A True Double-Aged Dark Rum
Chateau de Bonbonnet, Ars, France (October 16, 2013) – Plantation Rum, the portfolio of double-aged rums produced by the venerable Ferrand house in France, announces the introduction of Plantation Original Dark Rum <http://www.plantationrum.com/en/pages/view/369> . Plantation Original Dark is a blend of rums from Trinidad and Tobago, crafted by Alexandre Gabriel, the 2012 UK RumFest world’s best Rum Master Blender. Plantation Original Dark (80 proof, 40% ABV) will be available nationwide as of mid/late October 2013 and will retail for a suggested $17.99/750ml bottle.
Plantation Original Dark is an aged dark rum FIRST MATURED in heavily charred American Oak barrels in the Caribbean which impart full-bodied flavors and a deep color. Gabriel then selects specific barrels, only the ones to his liking, and blends the rums. The base rum is aged three to five years and married with a full-flavored rum distilled 8 years ago. Then this rum blend is AGED A SECOND TIME for 12 to 18 months in medium-toasted Cognac Ferrand French oak barrels which impart nice spicy, tannin notes. This final aging fine tunes the blend and brings together all the aromas and flavors before bottling.
This DOUBLE AGING TECHNIQUE is the signature of Plantation Rums and allows Plantation Original Dark to blossom into a rich-tasting, aromatic yet elegant dark rum. The result is a rum ideal in any cocktails that call for a dark rum and in classic rums drinks like Mai Tais, Daiquiris and Rum Punches.
“Plantation Original Dark is all about the true and rich rum taste that works so well in cocktails”, says Alexandre Gabriel. “This is a rum made like rum used to be made, when it was full of flavors. We handpick each barrel, one by one and we blend the rums according to the ancestral elevage* technique that we use at Cognac Ferrand. Some people call this ancient touch the “rum funk”. In the old days it was called the ‘HOGO’ derived from the French ‘Haut Gout’ which means ‘High Taste’. I learned from an old cellar master that this is the way rum was blended in Europe in the 18th and 19th century. Artisanal rum is now captivating the epicureans, the lovers of the good things of life. Our passion is infectious!”
And the rum experts agree: “The new Plantation Original Dark rum is a delightful expression that delivers rich, warm tones of authentic Trinidad style spirit. This well balanced blend is highly recommended for cocktails that deserve a full-bodied rum component” says Robert Burr, publisher of Rob’s Rum Guide.
Plantation Original Dark was VOTED BEST IN CLASS FOR AGED RUMS in the 2013 RumXP tasting competition in Miami.
Patrick Sullivan, Executive Director of Bar Operations for Legal Sea Foods has chosen Plantation Original Dark for the restaurant’s Spiced Pineapple Daiquiri, to be served in 32 Legal Sea Foods Restaurants around the country. The cocktail will appear on their cocktail menu from October 2013 through April 2014. “Plantation Original Dark brings a unique Caribbean authenticity to every rum based cocktail,” says Sullivan. “This is how rum is supposed to taste. The flavors are rich, buttery and complex while being perfectly balanced and beautifully blended.”
Spiced Pineapple Daiquiri
1 oz. Plantation Original Dark Rum
1 oz. Plantation 3 Star White Rum
1 oz. Spiced Pineapple Syrup (pineapple juice, bitter orange peel, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar)
.5 oz. lime juice
Grated nutmeg finish
Shake ingredients and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Gabriel and his team are acutely attentive to each detail in Plantation’s multi-step, involved and delicate production method. It is a process that from beginning to end takes years and could send the price of a bottle into the stratosphere. Not in the case of Plantation Original Dark where the ‘cost’ of the production method does not affect the price. At $17.99/bottle, this exceptionally produced rum can be enjoyed by all.
