Plantation Rum Peru 2004

Putting Central American rum on the map! The 2004 Plantation Peru Rum by Pierre Ferrand  

Although Peru is the lesser-known country for rum production, this 2004 vintage will surely give you food for thought when it comes to Central American producers, delivering an exciting flavorsome feast of fruits and spices. Distilled in the Chicama Valley, a dry region on the northern coast of Peru, this stunning rum has been left to age for 12 years in the region before maturing in France for 2-5 years. Sampling this Peruvian product is truly a unique experience, with a flavor profile that includes ripe figs and mango, followed by the nutty and spicy tones of almond and white pepper, rounded off with the buttery notes of rich pastry.  

Produced using molasses rather than traditional “cane wine”, this traditional distilling process offers a depth of flavor that is rarely seen amongst modern agricultural rums that are popular today. Because of the country’s hot and humid climate, the rum has been aged for 12 years on site in American oak Bourbon barrels, before being transferred to European soil to age for a further 2-3 years in Ferrand Cognac casks.  If left for too long on this tropical island, the Angels’ share becomes too large, so ageing a rum for this long is a particularly difficult task and is rarely left for such a long time. Transferring the rum to age in Ferrand casks not only protects the resulting volume of alcohol produced, but also adds a particularly smoky character and creates alternative flavor profiles within the rum itself.  

An explosion of flavors present on the nose with an initial hit of ripe figs, followed by powerful licorice and molasses. On the second nose, the rum takes on a more eccentric character, with aromas of banana and almond and buttery, woody, minty and even smoky hints! Sampling this rum is a delight with its rich and woody flavors (probably thanks to its ageing process in a drier, valley region), flavors of cooked apple, tropical mango and lemon are followed by hints of white pepper, vanilla and nutmeg. An explosion of flavors that puts Peru on the map amongst the more well known Caribbean island distillers.  

Awards:  

China Wine & Spirits Awards 2019, Gold Medal, China

Rum XP Miami 2018, Gold Medal, US

IWSC 2019, Gold Outstanding, Rum Category Winner, UK  

Presentation of the Bottle:

A celebration of Peru with the island’s name delicately descending the bottle’s elegant, long neck. The two barrels on the bottle's label are a cheeky nod to the two-step ageing process that gives the rum is complex depth of flavors. The bottle is embossed with a llama, the symbol of the Incas and an essential part of Peruvian culture.