Plantation 3 Stars is a white rum from the French based bottling giant Plantation . The name is coined from the 3 “stars” of the Caribbean from which the rum is obtained. Namely Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad. As with most of the Plantation rums there is no age statement.
White rum hasn’t featured a great deal on the site so far. This is something I am trying to address. Whilst white rum is often seen as mixing rum for cocktails such as the Daiquiri and the Mojito, I have noted that this and the El Dorado 3 Years Cask Aged have received favourable reviews by other reviewers.
A british retailer/supermarket Marks and Spencer have links with Cognac Ferrand (producers of the Plantation line of rums). I have reviewed a couple of Marks and Spencer rums and research confirmed that they were both sourced from Cognac Ferrand. Marks and Spencer in order to remain competitive recently began stocking brand name goods. Previously only own brand spirits were available in store. So it came as a nice surprise when I found a bottle of the Plantation 3 stars on their shelves.
The price was £21.95 for a 70cl bottle. Unusually the rum is bottled at the rather baffling 41.2% (very accurate). The presentation of the 3 star is very good. Unlike the smaller stubby bottles that house the Barbados 5 and the Guatemalan Gran Anejo the 3 Stars does not have any netting around the bottle. The bottle is taller and has Plantation in raised lettering below the label and the Plantation logo above the label. The bottled is closed with a plastic stopper with a synthetic cork. The label as can be seen from the photographs has a slightly “cock eyed” appearance and is sealed by the 3 stars sticker. Overall the presentation is very good and the label consists of a story about the rum and 3 stars of the Caribbean. It’s all very nice and is a welcome step up from most white rums on the market.
The rum is crystal clear. This would suggest that the rum is not aged for any considerable length of time. Even Havana Club’s 3 Anos has a slightly yellow tinge to it. Whilst this could be down to better filtration (or more filtering thus less flavour) I would suggest having tried the rum on more than one occasion it is due to it being aged for less than 3 years. I’ve read one review which claims they use unaged rums from Jamaica and Barbados and also 3 year old Trinidad rum and 12 year old Jamaican rum. If they do the amount of 12 year old rum in the mix must be very minimal. Another site states the rum is aged for 90 days! So who knows?
In the glass the rum looks much like Bacardi or even a vodka. The nose isn’t particularly impressive. It’s mainly a nose of strong alcohol, there is a little hint of the Jamaican rum in the blend but little else. When sipped the rum doesn’t offer much beyond the realms of many other white rums. It’s pretty harsh. Initially it sips quite well and is reasonably smooth but it is has a very strong taste when swallowed and burns quite a lot in both the throat and on the taste buds. It tingles and stays with you for a long time. Flavour wise there doesn’t seem to be much going on beyond the strong boozy feel of the spirit. I get a little bit of the Jamaican funk in the mix but certainly nothing which is jumping out at me.
When mixed the rum doesn’t blow me away. It still tastes, even when with cola young, rough and slightly harsh. It lacks the upfront sweetness of Bacardi Superior and I really don’t think it offers anything noticeably better. I haven’t reviewed a great deal of white rums but I do have a couple coming along which, I feel are much better than this.
Watch this Space!
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CY
April 8, 2020 at 5:05 pm
This was recommended as a go-to white rum and I was very underwhelmed, so came looking for a more information in case I’d missed something! All I got was sharp alcohol and a hint of coconut (so far so Carta Blanca) followed by a strong note of wet dog (can anyone confirm that’s the funk referred to in this review?) Overall, disappointing bordering on unpleasant.
N S
February 17, 2018 at 9:16 am
I agree with this review. I’ve been looking for an alternative in cocktails as the intense alcohol burn really stands out even in something like a daiquiri.
Jacques Blanc
April 27, 2015 at 4:21 pm
I would like to enhance of few things.
First of all, I wouldn’t call Plantation Rum Giant. They are a small brand from the Cognac region. I visited them last year and they are a lot of things but certainly not a giant. (around 30 people in the company and they also make gin and Cognac)
Moreover, the idea behind Plantation 3 Stars was to bring an alternative to the other white rums. Then everybody has his own taste and mine is definitely different than yours!
The blend consist of unaged rum from Barbados and Jamaica and aged rum from Trinidad.
To finish with Plantation Rum has always been very transparent with their techniques, which are the same as the one they use for Cognac. Yes they use sugar but at least they talk and educate people about it.
thefatrumpirate
April 27, 2015 at 4:55 pm
I would suggest Cognac Ferrand are a giant so they certainly have plenty clout behind them. Thanks for the input. Always welcome
Capn Jimbo's Rum Project
March 3, 2015 at 1:18 pm
Unfortunately Plantation has been revealed by Norway’s ALKO government testing of spirits. These tests – publicly available – revealed a number of surprises (to some), namely Plantation’s use of substantial amounts of added but unlabelled sugar (and other additives), as was – gulp – El Dorado! These are not real rums, but just more examples of alteration and clever marketing.
Artisanal? Spare me.
thefatrumpirate
March 3, 2015 at 6:49 pm
The added sugar in rum has never come as a surprise to me. It’s clear in many cases which rums have added sugar. I would question the authority of anyone who believed El Dorado, Pussers or Plantation rums had no added sugar. As I’ve said before if it’s done well then I have no problem with it if it enhances an already good spirit. It is only when the base is so radically altered (I will use Belize’s Travellers 1 Barrel as the best example) that it becomes an issue for me.
RUMLOVERZ99
February 14, 2015 at 3:00 am
As a sipper of white rums this is one of the better ones out there – all around sipping or mixing full of character. It really comes down to preference and experience with White rum. I prefer a nice white rum a lot of times to its aged counterpart. Its that Natural vigor of the young rums that give them an intense flavor what you mistake for burn is a flavorful spicy kick and very true to how rum really tastes ex cask. Smooth but with a kick as rum should be this one also offering sweetness as well as a tropical flare. The nosing and finish on this rum are also quite complex. Alexander Gabriel bottled this at 41.2% because it was the perfect ABV he found for it after much testing. This rum is finished on Cognac casks for 90 days. This is a home rum for a white rum at this price point, there are bad white rums but this one is far from that.
thefatrumpirate
February 14, 2015 at 9:16 am
I’ve not described it as bad. Average yes I feel it is in comparison to the many other rums I have had. I know this rum is highly regarded but this is how I found it.
Rumrunner
February 13, 2015 at 6:08 pm
Disagree. This is my go-to for Daiquiris. The reason being that it has way more flavour than other white rums. Don’t find it harsh at all, either. I pay $20US for a litre here, in California, and it’s probably the best deal for a bottle of rum I know of.
thefatrumpirate
February 13, 2015 at 6:16 pm
I’m not mad about White Rum but I’ve had better and to me this is okay but nothing special. I’ll re-visit it though as it is very well regarded. Maybe I’m missing something
Rumrunner
February 13, 2015 at 10:43 pm
Well, everyone has different tastes. I don’t sip white rum, only have it around for cocktails, so I’m no authority.