Plantation One-Time Limited 20 2013

Plantation One-Time Limited 20 2013 is a Barbados rum from Maison Ferrand, the French house behind the Plantation range. Ferrand double ages its rums and openly uses dosage, so even at cask strength this sits in a softer, sweeter, more accessible idiom than the island's strictly dry producers.

Built on pot and column still molasses rum, matured in ex-bourbon oak and bottled at 50.2%, it shows coconut, vanilla, caramel and gentle oak spice on a sweet, rounded frame, with a warm, spicy, lightly chocolatey finish. The dosage keeps it smooth and easy drinking even though the strength is well above the standard range. It makes a friendly stepping stone for anyone exploring stronger Barbados rum from a sweeter starting point, best enjoyed as a relaxed sipper, neat or over a single cube.