Plantation Pineapple Stiggins' Fancy Rum

I love this rum! Delicious with subtle fruits & of course pineapples. I had it neat but will try it in some mixed drinks next.

The Bottle: This one is another good example of an "old timey" kind of label. It's a faux-parchment design with a lot of 19th century -style text. This particular blend is an homage to a character known as Reverend Stiggins from the Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens. I won't go too much into the background, but there's a ton of text on the label that talks about both the etymology of the name and how this particular rum came into being from the Plantation producers. This one looks pretty nice sitting on the bar. In the Glass: Burnished bronze. On the Nose: Brown sugar and pineapple. Simple, but pleasing. If you've ever had pineapple slices grilled with brown sugar on them, this is the kind of smell that comes off of the glass. Taste: Immediately sweet with the brown sugar notes right there in the arrival. As it develops, the pineapple makes an appearance along with some cinnamon and clove. The flavor stays with you a while, even though it does turn astringent (though this is relatively common in fairly young spirits). There is an alcohol hit to this, even though it's only 40% ABV, but again, this is likely due just to the age(or lack-thereof). The finish that stays in your mouth after a few sips is reminiscent of pineapple rind. You almost get the sense that you've taken a bite out of the inedible pieces of the fruit. On-the-whole, this is a very enjoyable flavored rum. I think that it helps that it's flavored with actual pineapple, as opposed to something synthetic. Pineapple rum was all the rage almost 200 years ago and I can see why, this really is "The Caribbean" in a glass. I would use this in any cocktail that called for an aged, or even spiced, rum. Loads of character here and I think that it would play well in a bunch of different applications. For $30, this will probably always be a staple in my bar.