Objective Notes
Extremely Smooth (on the RnD scale of Harsh-Smooth-Very Smooth-Extremely Smooth)

Just looking at it in my glass, Plantation Barbados 5 glows like golden mahogany.  The rum looks polished, a testament to what a few years in two different kinds of oak and careful handling can do to a sugarcane-based spirit.  The bouquet brings sweet vanilla, then molasses and some underlying heady pot still aromas lend structure to the complex aromas.  Only slightly less apparent are brown sugar, a definite but mild cognac edge, followed by subtle hints of tropical fruit (mango), coconut and spice (cinnamon, clove, cardamom and fennel) finishing soft on the nose.  Initial sipping is singularly pleasant in that no one taste attribute boasts above the others — the rum shows wholly integrated flavors.  In the mouth, Plantation Barbados 5 is as delicious as a fresh mango sorbet, but with the warmth of rum. A medium weight body contributes the the effect, it’s mass providing perfect balance to the flavors.  Finishing, fruity flavors arrive first with considerable sweetness, then comes fresh dry leather and a long slow fade on the lips and throat.

Anecdotal Notes

Dave -   Distilled and aged for five years on Barbados, later shipped to France where Cognac-Ferrand further ages the rum in used cognac barrels, then meticulously and slowly dilutes with water over 3 months to avoid any adverse chemical reaction, lets it rest for a while longer, and bottles it when the rum is finally ready.

Taster’s Opinion

Dave - Plantation Barbados 5 year old rum is approachable art, inexpensive yet combining the best of Bajan craftsmanship with the sophistication of French aging and blending.  The various Plantation rums originating on Barbados all seem to command the top echelon of their portfolio, and the 5 surely adds to the impressive fruits of their collaboration.  Plantation characterizes the Grande Reserve 5 as a sipping and mixing rum, but I think it is the dessert of rum, best served neat.

Roger – Plantation Grande Reserve Barbados is an exceptional example of a premium aged rum product that is surprisingly smooth, complex, and flavorful considering only being aged for a little over 5 years. It is all about starting with a quality distilled product that is aged for 5 years in Bourbon oak barrels in Barbados and then embarking on a journey to Ars France for further aging for several months in oak casks that previously housed the fine cognacs produced by Cognac Ferrand. This double aging is a key step in the process that takes this good rum to the next level. I like to enjoy it neat personally as I find it’s complex flavors of buttery vanilla, banana bread, cinnamon, oak, and toasted coconut too refined to mix. But don’t get me wrong, it will make great cocktails where you want to highlight the flavors of the rum. It was awarded a Gold Medal at the Rum XP Tasting Competition in April 2011 at the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival. Simply a treasure for the price so be adventurous and add a couple bottles to your collection. 

Taster's Rating (10 is best): Dave - 8.5 Flasks; Roger - 9 Flasks

Most recently tasted by: Dave and Roger in April 2011 in Miami and again in, November 2011 at RnD’s South and North Tasting Rooms, USA.

*750ml unless otherwise stated.