— PLANTATION MATURING —
 

« PLANTATION MATURING, A UNIQUE TECHNOLOGY »

"Our rums are nurtured like children". 

The philosophy of Alexandre Gabriel believes that "pampering and nourishing each barrel as it ages is crucial to reach its full potential.” The same goes for child rearing: DNA is important for many features, but the nurturing received will influence one way or the other the child's character. "

Once distillation is achieved, we keep an eye on the rum’s natural tendencies. Our constant preoccupation is to refine the batch to its optimal development stage. Inherited from the eighteenth century, rum maturation is a complex aging process.

Typical of the Charentes region, the casks are laid on their side, allowing regular tasting (a minimum of every three months.) Through undivided attention to our rums as they age, we look for signs where adjustment is needed, either on the casks themselves or controlling the cellar conditions.

Our Master Blender determines adjustments needed to the rum cellar from time to time. Indeed, rum aging in a humid cellar will steadily lose alcohol content and progressively gain structure and finesse. Conversely, in a dry cellar, rum gains more spicy and floral notes. Watching these conditions, our Master Blender can accurately guide the maturation of Plantation rums.

Aiding this process, Alexandre Gabriel uses a method called "petites eaux": water used to hydrate the rum is first refined in casks that once held rum. So as not to "shock" the continuity of aging, these small waters are integrated sparingly into the rum (never more than 3% in three months.)
 

Occasionally, the wooden planks that make up the tight shell around the cask need re-staving. Elevating tannic qualities to an old rum can be achieved by the Cellar Master’s decision to replace one or many planks with new oak bringing the perfect touch of wood.

Plantation Rums are the expression of the best terroirs, magnified by the ancestral knowledge and methods of Maison Ferrand.