Plantation Pineapple Stiggin's Fancy

Okay...for those of you who do not know there actually was no "Rev. Stiggins". Stiggins was a fictional character from Charles Dickens' "Pickwick Papers" who was a hypocritical character in of itself. However pineapple rum apparently was a popular drink of the time especially for those fortunate enough to visit the West Indies in the 19th century. All of that, and more, is explained on the label (which has a style that harkens back to the 19th century) of this rum from C. Ferrand's Plantation brand.

Now my observations, thoughts, and opinions...

The aroma in my snifter is outstanding. A good dark rum aroma mixed with a mild pineapple. The color is a rather dark amber with a reddish tinge. The flavor is flat-out awesome. A very real pineapple flavor with a nice bit of sweetness (somewhat sugared from what I found from online sources but taste-wise it doesn't seem overly done). Nothing overpowering in the pineapple and definitely doesn't taste artificial nor cloyingly sweet like the cheap flavored rums. Even has some butteriness to it. This is the real deal. At 80 proof (40% ABV) this is clearly a real rum infused with pineapple and not a rum liqueur. It does have somewhat of a burn. I could see this being acceptable for some as a sipping rum if one is desiring a good pineapple rum. Personally I would not prefer this as a sipping rum. It does have a slight bite in the finish...perhaps just a little bitterness perhaps from any oak used to age the dark rum.

One online source imparts this information:

"After trying several varieties of pineapples, they fittingly settled on the Queen Victoria. Macerating the pineapple in Plantation Dark rum for three months imparted the flavors fully, but they did not stop there. The pineapple rinds were also macerated for three months to extract the oils. This rind-infused macerate was then re-distilled and added back to the pineapple-infused rum to add brightness and complexity."

Now that's interesting! It appears they went the extra mile to create a unique rum and they have.

This rum's greatest strengths are in mixed drinks especially fruit-based ones (pineapple daiquiri anyone???). This also works quite well, surprisingly, in Coke Zero as well. In my humble opinion, no Tiki bar worth its salt should be without a supply of this rum. If you frequent any such bar lacking Plantation's Stiggin's Fancy Pineapple infused rum, I suggest you request...no DEMAND they obtain it as soon as possible.

I really recommend this rum if you can find it.