Planteray 5 Year Old
Planteray 5 Year Old is blended from column and pot still rum distilled at the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados, aged first under the Caribbean sun and then shipped to France for a second spell in ex-cognac casks. Maison Ferrand runs both ends of that journey, and the French finish — barrels that previously held Pierre Ferrand cognac — is what sets the Planteray style apart from most young Bajan rum.
One housekeeping note. Planteray is the name Plantation now wears; Maison Ferrand rebranded the whole range in 2024, so if you knew this as Plantation Grande Reserve 5 Year, it is the same liquid under a new label. The double-ageing regime has not changed — bourbon-cask maturation in Barbados, then a cognac-cask finish in the Charente — and at 40% it sits at the friendly, mixable end of the shelf.
The nose leads with ripe banana and coconut, vanilla and a lick of toffee, with a dusting of cinnamon and toasted marshmallow behind. The palate is soft and lightly sweet — baked orchard fruit, more vanilla, a gentle oak-spice warmth — before a medium finish that turns faintly chocolatey. This is an easy pour rather than a demanding one, and honest about that.
Treat it as your everyday Barbados rum: happy neat over ice, but it really earns its keep behind the bar, where the cognac-cask sweetness gives an old fashioned or a daiquiri more backbone than a standard mixer.
How to Serve
Neat, over ice, or in a cocktail. A tumbler for sipping; no need for water at 40%.
Where to Drink It
Boisdale of Belgravia — a deep rum list and live jazz. Bar Lotus — for a properly built daiquiri. Scarfes Bar at the Rosewood — armchairs and a serious back bar.
Food Pairings
Grilled pineapple with lime, or a dark chocolate tart.
