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 dry fruits, leather, herbs and sweetness from the caramel. The herbs 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 and the smell turns floral. There are some more complex notes of wood varnish and leather.
This is a complex, old tropical aged Jamaica rum.
The nose is different to Extreme series. This one is more like a tropical Clarendon, the Extreme is like a Velier Forsynth.

The taste starts like a Clarendon with orange zests. I get immediately the tannins and wood, then some anise with apricots.
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. Also heavy notes of wood varnish and leather. My mouth feels dry now.
The finish is spicy with oranges, anise, apricot, floral notes and wood. It's good but also a little bit too old. The tannins are too present in my opinion. I think some years earlier it was a little bit sweeter and better.
The aftertaste is tasty with orange, anise, some floral notes, apricot and tannins.

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 aromas.

The nose was complex and very rich. The taste is not that balanced and a little bit too old.
The Clarendon one time limited edition offers als some of this aromas for a cheaper price. But this one is still worth it. I would rate this rum with 88 points.

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

Sweetness: 2/5
Fruits: 3.5/5
Spice: 3/5
Mildness: 3.5/5
Complexity: 3.5/5
Value (98€): 4/5