It’s been hard to hear through the noise of new gin products landing on shelves and clattering into shopping baskets in recent times. But whether you’re a gin fan or not what it does seem to have heralded is a new level of awareness in the UK of the range of spirits available; of ‘small batch’ and ‘pot still’, and the choice of flavours in your drink. And perhaps an interest in choosing your favourite tipple in a way that previously many reserved only for their choice of wine.
We’ll ha
ve a post at some point about gin. But this one’s about something entirely different. Something that’s recently snuck onto a very select number of retail shelves out of sight of the gin rush.
Plantation Pineapple Rum.
Plantation, as a brand, evolved from a diversification of one of the big Cognac producers. They’ve brought detailed ageing techniques to their rum production and the whole range is excellent. At the bottom end their Plantation 3 star white rum is regularly rated as one of the best white rums available. And they produce a fascinating range of vintage and signature rums, emphasising the differences between rum producing regions.
Their pineapple rum was originally produced as a very limited edition for industry insiders. Then they released a thousand bottles, 600 for retail and the others for a select group of bars. And with the help of my great friend Nic, I’ve managed to track down 4 of them!
Its concept derives from the favourite drink of Reverand Stiggins in Dickens’ Pickwick Papers. And the beautiful bottle tells the story.
And it’s a fantastic drink.
It’s not what some might expect. It’s natural to assume it would be something like a liqueur with quite a sweet taste but it’s a lot cleverer than that. It’s made from a mixture of two different infusions. The pineapple rinds in their 3 star white rum and the fruit in the dark variety. The two are aged and then distilled together. The end result is a a smooth rum with a citrus pineapple hit on the nose, and a great pineapple aftertaste. It’s excellent straight, smooth with a little sweetness that makes it great for sipping without any harsh heat. And on the rocks as the ice dilutes it freshens up a bit. And it makes for an exceptional rum Old Fashioned, stirred with a dash of bitters and just a tiny splash of sugar syrup.
And very nice last week with a little ginger beer, lime juice and a splash of syrup.
If you see it I strongly recommend you try a bottle. Selected M&S stores have an odd bottle (£33) still available having nabbed the UK’s supply of 600 bottles back in May. Otherwise, I’ve got a couple of bottles left and waiting at the bar!
edit: in fact I’ve just found a supplier on Amazon. Sadly £43 including p&p but if you fancy a bottle … click here