LouisianaLonghorn
Plantation Xaymaca Special Dry
Gold Rum — Jamaica
Reviewed
May 1, 2021 (edited October 15, 2022)
As I tumble further down the rum rabbit hole, I’ve been studying the different styles of rum. So far most of my experience has been with Barbados rum, which I find excellent and appreciate Foursquare’s commitment to “authentic” rum, with no sugar or additives, and Demerara rum, the likes of Eldorado (excellent but you need a sweet tooth). I’ve been less enthused by some “premium” rums, which have flashy marketing and lots of added sugar (think Diplomatico).
Plantation falls somewhere in the middle of that spectrum for me. I enjoyed their Fiji expression last year for its combination of fruitiness and diesel fuel, and the 3 Star is my go-to workhorse rum mixer. I’ve been interested in the so-called Jamaican rum funk, and decided to try this bottle at a $17 sale price before investing in a more boutique bottling from Worthy Park or Hampden Estate.
The nose on this is identical to the Fiji expression, which leads me to believe it must be more influence from the Ferrand Cognac casks than the rum itself. It’s quite fruity and buttery, and leads me to think I should invest in a bottle of Ferrand Cognac. The taste is quite a bit more subdued. I’ll be honest, I expected more. It’s lovely and easy to drink, mind you, but it seems a little flat compared to the nose. I get banana, papaya, mango, grape must, coconut, and the slightest bit of hogo. Quite pleasant, but I was hoping for a bit more of a wow factor. That said, this can be a versatile spirit, for neat pours, rocks, or to mix in my ubiquitous summer rum drinks.
I’ll enjoy this bottle, and I look forward to future exploration of the Jamaican rum category. Cheers!
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@BeppeCovfefe cheers indeed! More for us!
@Whiskylonghorn yea I'm aware of the "spiking" Cuervo does to get the brix level up, as a former part time bartender my observation is most Americans have no appreciation at all for "pure spirits", they just want something moderately sweet that will get them drunk. Cheers!
@BeppeCovfefe interesting question. There are laws in the US and Scotland that prevent such tampering with whiskey but tequila from Mexico and Caribbean nations that produce rum have no such restrictions (with the possible exception of Barbados rum and Mezcal producers). Companies that produce spirits for a North American audience know that our collective palate (perhaps not yours, mine, or many other users here) skews towards the cloyingly sweet, hence the 15-35 g/L you see of additives in many “premium” rum offerings and mixto tequilas like Jose Cuervo.
I like the idea of "no sugar added" rum, after all it's made from sugar anyway, so how much more do you really need?
@PBMichiganWolverine I figured :). Plantation is a bit gimicky, and they have a crack marketing team, but I do like that cognac finish on the nose. Too bad the taste doesn’t typically hold up.
@PBMichiganWolverine sorry by “this one”, I meant Hampden Great House, not Plantation
@WhiskeyLonghorn personally I’m not a rum fan at all. Find them too sweet. But the only ones I’ve seemed to like are these funky ones —-like Caroni and this one. I’d buy it at $100...it’s like a Caroni, but a fraction of the price
@PBMichiganWolverine I found a bottle nearby for $100. What do you think of that price?
Im due to pick up a new rum ...been a while
@jonwilkinson7309 @WhiskeyLonghorn if you come across Hampden Great house, try that. It’s a cheaper version of Caroni
@jonwilkinson7309 thanks for the tip. $18...I’m loving how good rum costs way less than good whiskey. Hope it stays that way.
Thanks for the tip on the Fat Rum Pirate! I'll have to check it out. One Jamaican rum that I recommend, if you ever come across it, is Stolen Overproof. Stolen is a bit odd - they sell an MGP whiskey that's finished with smoked staves, a strange spiced rum, and their Overproof Rum, which is sourced from Hampden. It's sold in 375 ml bottles, which I've seen for as low as $18.
Additional note: I’ve been following The Fat Rum Pirate blog online. There’re like the Breaking Bourbon for rum. Great, in-depth reviews and education. Check them out if you’re looking to learn more about rum and it’s different categories.