Community effort: Planteray Rum

Launched in 1999 as Plantation Rum and adorned with its world-recognised raffia-wrapped bottles, the newly named Planteray continues the brand’s tradition of exploring rum terroirs, celebrating the sugarcane plant, and the collective of misfits who turn it into ‘liquid sunshine’.

Tucked away in the cellars of Maison Ferrand in France are barrels of rum from all over the world, going through their second maturation in Cognac casks. This fine collection is nurtured by master blender Alexandre Gabriel, who stumbled upon rum in the late 1990s while selling his Cognac casks in the Caribbean. He was captivated by the delicious taste of rum and its complexity.

Each rum‐producing country has its own traditions and expertise in crafting rum. Gabriel was fascinated by how the land, climate, and people make every rum unique. This fascination led to the creation of Planteray Rum, which showcases the unique terroirs and special qualities of the spirit. Inspired by the centuries‐old practice of ageing rum in their country of origin and then shipping barrels by sea and ageing them in a continental climate, Gabriel envisioned double ageing the spirits in Cognac casks, which became Planteray’s signature.

Twenty-five years after its debut, the company now owns distilleries in Barbados and Jamaica. At Stade’s West Indies Rum Distillery (WIRD), founded in 1893 in Barbados – the island credited as the birthplace of rum – Gabriel and his team distil with some of the most iconic rum stills in the world. The distillery is now home to Planteray’s flagship rums, including the award‐winning Planteray 20th Anniversary XO rum.

“At WIRD, our seafront distillery, we found a room full of archives depicting very old records and blueprints. These unique documents, along with our team’s expertise, represent a wealth of knowledge. Some team members, such as Digger, have worked at the distillery for over 40 years, and his father worked there before him. Imagine the expertise and endless possibilities for rum creation,” explains Angélique Jullienne, Maison Ferrand’s marketing and communication director.

These discoveries have inspired the distillery team to refurbish one of the oldest rum stills in the world, the Rockley, representing over 3,000 hours of work alone. They have also rediscovered traditional rum production techniques such as seawater fermentation and restored an old cooperage station – bringing the craft back to Barbados.

In addition, the company has redeveloped its yeast nursery, as fermentation is one of the most important steps in rum production. Planteray has close ties with over 20 distillers globally, including the Rum Co in Fiji and Saint Aubin in Mauritius, as well as in Paraguay and Peru, to name a few. Gabriel likes to say: “It takes a community to make rum.” This became the brand’s ethos – with community, people, and knowledge at the heart of everything.

Planteray Cut & Dry was created with this exact vision. The expression is the culmination of three years of tireless research by the Barbados team to naturally craft the best possible coconut‐infused rum. The process involves infusing locally grown, cracked, and sun‐dried coconuts into Barbados rum – a highly thoughtful and technical process. The brand has worked closely with local farmers for several years to boost coconut agriculture in Barbados. The growth of the product is directly tied to the expansion of the island’s agriculture.