PLANTATION RUM GRANDE RÉSERVE REVIEW
Yes, you read it good. For less than 20€ you literally get the first class flight ticket from Barbados to France. To Grand Champagne Cognac Region. On Old Gregg, a brown pelican the mascot of Plantation Rum and national bird of Barbados.
Searching for a first-class experience doesn’t always require a boarding pass; sometimes, it only requires the right bottle of Plantation Grande Reserve.
So come on board!
PLANTATION RUM GRANDE RÉSERVE: A FIRST CLASS BARBADOS RUM FLIGHT EXPERIENCE
We are starting our flight from West Indies Distillery in Barbados, where Plantation Rum Grande Réserve fermented for 72 hours, setting the stage for a “twin-engine” distillation in both Column and Pot stills. This combination is the backbone of the Bajan style balancing column-still elegance with pot-still character. But this isn’t a direct flight. The secret to its ‘first-class’ character lies in the double aging process: the rum first matures in ex-bourbon casks in the tropical climate of Barbados, before traveling to France for a final aging in Cognac Ferrand casks. From ex-bourbon barrels we are flying flying across the Atlantic to Chateau de Bonbonnet in France where Bajan rum spends some time in ex-Cognac barrels. We heard it is 5 years in total, other rumors saying that it is five years in ex-Bourbon barrels and one year in used Cognac barrels but as we said at the beginning: Age statement on rum bottle is always a rumor.
So we will not bother with the age as long the blend is good, and what kind of blend we have we will find out next Sunday. For now we are satisfied with the look of our “flight”. Nice and clear shape of 700ml bottle, very similar to some bottles from other Barbados distilleries like Doorly’s or Foursquare. The bottle is “bartender friendly” because it has a long and slightly curvy neck perfect for handling and it also has a slight loose raffia net around the body so it should prevent slipping if you take it with wet hands. Inside the bottle there is a copper-bronze rum with cork waiting to pop up, but it will have to wait next Sunday as we said. What makes this ‘flight’ truly interesting isn’t just the destination, but the heritage. While its French finish in Cognac Ferrand casks gives it a sophisticated ‘Continental’ flair, the heart of this rum remains pure Barbados. Unlike a most French-style rums-Rhum Agricole made from cane juice, this Grande Réserve is crafted from high-quality molasses and distilled using a signature blend of pot and column stills. This dual-distillation method acts like a twin-engine setup for our flight: the column still provides the smooth, high-altitude elegance, while the pot still brings the heavy, aromatic power that Barbados is famous for.
And that is the whole beauty of rum(or)s. They all have sugar base, they all (should) spend some time in the barrels, and they all have their stories with which they are seeking to reach us.
Till next Sunday and cork pop sound!
