Ferrand Plantation O.F.T.D. Rum, 70 cl

Product Information

The Fat Rum Pirate does a fantastic job summing up this rum as a mixing rum and giving some history Overproof spirits are undoubtedly hot, and Plantation O.F.T.D Rum is no exception. You would be advised to keep this away from your nose and avoid holding it for too long on your tongue on diluted – lest you enjoy the burning sensation. However, if you’re careful you can find a rather beautiful rum hiding behind the heat. This brand is essentially Plantation’s slightly more approachable (but unsweetened) take on the higher-ester, funkier Jamaican rum that is so beloved by the rum community, and increasingly being discovered by the average consumer. This is a 100% pot still blend of rums from Jamaica’s Clarendon and Long Pond distilleries, coming from John Dore and Vendome pot stills, lightly aged for 1-3 years tropically and then married for 1 years in France in Ferrand casks previously used to mature cognac. In this way, Plantation puts their signature spin on this Jamaican rum, although in this case there’s no dosage, which is what makes this one “special dry.” Fans of Jamaican “funk” should know that this one is modestly estery, at 156 g/hL AA.

Essentially the extra-aged version of the company’s flagship Barbados 5 Year Rum, Plantation XO was unsurprisingly created for the brand’s 20th anniversary, but is a regular part of the rotation and the most “premium” of the standard Plantation brands. This one is significantly older on average, being a blend of column and pot still Barbados rums aged tropically for 8-15 years, before spending at least 2 and as many as 10 years in secondary maturation in France before final blending. Plantation notes that the French aging takes place in “many different types of casks, ranging from new white oak to bourbon casks, as well as Ferrand casks, each with different level of toasting.” Complexity is no doubt what they’re shooting for, though one wishes that such a product would have been released at a strength above 80 proof. This one also has moderate dosage. Alongside the sweetness you get a good dose of Jamaican funk. Slightly rough and ready adding a good layer of complexity. Coffee and cocoa are also present. It reminds me in many ways of both Myers’s and Wood’s 100. Transformácia cukru na alkohol je vyvolaná pôsobením kvasiniek. Fermentácia môže trvať od niekoľkých hodín (v prípade ľahkých rumov) po niekoľko dní (v prípade zložitejších rumov) až po niekoľko týždňov.This is a dark rum. Deep, deep toffee amber. Nothing light about this. Of course the O.F.T.D. stands for "old fashioned traditional dark". Definitely a dark rum. No doubt about it.

Fast forward nearly two years to the very same room where the group had deliberated that December. Mrs. Wonk and I are preparing to run the gauntlet, tasting all nine high-proof rums. Several are ultra-high ester rums, doubling down on their palate-destroying power. To anybody but a hardcore rum geek, this might seem terrifying. For me, these are the sort of moments that make rum writing worth all the effort. Alexandre Gabriel : “At Maison Ferrand, I often feel that we are a team of misfits having fun. With the O.F.T.D. band of rum geeks, I felt at home. I will never forget the special moments we had creating this rum: the secret meeting at Arnaud’s, the week in Cognac, the many samples tasted and the discussions about the true nature of overproof rum spoken with the same gravitas and intensity of statesmen discussing peace treaties. And all the time we were having a ball! These special moments of communion with a talented and passionate team are the reason I love my job. Echoing the “no dosage” message is Martin Cate, who’s measured the actual ABV with his fancy Anton Parr hydrometer. His measured ABV is effectively identical to the labeled ABV, which is generally taken to mean that there’s essentially no sugar present, assuming the label ABV is accurate. This rum comes in at 69% ABV which, in my opinion is too strong to consume neat. My previous experience with overproof rums had been limited to Lemon Hart 151 rum (75% ABV) which I really enjoyed when blended in equal parts with a 40% dry rum (Newfoundland Screech), diluting the concoction to a robust (57.5% ABV) but enjoyable and flavourful blend.The nose is surprisingly sweet. I would suggest the Demerara element of the blend is providing much of that. High ABV youthful Demerara can be very sweet smelling, even without any added sugar. It’s a sweet yet almost bitter, molasses heavy nose. Fruity notes such as Damson Jam and some Banana coming in from the Jamaican element.