Battle Of The Fiji Rums! Transcontinental Vs. Plantation

I’m no expert on rums from Fiji, not by a long shot. But after tasting Holmes Cay’s amazing Fijian expression a few months ago, I became obsessed. So I did a little research and here’s what I can tell you about ‘em:

Whether it’s the rich volcanic soil, the quality of the sugarcane, or the production techniques that render it into molasses from which the rum is made, there’s something unique and downright weird about the (relatively few, to be fair) rums I’ve tried from Fiji. All of them, incidentally, are made at a single distillery, the South Pacific Distillery, which was until recently the only distillery on the island. I believe there’s another one now, but they only produce gin and vodka. Go figure. South Pacific has only been active since 1980, so it’s not like rum is a time-honored tradition in Fiji. And it’s probably why Fijian rums aren’t as revered as the Caribbean distilleries that have been in business for centuries.

Oh, right, back to the taste! The one constant I’ve found in Fiji rums is a distinct burnt rubber flavor, which is a whole lot better than it sounds. A more, um, palatable description might be that they’re kind of a cross between funkier Jamaican rums and dry, slightly smoky Barbados expressions. The distillery, run by the Rum Co. of Fiji, makes rums intended mostly for the local market, but it’s renowned for its independently bottled rums, by companies like Samaroli, Transcontinental, and especially Plantation, which has done a few different bottlings over the years. Plantation recently negotiated an exclusive agreement which gives them sole rights to bottle South Pacific rums going forward. Apparently there are enough casks of South Pacific hooch already out there to ensure non-Plantation independent bottlings for a while, but the supply is now finite. As a hoarder in good standing, I’m just saying.

ANYWAY… on to the tasting!

These two rums may come from the same distillery, but that’s where the similarities end. Transcontinental Rum Line Fiji 2014 (48% ABV, $60) is a single pot still rum that’s been aged for a mere three years — two of them in Fiji, one in Europe, where it was bottled — in ex-bourbon barrels. Plantation Fiji Islands 2005 (50.2% ABV, $80), on the other hand, comes from a triple column still, and was tropically aged for 14 years in ex-bourbon barrels before spending a year, as do all Plantation rums, in Ferrand cognac casks (Plantation is part of the Maison Ferrand booze empire). Tropical aging is a big deal for two reasons. First, the heat of the tropics ages a spirit a lot faster than, say, the cold and clammy climes of Scotland, or even the more temperate weather of Kentucky. So a rum tropically aged for 14 years is up there with a 30-40 year old Scotch whisky, for example. And second, a surprising amount of rums are aged at least partly in Europe, so always look for that “tropically aged” mention.

And now it’s time to talk about the elephant in the room, or rather, the distillery. Plantation tends to add sugar after distillation to many (though not all) of its rums. It’s common practice in many Latin American distilleries, and it’s also common practice to add a “dosage,” as it’s known, to cognac, the field from which Plantation founder Alexandre Gabriel comes. But while Plantation has attracted a large and passionate fanbase, Gabriel has also garnered a lot of ill will from a big chunk of the rum community. It’s one thing, they say, for a distillery like Xacapa to add sugar themselves — it’s what they do, whether or not it’s to everyone’s particular taste. But Gabriel, they argue, isn’t making his own rum, he’s sourcing it from other distilleries and then adding sugar, going against the vision of the distillers. He’s trying to change widely established norms in Barbados and wants to amend certain laws in Jamaica, which would allow the addition of sugar after distillation. His stance has garnered fierce opposition from other rum makers and more knowledgeable fans of the category. To his credit, he’s become a fierce advocate for transparency, and for the last few years, at least, he’s walked the walk, saturating Plantation’s website (and increasingly the labels) with details about each rum. Personally, I love Plantation’s sugar-free rums, like their Xaymaca and “Extreme Collection” Jamaican releases, and wish they’d lay off the dosage with the others. And it’s worth noting that The Fiji Islands 2005 has 4 grams/liter of sugar added — not a lot in the grand scheme of things (Diplomatico, for instance, has more than 20 grams/liter), but is it enough to taste the difference? Let’s find out, shall we?

Enough of this jibber-jabber, let’s taste some rum!

TRANSCONTINENTAL: Three years doesn’t sound like a lot of aging, but this is a fully formed beast of a rum. The nose is bizarre — for lack of a better description, it’s like someone set old tires on fire and threw some vegetables and garbage on the inferno. But, and I can’t stress this enough, I mean it in a good way. It’s like the stinky cheese of rum. And it’s freakin’ DELICIOUS. Yes, there’s plenty of burnt rubber on the palate as well, but there’s also sweet tropical fruit, like melon, mango and pineapple, followed by a dry, spicy finish, with that burnt rubber and bitter orange peel lingering on the back of the tongue for quite a while. Definitely not for everyone, but for the more adventurous of palate, it’s a god damned delight.

PLANTATION: Like the Transcontinental, this also has burnt rubber on the nose. But it also has lighter, fruitier aromas — coconut, banana, vanilla. Is this because it’s column distilled rather than pot? Is it because of the added sugar? I’d guess yes on both counts. As for the taste, think a fragrant, beautiful meadow… with a pile of flaming tires in the middle. Yep, it’s a Fiji rum, alright. It’s not as extreme as the Transcontinental, though, with vanilla and floral notes amidst the flaming rubber. It’s still a noteworthy, interesting, and delicious rum, but I think even the three grams of sugar added to a 750 ml bottle bring out a little too much vanilla. It counterbalances the weirder flavors of the rum, but vanilla and burnt rubber don’t quite, you know, harmonize. The finish is long and dry, and it’s where I taste the cognac influence the most. It’s not dominant but it’s definitely present.

THE VERDICT:

What these two taste sensations have taught me is that I really, really love Fiji rum. I like weird and extreme flavors in my booze, so personally, I’d go for the unbridled zaniness of the Transcontinental. I’m also a self-confessed rum snob who doesn’t like sugar (or anything else) added after distillation. But there is no shame in Plantation’s game. There is lots of pleasure to be had in both of them. And don’t forget about that Holmes Cay Fiji 2004, which is up there with the best rums I’ve ever had, although you’ll pay for the privilege — in the neighborhood of $125-150. But long story short, if you see a Fiji rum, pick it up! I haven’t had too many, but I also haven’t had a bad one yet.

(Thanks to the ridiculously knowledgeable Matt Pietrek for his fact-checking assistance on this one. His website, Cocktail Wonk, is a must-read for anyone who wants to do the deep dive into rum, tiki, and other, um, spiritual matters.)