Plantation Barbados 5-Year

This rum surprised me! Given that Mt. Gay Eclipse had long been my go-to mixing rum, I was expecting something similar. Now I understand both producers better, and these two rums embody their differences pretty well.

This particular Bajan rum is creamy and unbelievably smooth, with a strong aroma of banana accompanied by vanilla, butterscotch, and caramel. In short, it's delicious.

I have one major complaint: the sweetness. I think a big part of why this bottle is so tasty (apart from the fine raw materials and thoughtful aging) is the high sugar content; it's a bit like rum candy. For those of you who like it sweet, you've hit the jackpot! For those like me who prefer a more balanced spirit, it's a bit much. The vanilla-crème-brulee tends to dominate and can be cloying. At this price-point, however, it's hard to complain—it's more something to keep in mind when mixing and imbibing, so you craft a balanced drink and not let the sweetness trick you into forgetting the kick. And there are benefits, as well: the sugar (along with its flavor profile) makes it ideal for adding to treats like milkshakes, desserts, or coffee, and helps make it more than passable neat. Indeed, as a dessert rum I see no better value today. (For a budget sipper, RL Seale's Finest takes the top spot.)

Originally I gave this an 8 because it really is a spectacular value. But eventually I decided that all this sugar hurts more than it helps (after all, you can always add your own sweetener—but you can't take away what's already there); cutting it by a third or a half could do wonders (one would hope)... or it could reveal shortcomings with the raw material. I'd love to see it compete more with the likes of Doorly's, rather than Zaya. (And this critique applies for many of Plantation's fine offerings.)

In sum, this makes for an excellent all-around mixer, is good with desserts, and also holds up to sipping. Its sweetness and strong flavor have garnered it many fans, but I could only take so much. I highly recommended it to beginners, and wouldn't bat an eye at being served this in a drink.

7-

Ce seul nom suffit comme gage de qualité. Ça se boit tout seul

What can I say. Just another fine rum.
Don't be afraid to buy this baby, it almost always is going to work out.

Une attaque plutôt moyenne mais une longueur en bouche plutôt faiblarde. Très bien pour mixer, pas mal à sec.

For this price point what a good rum. I enjoy rum best on the rocks and is quite good. Is unlike any rum I have had from Barbado. Has a demerara quality to it and almost seems like an El Dorado light.

For a five year rum, I'm impressed by the flavor.
Best with cola

Surprisingly sweet palate entry, with molasses and hints of leather.
Becomes very sweet on the finish.

Just sugar, so sweet that even the typical Barbados taste disappears, no complexity.

This is my go-to dark rum, rivaled in terms of quality-for-value only by Haiti's Rhum Barbancourt Five-Star. Plantation 5-Year Barbados rum is a fine Bajan offering from the house of Cognac Ferrand. The rum is aged for three to four years in bourbon casks in Barbados and is then shipped to France for a period of one to two years' additional aging in casks that previously held Pierre Ferrand cognac. I don't know of any other spirits producer who goes to this amount of time and effort to produce a rum that is available at a price point of roughly $22.99 per bottle.

The nose offers hints of vanilla and caramel. The taste on the palate is smooth, but, full of molasses flavor. This is probably the best value available in a quality dark rum, this spirit excels in cocktails and makes a fantastic "Dark 'n Stormy."

This is my second review, and this is going to have to be mixed in some cola.