I really like the O.F.T.D. in rum and cola’s. It is similar in many ways to Pusser’s. It’s quite sweet but at the same time has quite a lot of “oommph” to it. Which I think is what you want in a rum and cola – especially on a cold night. With the advent or more advanced laboratory techniques, it’s possible to measure the concentration of other volatile elements in addition to Ethyl Acetate, such as higher alcohols like propan-1-ol, butan-1-ol and butan-2-ol. This provides a more comprehensive reading of how much flavor adding components are within the rum. If you really want to geek out on exactly what these are, read this, although it’s far from light reading. Fun fact: The Martinique AOC actually specifies minimal volatile element levels.

Whether you enjoy sipping on an overproof rum, dilute it with water or another rum, this is definitely worth trying. So what has all the fuss been about? Well firstly I don’t think the intention of this rum was ever as a sipper. I’ve no idea how old the blend in this rum is but I’d be very surprised if overall the blend is over 5 years old. As is expected of Plantation rums this is presented beautifully. It has been given a more distinctive appearance than the standard island bottlings from the normal Plantation range. Unlike most Plantation rums there is no added sugar. Plantation O.F.T.D. Rum is our take on that classic style of overproof rums. And not just ours: to join him on the quest to get the blend and the proof just right, Alexandre Gabriel scoured rum joints around the world to find six grizzled old salts who knew which end of a rum bottle was which.

The rum seems to be a replcacement for the brands older Original Dark Overproof rum. This means that both the Overproof and standard proof Original Dark rum have been given an overhaul. Both rums were originally made up of rum from Trinidad. I personally didn’t care much for either and went as far as suggesting the standard Original Dark was no better than supermarket rum such as Tesco’s Dark Rum – which is also a Trinidad “blend”. As a result neither rum scored particularly highly. Which could perhaps be construed as a criticism. It isn’t. I have argued on numerous occassions about rums being viewed as sipping rums and mixing rums. Many feel that a “mixing” rum is an inferior product. It’s not I genuinely believe that some younger rums such as Myers’s, Woods 100 and Appleton’s Signature Blend (V/X) simply work much better as mixers than they do sippers. I do not think this makes them bad in anyway and it is not a slight against them. Prvá písomná zmienka o existencii rumu pochádza z ostrova Barbados v roku 1647, je však isté, že výroba rumu sa odohrávala na ostrove od začiatku 17. storočia. Vo Francúzsku prichádza uvedenie rumu neskôr a to v roku 1694. Rum sa v tom čase považoval za liek. Priemerná kvalita a lacná produkcia znamenali, že rum sa prvotne konzumoval medzi otrokmi na plantáží (brandy a sherry sa považovali za príliš drahé, takže tie boli vyhradené pre osadníkov). Rum sa tiež stáva nápojom námorníkov a pirátov. Skutočný pokrok v destilačných technikách ešte neprišiel a dovtedy rum zostával len pre miestnych. Začiatkom osemnásteho storočia sa však rum šíri cez oceán do Európy a Severnej Ameriky. Rumové odrody O.F.T.D. Rum is Plantations take on the classic style of overproof rums. Alexandre Gabriel scoured rum joints around the world to find six grizzled old salts who knew which end of a rum bottle was which.

Maison Ferrand Owner and Master Distiller, Alexandre Gabriel works closely with distilleries across the Caribbean and America's crafting rums, they are left to age in warm Caribbean cellars for the initial part of their life. During the secondary process, the rums are exported to Cognac where they undergo a series of age old Cognac making techniques. This centuries old application is known by the French as 'elevage' and the process used is unique to Plantation. Vibrant, full flavoured Caribbean rums, finished with French finesse. Nose: Coffee and orange – dark spice blend can’t tell if it’s cinnamon, all-spice, cloves – Not quite molasses but a darkened caramel. A candied pecan nuttiness, but not sweet.

On the nose of this one there’s plenty of brown sugar and some grilled pineapple, although it’s not particularly punchy—I genuinely think that if you gave this to someone blind and told them that it was simply “aged rum,” they wouldn’t suspect that there had been actual pineapple involved. On the palate I’m getting some roasted cane flavor, and a bit of that “raw” booze I was tasting in the Original Dark, paired with citrus, green apple and a puff of smoke. It honestly seems like a moderately aged rum that could be used in practically any application, rather than doubling down on drinks that already call for pineapple elements. 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. On the palate, oh yes, the 69% is an excellent flavor carrier, fiery caramel, fiery vanilla, fiery chocolate, fiery fruits. Very powerful yet pleasant. Ester levels” and “volatile elements” are both crude measurement of the intensity of a rum’s flavor. They are not the same however. Traditionally, Jamaican rums cite ester levels, which are a measurement of just the esters without regards to other volatile elements. For the most part, this means measuring Ethyl Acetate. This particular compound is usually found in much higher quantity than other esters. (You can learn more about esters and flavor here. Cask type/Age: ex-Bourbon, ex-Cognac casks, 2008 distillation. 7 years in ex-bourbon, then 1.5 years minimum in ex-cognac casks

The label tasting notes say: “It bursts with caramel cream, chocolate, and vanilla notes. It continues on with cinnamon, raisins, nutmeg, oak, and molasses with smoky accents.” Taste: Orange and allspice, clove and baking spices. Coffee hints as well. The finish is powerful – but there’s a lingering aftertaste of toasted dark brown sugar and orange. Like a hint of orange.Cukrová trstina sa zberá ručne alebo strojom a potom sa, čo najskôr rozreže, rozdrví, aby sa minimalizovala degradácia cukrov obsiahnutých v trstine. Po rozomletí trstiny sa šťava extrahuje a pripravuje na kvasenie, výsledkom procesu premeny cukru na alkohol je vzniknutý kvas. Tento kvas sa následne niekoľkokrát zahrieva, aby sa extrahoval rovnaký podiel cukru a melasy pre tradičný rum. Fermentácia Plantation OFTD Artisanal Rum je rum vytvorený samotným Alexandrom Gabrielom, zakladateľom a vlastníkom značky Ferrand Cognac , Plantation Rum a Citadelle Gin.