Plantation XO 20th Anniversary

Τι να πρωτοπεί κανείς γι αυτό το αριστούργημα που θα το παρομοίαζα με "έργο τέχνης" (Υπερβολή) !!!!! Δε νομίζω ότι θα ήθελα να μπω σε διαδικασία ανάλυσης αρωμάτων, γευσης και επίγευσης !!!!!! Ειλικρινά, δεν υπάρχει λόγος να γράψεις γι αυτό το ρούμι !!!!!! Απλά, ΠΡΕΠΕΙ να το δοκιμάσεις !!!!
Επίσης θα πρέπει να αναφερθεί η πολύ καλή σχέση ποιότητας τιμής ....10 σε όλα

Thanks to all of my fellow reviewers at Rum Ratings for leading me to this one!

I would compare this incredible rum to some very good progressive rock whereby one hears a little something different with each listening. The flavors change on this fine rum with almost every sip. There is no alcohol burn. It reminds me of a fine cognac, which is to be expected since it underwent final aging in Cognac France. This rum is truly a work of art. Sipping it neat is fantastic. Adding an ice cube brings out even more of the flavors. At $42 per bottle where I live and being readily available, it will be easy to find more when this bottle finally runs out.

After opening it up and testing that first pour, the next thing one should do is take a knife and cut off that stupid straw net surrounding the bottle. I know that it is a major feature of fine Plantation rums, but it really uglifies this gorgeous bottle. And for anyone who attempts to use this as a mixer, call out the pirates to chop their hands off. Aargh!!!

Update: after sitting in the bottle for two months with only a few sips removed, it has lost much of it's original flavor. This is not supposed to happen, so I dock it one point.

Update Dec 14, 2018: I finally bought my second bottle after 11 months, specifically to test it side by side against my first and last bottle of Ron Zacapa XO. Both are very fine rums with complex flavors, but this rum is dominated by fruit flavors from the cognac barrel aging and the Zacapa XO is dominated by the multiple agings in wood barrels. I honestly could not tell which rum cost the most, and this rum is slightly less than half the price of the Zacapa XO. It was also good to see that the price is still $42 almost a year later. It is now my responsibility to consume this new bottle in less than two months now that I know it's shortcomings due to added sugar and oxidation.

Update June 19, 2022: After a very long time, I finally bought another bottle of this rum and only because it came with two exclusive glasses in a gift box at the same price. Well, those glasses are basically cordial glasses on long stems. How appropriate and so fitting!!!! As for the rum, it now has a more peppery taste akin to tequila. Plantation continues to give rums from Barbados a bad name. And after much consideration, I am left with no choice except to lower my initial rating from an 8 to a 5 on this liqueur that pretends to be a rum.

Sampled Plantation XO 20th anniversary Rum eventhough I knew it was a sweet Rum. It is definitely a nice sipping rum but it is simply too sweet for me, hence my rating of 4.

Ein ganz grosser aus dem Hause Ferrand
Mann kann Stunden an Ihm riechen
Herrlich im Gaumen, Marzipan, Trockenfrüchte, Karamell
Wunderbar im Abgang, seeeehr lang !
Ein Plantation halt

A very big one from Ferrand
You can smell hours of him
Gentle on the palate, marzipan, dried fruits, caramel
Wonderful in the finish, very long!
It's a plantation

C est un rhum vraiment très bon. Il est dans mes préférés.

This far, this rum is simply the BEST! At it's price point, presentation, color, nose, smoothness... It stands as a legitimate contender as among the best money can buy! This is a pure sipping rum that you should not dare water down. Maybe one ice cube just for temperature sake (I like my spirits on the cooler side). Creamy, vanilla, honey, nuts, fruit, it is all there. And just epic smooth!

Sugar: 24 gpl. This was one of my favorite sipping rums when I first started out on my rum voyage. It lights up your mouth and has a long, long finish. You can taste the coconut and a bit of orange like in Gran Marnier, and coming through it all is a fragrant and smooth rum. 4 years later and it's gone from a 9 to an 8. It's still a good rum but I have found so many better ones.

Plantation 20th Anniversary je namíchán z nejstarších rumů společnosti, zraje nejprve v Karibiku v sudech po bourbonu, poté jsou převezeny do Francie kde zrají dalších 12-18 měsíců.
Alkohol: 40 %
Původ: Barbados
Aroma: Hodně uhlazená vůně. Vanilka, snad i pomeranče (až mi místy připomíná Pyrat XO reserve), lehce kůže a hlavně kokos. (85 b)
Chuť: Nádherně jemná, mírně sladká chuť, kde se postupně vynořuje kokos a koření. (91 b)
Body: 88
Shrnutí: Jeden z těch rumů, které by jste neměli minout.

The first smell was amazing, sweet with molasses and brown sugar. The taste is similar, with a great drawn out and slightly spicy initial punch turning into a long sweet finish that's just the right amount of oil.

A very well-known and commercially successful rum. This rum has often been misinterpreted because of its age. It is not a 20-year-old rum, but a rum created for the 20th anniversary of Alexander Gabriel's position as master blender.
This is a blend of rums that have been aged for 8-15 years in bourbon barrels in Barbados and then 2-10 years in various types of barrels in France.

Bottle: Nice conical shape with typical grass "ála Plantation"
Colour: Darker honey-amber

Nose: A little weaker (perhaps due to the fact that we have been tasting from a long open bottle). I smelled mainly vanilla, caramel and plums.
Taste: Rather sweet and weak (again, the long-opened bottle may be the reason). On the palate, I tasted mainly vanilla, sweet cherries and some woody notes.

Conclusion: I found this to be such an ordinary rum for the general masses. I was not impressed at all.

Rating: 6,5/10