Notes: This is an interesting rum both in origin and in taste.There is a big push for the last few years of trying to set a geographical limit on “Rum” in a number of ways, from where it is made and aged seems to be the hottest one of late, but a geographic restriction debate has been simmering for years. This particular is to delimit the area that a rum could be produced to the Carribean Basin. Areas such as Fiji, India South America , Hawaii, all of which sugar cane is grown, would be forced to call their rums something else. I can somewhat agree that maybe a molasses based product mad in New England or wherever might be a bit out of bounds, but this all comes down to hairsplitting IMHO, where does one draw any logical lines ? Luckily for us Fiji can still ( rightly as a grower of cane at least ) still call their rum, rum.

This rum is made from the local sugar cane molasses from cane grown in the rocky volcanic soil of the Fiji Islands and some of the purest water in the world. Hand harvested sugar cane is processed into local molasses and fermented for 4 or 5 days till it reaches the appropriate alcohol and Brix levels. Being a very tropical environment it does not take long and a longer ferment can also cause off notes to develop due to bacterial sources getting a foothold in sweet fermenting solutions.

The rum is distilled in an either a pot of column still then blend to profile and put in ex Bourbon casks. It is aged for an unspecified time ( g6 months to 2 years – tricky with tropical aging to tack down a better guess) , then shipped to Cognac, France to undergo further aging. A slight amount of dosage is added to sweeten it (17 grams- about 1/2 an ounce or two teaspoons per liter) and a extremelyy small amount of caramel (between 0 and .1 0f 1% ) is used to adjust color for uniformity depending on the color extraction/influence of the barrels prior aging as this can vary. In plain English this is about as light as hand as you can find for such things in the rum trade.

Appearance: Clear and somewhat darker in color showing more age and influence from the barrels more so than some of their other expressions of rum. Nice darker tan color to it showing its age well!

First Impression: Nicely aromatic ester notes followed on with a unique spicieness that is redolent of mace ( the spice not the crowd control agent), with a nice somewhat floral bouquet

Taste: Delicious relatively light start, a spicy, slightly viscous entry, that role over the tongue nicely.  Spicy in a nutmeg, Vietnamese cinnamon and macadamia nut kind of notes, along with a intertwined slightly alkali ( think cocoa) and mineralality  adding some backbone and structure for the sweetness and slight fruitiness, balanced with a touch of cane grassiness that is a distinct hallmark of rum versus a grain spirit.

Drinks: Works well in a more delicate , floral sort of tiki drink, not one of those blow to the face kind of tiki drinks.Also works well in a Rum Sidecar variation, Alexandre and similar cocktails. A very versatile rum at the more floral and lighter end of the rum spectrum.

Bottle: As one of the Planteray Signature blend series this bottle is similar to its other cohorts of that line
Bell shaped clear glass with Ratafia net.Scalloped edge label with attractive graphics and artwork. Quite colorful drawings with tropical flowers, plants and an Iguana. Fair amount of information on back label but a challenge for anyone over 30 years old to read. Composite cork closure with flat black neck capsule and gold/bronze band with the Iguana in profile  graphic.
Overall an attractive and eye-catching package.

Other: This rum is part of the Planteray lines of rum  (Original Dark,  Overproof 63%, the Overproof 69% O.F.T.D, XO 2oth Anniversary,  Mauritius 2013,  Sealander, Barbados 5 Year Old, Belize 2008, Cut and Dry Coconut Rum, Stiggins Fancy Pineapple Rum Original 1824 Recipe, Canerock Spiced Rum, Planteray 3 Stars White Rum, the Monymusk White Overproof Jamaica Rum, Xamaca Special Dry Jamaica Rum , and this, the Isle of Fiji, among  others  by the cognac house of Pierre Ferrand. This is part of a rebranding of the rum lines for the Pierre Ferrand Cognac house, which has also produced the Mathilde Liqueurs such as the Peach which we reviewed earlier, along with a Pear, Black Currant, Raspberry, and Orange XO. Their products also include Citadelle Gin, Citadelle Reserve Gin, Citadelle Rouge Gin, Citadelle Jardin D Été Gin, Citadelle Vive Le Cornichon Gin, Citadelle Vodka, Magellan Gin, and a host of other spirits. Alexandre Gabriel  the head of Pierre Ferrand is constantly blending and experimenting with new products as both an enthusiasm/hobby and also to develop new products. I highly recommend visiting the distillery  if you get a chance – it is a delight to both the eye and the palette.

Final Thoughts: A interesting and exotic rum that reflects itself in its terroir , being a floral and spicy rum with definite volcanic minerality notes. A well balanced and complex rum.

Website: www.planterayrum/product

Overall an excellent website if a bit light on some information. The Specifications sheets are useful links on the individual rum pages but overall just as not derailed as some other rum websites we have seen. Good general information but the search functions and trying to find which category a particular rum comes under can be frustrating !