Plantation 2003 Jamaica Clarendon Mmw 16-Year

If you haven’t tried Jamaican rum before and you want to learn more about what Jamaican rum can offer. Then you should try this one. It is a clear example of what Jamaica can do. High esters, great Jamaican classic taste. Nose is not as strong as I thought it would be, to begin with, but give it some time and it will show itself. Really good choice If you like Plantation and Jamaica. Recommended!

Alc./Vol. : 49,5%
Origin : Jamaica – Clarendon Distillery
Raw material : Molasses, 2 weeks fermentation
Distillation : Double Retort Vendome Pot Still
Tropical ageing : 16 years in 200L Bourbon casks
Continental ageing : 1 year in 350L Ferrand casks
Esters : 422 g/hL AA
Dosage : 0 g/L

Yes, your have read it already, a 16y aged Jamaica rum from Plantation without any additives. And with any information you wanna know, directly from the bottler. And also from a long fermentation and pot still distillation for just 58€. I hope this is not the last one time edition :)
Great, we appreciate it.

The nose is intensive, you can cleary recognize Clarendon/Monymusk. The first flavors are the orange peels, anise with some floral notes in the background. But there are some heavy notes of wood, leather and some smoke. This is a great nose and very intensive, for just 58€? I must be dreaming.

The taste is a little bit thin at the beginning, but with anise. The flavors are developing in your mouth.
I would say the taste is dominated by anise, orage and orange peels. It turns dry in the middle. The middle an the finish are very nice. I get orange, orange peels, spice, herbs, bitter plants, medicine and anise.
Yes, this is great stuff. What I need to give it a 9 is a little bit richer initial taste and more fruits. But the rest is very good and complex, I would rate it with 86 points.

Nose: orange peels, anise, plants/herbs, floral notes, citrus, star fruit, white oak, some leather, gum and smoke (in a whisky glas - don't got this aromas in my thumbler)
Taste initial: anise, orange peels, tannins, wood, star fruit, citrus
Middle: orange, orange peels, spice, herbs, bitter plants, medicine, anise
Finish (long): citrus, oak, some earth, melon and star fruit (some other tropical fruits also), some smoke and medicine - astringent mouth feel, anise
Aftertaste: star fruit, orange (beatiful fruity) and floral aftertaste, leather, peppermint, anise - very tasty

Sweetness: 1.5/5
Spice: 3/5
Fruits: 2.5/5
Mildness: 3/5
Intensity: 4/5
Complexity: 4/5
Value (58€): 4/5

Wonderful nose, with some Jamaican funk. Drier than you might expect, due to no added sugar!! (Yes, a Plantation rum with no added sugar!) It is a delight. Immediately recognizable, tastes like a Clarendon rum. For 49.5% it's very smooth. A drop or two of water, or maybe an ice cube would be nice, but I left it neat.

Opäť krásna fľaša a krabica. Jamajské rumy mi veľmi nejdú, ale toto je taká umiernenejšia Jamajka. Vo vôni cítiť estery, prezreté ovocie a jemne niečo technické. V chuti sa pridáva aj dub a trochu dymu. Najprv chuti dosť sladko no postupne prechádza až do suchého finišu.

The sweetness mixed with an oak flavor that isn't overpowered makes this my top sipping rum for now. Very smooth. The Ferrand cask finish coupled with the 16 year bourbon cask age does wonders.

Very good, but not great. I compared it next to Four Square 2004, 59%, Four Square is the winner. Nice flavors, lots of variety, just bit too much of an alcohol overtone, even in the tiniest of sips.

16 years in 200L Bourbon casks and 1 year in 350L Ferrand casks，Esters : 422 g/hL AA
High esters, great Jamaican classic taste. Fruity, spice and certain herbal flavors are relatively strong.

The nose of this rum is very harsh but after some time, mellows out. The palate is completely different from the nose with much deeper flavor and aftertaste.

taste - 9/10
smell - 9/10
sweetness - 6/10
price/value rating - 7.5/10

I'll admit straightaway, I'm coming from the Mai Tai enthusiast corner, I'm not much into drinking this neat. That said, I'd bet this rum comes very close to the original Wray&Nephew 17-years. It has a surprisingly golden colour; well, actually going into a copper direction, just like the Wray&Nephew 17. It has a rich, pungent flavour particular to Jamaican rum - and I would add that the aroma is also rich and pungent. And the finish is nutty and snappy as it should be.
But of course I also had a few straight sips of this rum. It's not dissimilar to the Plantation Jamaica 2005. But the few additional years of aging are appreciable. The aroma is darker, oakier and spicier. The taste is a little tannic, but still on the agreeable side. And it's dry, because they didn't add any sugar this time. In the nose this rum has a lot of fruit, but when going closer to the glass, you also perceive a stingy quality. Finally, the emptied glass reminds me of oriental spices.
Well, just for the sake of the aroma, I personally prefer younger, less aged Wedderburns. But to emulate Trader Vic's original Mai Tai, this is excellent. It has been aged for 17 years BTW. 16 years on Jamaica + 1 year in France = 17 years.