South Pacific Plantation Vintage 2009

This is a 2009 Fiji rum from the South Pacific distillery, bottled by Maison Ferrand for its Plantation range, drawn off pot and column stills from molasses. Ferrand ages tropically at origin and then, in the house style, gives the rum a second maturation in cognac casks in France, the double-ageing signature behind its smooth, fruit-and-oak profile.

Fiji rum brings a light, distinctive funk, and it shows here as a gentle ester lift over softer notes. The nose is fruity and lightly smoky with ester and wood, the palate turns woody and spiced with a touch of sweetness, and the finish carries spice, raisin and leather. It is a mild, sometimes thin profile rather than a bold one, and since Ferrand is known to use dosage on this range, it is best read as lightly rounded rather than bone dry. At 44.8% it is an easy, characterful introduction to Fiji rum for drinkers who like a softer, wallet-friendly take on Caribbean funk, neat or in simple cocktails.