Plantation Xaymaca Special Dry

Rating: 15/23 I'd been interested in this because it sounded interesting and had incited some controversy. Also, Plantation has a solid track record. Then this won best rum in the world at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Now, I put very little credence in these spirit tasting competitions because I myself have tried sipping and spitting numerous spirits in one day and it very quickly burned out my palate. Also, Jim Beam Black won the International World Spirits Competition a couple years ago. While Beam Black is a fine bourbon, it is far from the best in the world and I can think of numerous that blow it out of the water (RR SiB, Joseph Magnus, WT MK Revival, RR 10, Eagle Rare, Dickel BiB, WT RB, 1792 Full Proof, GTS, Belle Meade Cask Strength, Weller 12, WLW, McKenna 10, Corsair Grainiac, Booker's, Blanton's, Elijah Craig, E. H. Taylor, ...). Oh, but I was supposed to be tasting Plantation Xaymaca? Right. N: It's kind of brash with a lot going on. Young, but not in a way that is necessarily bad. Fireworks, lots of tropical fruit (pineapple, banana, mango, orange, hints of lime, maybe passionfruit?), wood (young and old), some vague baking spices that I'm having trouble capturing - probably largely allspice. I eventually get some vanilla in a floral waft that the fruit overpowers most of the time. It smells tart in a way that is young but also balances out all of the fruit. There is sort of a mild toffee richness. I can tell that there's other stuff going on here, but that's all I can get right now. Just take this away: young and brash, with fantastic tropical rum complexity. P: The youth and alcohol are certainly present. Fireworks, of course, but they aren't the most dominant flavor. I get a light caramel, but it blends right into the juicy fruits, which bring in vanilla and gradually meld into wood and even a hint of bittersweet African chocolate. There are some bitter herbal and lightly minty qualities as well and some richer sugary quality like molasses perhaps does eventually come out. This is just full of flavor, a true contrarian to the standard Jamaican formula set by Appleton Estate. The tartness exacerbates the youth a bit. Arguably, it makes this a great palate for a mixed drink though since it's so brash and flavorful. F: More fruit continues coming out. The fireworks are there. Yeah, it's quite similar to the palate. I initially thought that this was just brash but interesting. It's grown on me though. I really enjoy drinking this rum. It's just so full of life and flavor. Like with tequila, sometimes a young spirit is great. Still, although it might be a step in the wrong direction, I'd be interested to try this aged a bit longer. I think Plantation has done a great job balancing out a large number of flavors that are very opinionated and should be at odds. It's a tad harsh, but worth it. It's a great choice if you've been drinking bourbon since it has such a strong flavor, so it holds up well. This is really good. It's up there with Appleton Estate 12 and Doorly's 12. I'd probably put it above Appleton Estate, but below Doorly's. This is one that I'll be keeping stocked going forward.

Rating: 14/23 N: Vibrant funk, sweet fruit, wow! It doesn't smell mature, but it smells vivacious! There's a bit of wood leading into fireworks and burnt sugar, but the fruit is what really stands out. There's lots of orange, banana, mango, passionfruit, pineapple. It's definitely edgy, but the smells all fit together. P: The flavors mix together more on the palate than they do on the nose, bringing out more richness. The fruit flavors are all still there and so is the caramel and kind of funk. There are even faint hints of garlic and soy sauce. It's good, but the youth does show itself a bit at times with fresh vegetal flavors and a clean creek water presence. Still, it's a very good palate. It makes me think a bit of a youthful version of Plantation Trinidad. F: There's a youthful sharpness here that stays. I wouldn't call it harsh, but it definitely highlights the youth. There's lots of tropical fruit still, along with that interesting garlic soy sauce flavor. It's a bit more muddled and youthful and less interesting than the palate, but it's still solid. This is very good, especially at the price. I'm happy sipping this, but I wouldn't be afraid to throw it in a light cocktail either. It's sort of the opposite of Appleton Estate 12, but I think I generally like this approach better. The two are similar in quality. During the summer, I'd give the win to the Plantation with its refreshing vivacity; during the winter, I'd give it to Appleton with its warm richness and maturity. Doorly's 12 is better than either though. This seems like a 14 to 15 - essentially on par with Appleton Estate 12, but for a very different reason. The Appleton has a refined maturity that contrasts greatly with the Plantation's youthful funk. For the money, I'd definitely go for this, but overall it's a much tougher question. I was about to give this a 14, but the last sip I took convinced me to up it to a 15, but then the finish changed my mind again. So it's a 14, but very borderline.

As I tumble further down the rum rabbit hole, I’ve been studying the different styles of rum. So far most of my experience has been with Barbados rum, which I find excellent and appreciate Foursquare’s commitment to “authentic” rum, with no sugar or additives, and Demerara rum, the likes of Eldorado (excellent but you need a sweet tooth). I’ve been less enthused by some “premium” rums, which have flashy marketing and lots of added sugar (think Diplomatico). Plantation falls somewhere in the middle of that spectrum for me. I enjoyed their Fiji expression last year for its combination of fruitiness and diesel fuel, and the 3 Star is my go-to workhorse rum mixer. I’ve been interested in the so-called Jamaican rum funk, and decided to try this bottle at a $17 sale price before investing in a more boutique bottling from Worthy Park or Hampden Estate. The nose on this is identical to the Fiji expression, which leads me to believe it must be more influence from the Ferrand Cognac casks than the rum itself. It’s quite fruity and buttery, and leads me to think I should invest in a bottle of Ferrand Cognac. The taste is quite a bit more subdued. I’ll be honest, I expected more. It’s lovely and easy to drink, mind you, but it seems a little flat compared to the nose. I get banana, papaya, mango, grape must, coconut, and the slightest bit of hogo. Quite pleasant, but I was hoping for a bit more of a wow factor. That said, this can be a versatile spirit, for neat pours, rocks, or to mix in my ubiquitous summer rum drinks. I’ll enjoy this bottle, and I look forward to future exploration of the Jamaican rum category. Cheers!

COLOUR: Deep copper. LEGS: Thick, watery, messy clothesline; no real legs developed, but there was a loose and general moistening of the glass; it looked very thick on the glass. NOSE: Powerful (4/5), deep & rich; funky; mildly sweet; dusty herbal; over-ripe tropical fruits; caramel; fried banana; hint of lime. WITH WATER (5 drops into 15mL): funk reduces; smoke rises; very interesting change! Score 8/10 TASTE: Powerful (5/5); thick & oily; dripping tropical fruits; nutty & oaky; mild sweetness; tingling burn on front of tongue; funky; drying. WITH WATER: sweeter & gentler; the fruit gets a little less over-ripe. Score: 9/10 FINISH: Medium to long; sweet fresh fruit; satisfying burn and warmth; very drying. WITH WATER: similar, but perhaps a bit less drying initially. Score 9/10 OVERALL: A very nice, robust, and funky, naturally made old-fashioned Jamaican rum; delicious; very dry and nowhere near the cloying sweetness of most rums; worth repeating. Weighted Score 8.7/10 IMAGERY: I am James Bond between assignments, relaxing by the pool with my brown-eyed girl. "Oh yesh, make it a double!"

My first foray into Jamaican rum, after hearing so much about how unique it is. Aged in the Caribbean for years and finished for another entire year in Ferrand cognac casks, bottled at 86 proof. A lot of craft bourbons would ask $60-80 to deliver those stats - but this bottle was $19 out the door, on sale. It pays to diversify your palate. The pour delivers on the promise of unique tastes. Vanilla, banana, and a salty funk hit the nose, with no significant ethanol contribution. The hogo is so hard to describe - and combined with the smoke it could be compared on a first glance to peat notes. But the finish is so different than peat - it swings sweet and so fruity. No significant oak or wood characteristics, but that’s not surprising for the age. It’s difficult to tell if the fruit notes, banana, grape, strawberry jam, come from the rum or the cognac finish. But to be honest I don’t care - this is an excellent bottle, and a killer value for any bourbon drinker that is a little bored and looking for a drastic change in profile.

I am a whiskey mainly bourbon drinker, but my friend highly suggested that I try some rums because apparently they are good and way cheaper than the whiskey we drink. So tried Plantation 5 Year Old Barbados Rum, it actually was not bad and somewhat pleasant so figured I give Xaymaca Special Dry a try... worst pour I ever had... never in my life have I trown away boose but this I couldn't finish a drink.. the nose ..like dirty socks, wet dirt and rotting fruits.. palate ..wierd unpleasant mainly because of the nose so you have this idea already.. finish is terrible with all those "funky" flavors and scents mixes w light heat.. I never add juice or soda to my alcohol only on the side if needed but this Xaymaca Special Dry garbage should only be drank mixed with a tone of powerful soda like dr pepper maybe? Something to cover the smell and taste but I am not going to buy another bottle to find out. Worst experience ever.