Plantation Extreme No. 5

glad to have tasted this 🦄. From memory, I would say the RA 1986 WIRD was even more on honey and smoky notes. The Plantation has a broader fruit palette to offer, with mango, papaya and green tea. Distilled exclusively on the Gregg farm, it is idle to argue whether this makes it a 'real' Rockley....

According to Alexandre Gabriel, the 1986 definitely does not come from the same still as the 2000 Vulcan Still Rum. Nevertheless, it combines a this herbal component, which is otherwise so rare in Barbados rum. It's my first 1986 Rockley Style, but I can already see why the profile has its fans. In fact, I've never detected such harmonious honey in a rum. Behind the honey there is vanilla and saffron, a hint of tea and lush tropical fruit. In the mouth there is honey again, surprisingly intense esters that bring a lot of tart tropical fruit. A herbaceousness with tobacco, saffron and tea lingers here as well.The finish is much longer and more intense than the 2000The 2000 more exciting, but the 1986 more complete

Amazingly fruity nose for such old rum, the damp forest floor blends into a tea plantation. Mango and cigar cavort in the mouth. Then comes a honeyed bread with an indescribably velvety finish.

Compared to the RA, SS and Nobilis, the Plantation is a bit different - probably due to the cognac finish. Nevertheless, it has the typical, fantastic Rockley DNA. Alcohol is very well integrated with a long complex finish.

The experience on the palate is wonderful. Like a surf wave that first rolls back to be all the more powerful with the next wave. It really does take 2-3 seconds as if the flavors need to gather but then there's no stopping it and the rum is there with all its presence! The finish is medium long and the great flavors fade out relatively quickly.Many thanks to the Rum Depot and Dirk Becker for this unique opportunity and the decision to sampled the only bottle!

Cracking on with the next 3 of my present. I had to rest this rum for 30 minutes before it really opened up and the ABV subsided. Fruity with roasted wood and intense on the palate. The oily feel on the palate can also be seen as nice long lasting curtains in the glass.

This rum is already very special! An interplay of flavors, I had so, for a long time no longer in the glass! I like but quite good! Positive I found especially that at this age the barrel impact is very low! The opinion of Lukas I can only join .

Rockley, yes - that alone speaks not only for an exceptional flavor spectrum, but also for fundamental quality. However, the present bottling remains clearly behind the very great representatives from the legendary 86th vintage, because here, unfortunately, the last balance is missing. A bit too much smoke and wood influence, which is at the expense of the fresh fruit. The bar is of course high, but for me personally far behind the top 3 from 1986 of Duncan Taylor, Silver Seal and Rum Artesanal.

Unfortunately, I can't make a comparison with the other 1986 bottlings. But I like the profile very much.