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Plantation Pineapple Stiggins' Fancy Rum
Flavored Rum — Multiple Countries
Reviewed
January 30, 2021 (edited February 28, 2021)
Nose: Light fruity aromas (peach, apricot, rockmelon) with a fragrant character, as if there is a hint of frangipani or jasmine. Pineapple is there, but reserved and subtle. Brown sugar, vanilla, and just a hint of oak cask.
Palate: Very soft and supple arrival. Sweet, but not syrupy, more like nectar or honey-water. The pineapple presence is again subtle but it is pervasive. You can’t fail to notice it, but it is not at all heavy or gauche. Vanilla notes and tropical fruit fill out the sweet palate development. The texture is beguiling.
Finish: Short. Sweet, fruity, mild sugars and suggestions of very soft spice.
This is one of those drinks I’ve been meaning to try for a long time but kept putting off. It catches my eye every time I’m at the liquor shop but until today I’ve always reached past it, not because I didn’t think it would be good, but because something else always looked more interesting.
Today it happened to be on sale so the time had come, and now I’m wishing I’d not waited so long. This is delightful.
I’ve tasted a number of flavoured and spiced rums (although admittedly it’s not a favourite category) and this is without doubt the best I’ve experienced. The naturalness of the pineapple presence is captivating and akin to freshly squeezed pineapple juice that has been diluted just a little with sweetened water.
Although there is a fairly hefty dosage employed (20g/litre) on this occasion it works very well and there is something about this rum that is half-way between a liqueur and a spirit. My usual preference is for big, estery rums with loud hogo and I avoid sweet rums as they are cloying to my palate. However the sweetness of this flavoured rum works because it is restrained and the texture is light and delicate.
It’s delicious neat as a digestif and we have several ideas for using it in cocktails (it teams well with coconut milk) or as an addition to spritzes and sangria. My favourite ways to take it so far are either neat or as a long drink (30ml Pineapple Stiggins over 3-4 ice cubes, 100ml dry ginger ale, a slice of lime and top up with soda water).
“Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)
62.0
AUD
per
Bottle
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@cascode That sounds about right. The Total Wines near me still have them in stock, but they’re on sale which means they could be clearing remaining inventory. I’m considering buying another bottle or two as well just in case.
@ContemplativeFox @ctbeck11 There is now a 14 year old but it is quite a bit more expensive. The 12 is definitely discontinued out here - I can't say for certain about other markets, but I think so.
They discontinued the 12?! Thanks for filling me in @cascode - time to go hoard some bottles.
@CKarmios Also Ron Diplomatico. Rum snobs like to scoff at it while other people (like me) enjoy it. So I guess keep trying that one occasionally, until you no longer like it. Then your rum training will be complete, I guess?
@WhiskyWitch @cascode thank you both. I found all three: Appleton 12yo at €36, Doorly’s 12yo at €42 and Doorly’s XO at €37
@cascode I didn’t know the 12 is discontinued. This makes me sad.
@CKarmios My pick would be Doorly's XO. It would once have been Doorly's 12, but that has been discontinued. Doorly's is a quality product from Foursquare Distillery with a well-balanced profile. It's very good for sipping or mixing and well-priced.
I've been looking at this too. It might be the perfect complement to keep alongside a sipping rum, just because it's different and can create the ultimate mixed drink. @CKarmios I actually like the Plantation 5 year old as a good inexpensive rum, but the Cognac finish might make it seem less "authentic" as rums go. Appleton Estate is even cheaper and good for what it is. It also leans fruity, and then you can try the aged version.
If one were to begin a journey into Rum Country, what would one consider as good starters - asking for a friend 😉
@ContemplativeFox I was genuinely surprised. I expected it to be something awful, either a gross artificially flavoured mess or thin and hardly showing any pineapple at all. Thankfully it is neither. @bigwhitemike Mrs Cascode has already used it to make a "sort of" pina colada which she is proclaiming "a winner".
I keep putting this one off too. Seeing this review had bumped it up on my list.
Great take on this one. I also don’t quite view it as a rum, not quite a liqueur, but somewhere in between and quite tasty for what it is. It is more subtle than I imagined it’d be. I like where you are headed with the coconut milk!