Co. of Fiji in column stills, following a very long fermentation phase of 4-5 days (which helps produce a more complex rum).

This rum was initially aged in Fiji for 7 years in Bourbon casks, a very long maturation period given the heat and humidity of the island. The spirit was then transferred to France, where it matured for another 4 years in Ferrand Cognac casks, before finally being finished for a year in a single Marsala wine cask.

After all that, the result is a super-flavoursome spirit, with notes of tobacco smoke, dense molasses, dried figs, cinnamon, cloves, bananas, prunes, dark chocolate, a touch of chilli and pepper spice, toasted oak, almonds, orange rind, a little mint and sweet grapes.

Weighing in at 52% ABV, this is a satisfyingly full bodied rum.

• Product type
  Dark
• Distillery / brand
  Plantation
• Country
  Fiji
• Bottler
  Distillery Bottling
• Distillation date
  2011
• Bottling date
  2023
• Non-chillfiltered
  Yes
• Natural colour
  Yes
• SKU
  055058