Review: Plantation Stiggins’ Fancy Smoky Formula Rum
When Chris reviewed Plantation’s Pineapple Rum way back in 2015 (now known as Stiggins’ Fancy Plantation Pineapple Rum), he argued that the Queen Victoria pineapple infusion of Plantation’s standard Barbados-sourced rum was a bit heavy-handed and one dimensional. Well, there’s a limited edition of this rum on shelves now. How limited? No idea. Dubbed Smoky Formula, this rum takes standard Stiggins’ and ages it for an unspecified period of time in 200 liter oak barrels that previously held Teeling Distillery’s Blackpitts, a peated Irish single malt that we quite enjoyed over at Drinkhacker HQ. Can a crowd pleasing whiskey cask improve things for Plantation’s Stiggins’ rum? Let’s find out.
The finishing appears to have been pretty brief on this one because the aroma is not exactly indicative of smoke and nothing close to peat. It’s still quite sweet with brown sugar and juicy pineapple notes, but the finishing has at least restrained some of the more saccharine elements of the original. The palate hits with a healthy, torched sugar sweetness and muddled, almost watery, pineapple notes. Despite the promise of more nuance, this one remains a one trick pony in the flavor department except for a delicate, ashy note of matchheads that flickers on the midpalate before being overwhelmed with rich Demerara syrup and more candied pineapple. A bit more nuanced than the original. But only a bit.
Still, it’s a fine mixer for your next poolside drink. And for what it’s worth, the price is pretty reasonable for both expressions.
80 proof.
B / $30 / plantationrum.com
Stiggins' Fancy Plantation Pineapple Smoky Formula
$30
