
Plantation Original Dark Barbados & Jamaica Rum
Plantation · West Indies Rum Distillery (Barbados) / Clarendon Distillery (Jamaica)
Plantation Original Dark punches well above its weight at this price point. The two-origin blend creates more complexity than most rums in this range can manage. It's an ideal mixing rum that also rewards careful sipping.
Nose
Rich molasses and vanilla greet the nose, followed by toasted coconut, warm baking spice, and a faint citrus brightness. The Jamaican component adds a funky, overripe banana note that gives depth.
Palate
Full and rounded with toffee, oak, and dark chocolate. The Barbados rum brings smoothness while the Jamaican distillate adds character—dried fruit, spice, and a touch of leather at mid-palate.
Finish
Medium with lingering molasses, vanilla, and a gentle oakiness.
- Base Ingredient
- Molasses
- Distillation
- Blend of pot still and column still rums
- Country
- Barbados & Jamaica
Cocktail Suggestion
Dark & Stormy Proper — 2 oz Plantation Original Dark · 0.75 oz fresh lime juice · 4 oz ginger beer · Build in a tall glass over ice, float rum on top, garnish with a lime wheel.
Food Pairing
Jerk chicken with grilled pineapple
Blended under the direction of cellar master Alexandre Gabriel in Cognac, France, combining pot and column still rums from Barbados and Jamaica, then finished in French oak casks at the Maison Ferrand cellars.
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