Plantation Barbados Old Reserve 2013 Edition 750ML

Plantation Barbados Old Reserve 2013 Edition 750ML is a vintage Barbados rum from Maison Ferrand that undergoes the brand's signature double-aging process in both Caribbean and French Cognac casks. The 2013 vintage designation indicates the year of distillation, with additional maturation in France adding depth and complexity to the final spirit.

Quick Facts: Category: Vintage Rum  |  Origin: Barbados / Cognac, France  |  Vintage: 2013  |  Producer: Maison Ferrand

Production & Heritage

Plantation is the rum brand of Maison Ferrand, the Cognac house led by cellar master Alexandre Gabriel. The brand's defining technique is double aging: the rum is first matured in tropical conditions in Barbados, where the heat and humidity accelerate interaction with the barrel, then shipped to Château de Bonbonnet in Ars, France, for a secondary maturation in small French oak casks that previously held Cognac. Barbados has a rum-making history stretching back to the 1600s, and the island's distilleries typically employ both copper pot stills and column stills to produce rums with character and refinement. This two-continent aging journey gives Plantation Barbados expressions a layered quality that distinguishes them from single-origin aged rums.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Ripe banana and toasted coconut emerge first, followed by warm vanilla and a thread of dried orange peel. Beneath those fruit-forward notes, subtle oak tannins and a hint of baking spice round out the nose.

Taste: The palate opens with brown sugar and tropical fruit — mango and papaya — before transitioning to butterscotch and light Cognac-influenced floral tones at mid-palate. Gentle oak and cinnamon build toward the peak, giving the rum structure without heaviness.

Finish: Medium-long, with toasted oak, caramelized sugar, and a fading note of dried fruit. The texture is smooth and slightly creamy, reflecting the influence of the French oak maturation.

How to Drink Plantation Old Reserve 2013

Neat or with a single large ice cube is the most rewarding approach, as the Cognac-cask influence unfolds gradually at a slightly cooled temperature. In cocktails, this vintage expression brings enough complexity to elevate classic rum drinks. A Rum Old Fashioned benefits from the spirit's built-in vanilla and oak sweetness, reducing the need for excess sugar. A Mai Tai showcases the tropical fruit notes alongside orgeat and citrus in a way that feels layered rather than one-dimensional. A Dark & Stormy gains a richer backbone, with the rum's caramel and spice standing up to sharp ginger beer.

Best For

• Gifting a rum enthusiast who appreciates vintage-dated expressions
• After-dinner sipping alongside dark chocolate or dessert
• Building a rum collection that explores different distillation years and aging styles
• Elevating classic tiki and rum cocktails with a more complex base spirit

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Plantation Old Reserve 2013 taste like? It delivers a profile centered on tropical fruit, brown sugar, vanilla, and toasted oak, with a smooth, medium-bodied texture shaped by its double aging in Caribbean barrels and French Cognac casks.

How does Plantation Old Reserve 2013 compare to Plantation XO 20th Anniversary? The XO 20th Anniversary is a multi-vintage blend designed for consistency, while the 2013 Old Reserve is tied to a single distillation year, offering a snapshot of that vintage's character rather than a blended house style.

Is Plantation Old Reserve 2013 good for sipping neat? Yes — the double-aging process softens the rum considerably, making it approachable on its own while retaining enough complexity to reward slow, attentive sipping.

Where is Plantation Old Reserve 2013 made? The rum is distilled in Barbados and then shipped to Château de Bonbonnet in Ars, in the Cognac region of France, where it undergoes a second maturation in French oak Cognac casks under the supervision of Maison Ferrand.

What foods pair well with Plantation Old Reserve 2013? Grilled pineapple or caramelized plantains mirror its tropical side; dark chocolate truffles complement the oak and vanilla; aged Gouda or Comté echo the caramel notes; and pecan pie amplifies the rum's brown sugar sweetness.

What sizes does Plantation Old Reserve 2013 come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle, which is the most widely available format for Plantation's vintage expressions.

Is Plantation Old Reserve 2013 worth the price? Plantation's vintage-dated Barbados rums generally position in the mid-premium tier — more expensive than the brand's blended range but competitively priced against other single-vintage Caribbean rums, offering strong value for a double-aged, vintage-specific release.

Why Plantation Old Reserve 2013?

The two-continent aging process is the defining feature: tropical maturation in Barbados develops bold fruit and sugar-cane character, while the secondary rest in Cognac barrels at Château de Bonbonnet adds a layer of tannic refinement and floral nuance you rarely find in rums aged exclusively in the Caribbean. The 2013 vintage date gives the bottle a specificity that blended expressions cannot match, tying the rum to a single year's distillation conditions. For drinkers who want to explore how terroir, climate, and barrel selection shape rum across different years, this expression serves as a compelling data point in the Plantation range.