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| Guillaume Lamy introduces Plantation Pineapple |
This is a great bit of news for us at the Rum Bar in Key West, because I didn't think that we were going to be able to enjoy this wonderful expression here in the United States because of its very limited production. I have bought a case of it for the Rum Bar and we are now serving it. The unique method of production gives it a very special flavor unlike any other flavored rums.
First unveiled at "Tales of the Cocktail" in New Orleans last year, Plantation Pineapple Rum – Stiggin’s Fancy was initially planned as a “one-off”
launch, with just 1,000 bottles sold in New Orleans and a small number of other
US markets. Cognac Ferrand founder
Alexandre Gabriel has now added the expression to Plantation Rum’s core range
as a limited edition due to the seasonality of the Queen Victoria pineapples it
uses. Gabriel first created the rum in
collaboration with cocktail historian David Wondrich, inspired by several
traditional recipes used in the 1800s.
Plantation Pineapple Rum – Stiggin’s
Fancy is produced by first infusing the rinds of Queen Victoria pineapple
with Plantation 3 Stars white rum for one week before they are distilled in pot
stills. Separately, the flesh of the Queen
Victoria pineapples are infused with rich, aged Plantation Original Dark Rum
for three months. Then these two liquids are married together and the rum
is put into casks where it rests for three months.
“David and I did this project in part
out of sheer curiosity,” said Gabriel. “Mostly, however, we did it because the
pineapple is the symbol of hospitality. “The
1824 Journal of Patent Inventions notes that it was customary
in the West Indies to offer pineapple rum to visiting European friends.
Following the West Indian tradition, Plantation Pineapple Rum is our gift to
you.”
The
expression is named after the Reverend Stiggins, a character in Charles
Dickens’ The Pickwick Papers whose favored tipple was
pineapple rum.
Plantation Pineapple Rum – Stiggin’s
Fancy will be available in April, May, July and August each year at an RRP of
US$34.99. It is now rolling out nationally across the US.
The
variant was named by The Spirits Business as one of the most innovative spirits launches of 2014.
