Plantation 1996 Jamaica 1996 24-Year

Wow special single cask release for my friends at the Mansion. Cask 7 bottle 51, blended with rums from Long Pond, ITP, & HJC 21.5 years in Bourbon barrells then another 2.5 years in Fernàndez casks, final finished for 6 months in American rye whisky cask. There’s a lot going on here 49.1% alcohol. Amber caramel color with a faint scent of caramel / butterscotch but nothing like dictator.

First taste slightly sweet, smooth, full complex exploding flavors finishing with a classic Jamaican funk with very little burn. The taste stays with you lingering for 5 minutes. Quite nice and very unique and particular.

I will do a comparison with the Extreme No4 series 24y Long Pond.

The smell is genious. It starts with herbs, and sweetness from the caramel. It reminds me a little bit of Zacapa. Then after 5min I notice oranges and orange peels with tannins (this reminds me of Plantation Clarendon One time limited edition). The orange and anise flavors are developing very dominant. This rum turns into an old tropical aged Jamaica rum. Anise and wood varnish are very peresent now. After 10 more minutes the rum turns floral. This is a great and complex nose.
The nose is different to Extreme series. This one is like a Clarendon, the Extreme is like a Velier Forsynth.

The taste starts like a Clarendon with orange, wood, anise, apricots and also tannins with wood.
It's clearly an old rum. At the end are some dry fruits. The flavors are well known, no surprices for me.
In the middle I get dry fruits and more of oranges and anise with wood and tannins.
The finish is spicy with oranges, anise, floral notes and wood. It's good but I expected something more special.
The aftertaste is floral and with the same flavors.
It's different to the Plantation Extreme. The extreme is more complex and darker in the taste with more dry fruits and apricots. Also better balanced between the flavors.

The nose was complex and very richt. The taste is not that complex and a little bit one dimensional.
The Clarendon one time limited edition offers the same flavor profile for a better price.
I would rate this rum with 87 points.

Nose: herbs, caramel, oranges, some tannins (orange peels), anise, oak, vanilla, wood varnish, floral note
Taste initial: orange, wood, anise, apricot, some sweetness (but not caramel), dry fruits, tannins
Middle: dry fruits, anise, orange peels, wood, floral notes
Finish: spice, orange, anise, floral notes, wood
Aftertaste: orange, anise, floral notes, wood

Sweetness: 2/5
Fruits: 3.5/5
Spice: 3/5
Mildness: 3.5/5
Complexity: 3.5/5
Value (98€): 3.5/5