Plantation Rum 2005 Vintage

On December 5th, 1933 there was a party. Probably one of the biggest parties of the 20th century, by all accounts.

It is likely that the party did not take place in Utah, where the final state ratification took place, but the rest of the country spent the next few weeks, months and years making up for lost time since the ratification of the Volestead Act on January 16, 1919… the beginning of the era known as Prohibition.

It’s funny how much liquor there was to be had at said party, considering it was illegal to make, distribute and consume alcohol for the nearly 15 year period leading up to the 21st Amendment. The reason for this was an existing pipeline of black market distribution that was spawned during the Prohibition era.

Barrels of spirits travelled from all parts of the world to secret destinations within the US. And a big chunk of those spirits came from the Caribbean in the form of rum.

A good segue into today’s pour.

We have been selling Plantation Rum from Jamaica since 2019. Paul Squyer, our original Director of Cocktail Culture, was a big fan of all things rum, and was super giddy when the opportunity came to offer the spirits from Plantation.

While the shelf has maintained a consistent presence of certain labels, a couple of news emerged this year. One of them was the 2005 Vintage. And once you taste it, you will know why it was elevated to one of our more exciting offerings of the year and why it is in this year’s Spirited Holiday Countdown Calendar.

• Name: Plantation Rum 2005 Vintage
• Age: Barreled in 2005 and bottled in 2019. This rum aged in Jamaica for 12 years, then migrated to France for an additional 1-2 years for additional aging.
• Country of Origin/Locale: Jamaica – Long Pond and Clarendon Distilleries
• Proof: 80.0
• Glass: Double Old Fashioned
• Temperature: Room to taste
• Cocktail Options: None. This rum is a smooth sipper and should be consumed as such.
• Available: Yes!
• Price: List Price – $89.99 JJ’s VIP Price – $71.99

Tom’s Tasting Notes: Vintage rum is intriguing to me. So when this hit the shelf, I immediately requested it be opened so that we could taste the history. Most rums are blends of various years, so to try a rum that was blended from two distinct distilleries from barrels that were laid down in the same year was fascinating. Tropical notes like banana and guava dominate the nose and flavor profile with hints of coffee, raisins and stewed fruit.

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