1996 Plantation Jamaica Rum 22 Year Old Extreme No.3 ITP Cask Strength Rum (700ml)

The third release in Plantation's 'Extreme' range is actually two rums: Both come from the Long Pond Distillery in Jamaica. Both were distilled in 1996 and spent 21 years maturing in x bourbon barrels before Ferrand’s traditional finishing in cognac casks in France. Labelled ITP and HJC respectively, they're the result of two slightly different 'recipes'.

In Jamaica, distilleries classify rum based on the content of 'esters' post distillation (the aromatic chemical compounds created during fermentation. These determine how heavy the rum is). For Long Pond, their ITP is the slightly lighter of the two marques - having said that, both are described as "full-bodied and funky", with the ITP being the fruitier of the two, fermented for three weeks with an ester count of 386 g/hl AA.

In July 2018 there was a large fire at Long Pond Distillery and over 65,000 litres of rum were destroyed. The historic distillery is still standing, but it may be some time before we see more like these. Just over 2000 bottles of each were made for the worldwide market. We have a tiny allocation so collectors will be scrambling for the pair.

Plantation's Extreme series is a collection of limited-edition rums that are "simply perfect in their natural state". The Master Blender adds, "Sometimes we find a rum barrel in our cellar that stands alone for its uniqueness of taste which can only be described as “extreme”. This cask is then set aside and bottled for its sheer exquisite essence, resulting in a very limited edition of what we call Plantation Extreme."