Back on a rum from the other Trelawny distillery, Long Pond and its very aromatic rums. Well not quite Long Pond but rather a rum distilled there but bottled by Plantation through its « Extremes » range. Collection that highlights rums at their initial levels.
Plantation therefore gratifies us with a 21 year old rum in tropical climate followed, as usual, by a year in Ferrand in a cognac barrel …
21 years tropical? Yes my good sir, this more than most likely coming from the stocks of Jamaican rums sleeping in the cellars of Wray and Nephew. Stock which was used mainly for the assemblies of the distillery belonging to Appleton.
Until the day we asked Joy Spence, the master blender of Appleton, to choose the barrels which she had no use in order to sell them … Which doesn’t mean bad barrel, but just those which were not used especially in the various assemblies of the group …
The rum which occupies us this evening is of mark HJC and will have been distilled in 1996 on the still John Dore of the distillery. At 56.2%, this spirit will not have been diluted (?) And will be bottled 2,121 times.
Note the very nice design made by a Jamaican artist, a certain Troydel Wallace.
My friend Cyril from durhum.com offered us a nice visit to the district here for those who are interested.
Color
Beautiful mahogany rum
Nose
Rich and opulent …. ok, that doesn’t mean anything but that’s what comes directly to my mind.
There are traces of wood but without being too much, fine notes of olives, very ripe fruits such as bananas, lemon and tangerine. The spices are not left out either with a nice vanilla and a hint of nutmeg.
A caramelized side is added to this panel over time as well as certain dried fruits such as hazelnut and almond … It is grilled, lightly smoked and toasted.
Palate
The entry in the mouth is raw, woody and fruity …. the 56% are felt but are quite manageable.
The first traces of woodiness with tobacco, vanilla, toasted, toasted give way to cooked fruits and dried fruits with almonds and a frangipane side.
Dark chocolate, spices and olives then accompany us in a long finish where the years spent in barrels are counted … the 21 years are clearly noticed!
Price
180€
Conclusion
Beautiful expression of an old Long Pond where the wood is of course present but not only … fruits and brined notes are also in place to offer us a rich, complex and rather pleasant rum.
After that, it remains a very old rum so you should not be too disturbed by the tannins, the toasted and the funky from Jamaica.
I imagine that the last year will have been spent in « fûts roux », having already welcomed several young spirits and no longer giving any tannins. This will have allowed to rest and oxidized the spirit.
More can be a little « help » for planting in order to make everything sexier 🙂
Score
89/100
