Born in southern Burgundy, Alexandre Gabriel spent his youth working on his family's farm in central France. His grandfather, a strict disciplinarian, taught Alexandre how to graft a tree, milk a cow and harvest grapes. "For my grandfather, the only wealth is the one from the land," says Alexandre, fondly. After studying at the Macalester College in Minnesota and earning a degree in Lyon, Gabriel began working at Maison Ferrand, one of the oldest cognac houses in France. During his tenure at Maison Ferrand, Gabriel would dispose of used cognac casks by selling them to distilleries in Scotland and the Caribbean. "Our love affair with rum began when we sold the prized casks that once held our Cognac to rum producers, and we fell in love with their product," says Alexandre. Centuries ago, Caribbean rum producers would send casks of rum to Europe and the United States, where the rum would mature before it was bottled and sold to the public. "This is a practice that was done more commonly in the past but has almost disappeared now. We thought who better than Ferrand, with our know-how and exceptional casks, to resurrect this ancient technique." This single cask XO Rum from the West Indies Rum Distillery is matured for one year in Ferrand Cognac casks before being finished in Amburana Casks a unique type of wood found in the forests of Latin America.

Born in southern Burgundy, Alexandre Gabriel spent his youth working on his family's farm in central France. His grandfather, a strict disciplinarian, taught Alexandre how to graft a tree, milk a cow and harvest grapes. "For my grandfather, the only wealth is the one from the land," says Alexandre, fondly. After studying at the Macalester College in Minnesota and earning a degree in Lyon, Gabriel began working with Maison Ferrand, one of the oldest cognac houses in France. During his tenure at Maison Ferrand, Gabriel would dispose of used cognac casks by selling them to distilleries in Scotland and the Caribbean. "Our love affair with true rum began when we sold the prized casks that once held our Cognac to rum producers, and we fell in love with their product," says Alexandre. Centuries ago, Caribbean rum producers would send casks of rum to Europe and the United States, where the rum would mature before it was bottled and sold to the public. This is a practice that was done more commonly in the past but has almost disappeared now. We thought who better than Ferrand, with our know-how and exceptional casks, to resurrect this ancient technique." Plantation Grande Rserve 5 Year Old Rum was initially distilled on the island of Barbados and then matured for five years in ex-bourbon casks that were laid to rest in the Caribbean. Following this maturation process, the rum was transported to France and matured in used French oak casks at the Chteau de Bonbonnet. This secondary maturation adds hints of oaky vanilla, fudge and caramel that complement the rum's intense notes of tropical fruits, bananas, toasted almonds, brown sugar and coconuts. Plantation Grande Rserve 5 Year Old Rum earned a score of 94 points from Wine Enthusiast.

As with the other rums in the Plantation range, this exotic spirit is aged first in its original country, Barbados, and then benefits with further aging and nurturing in Cognac. Resting in casks originally used for Pierre Ferrand cognac, and meticulously nurtured by Cellar Master of Maison Ferrand, a unique expression is achieved using traditional local methods.

The Brand Story

Passionate, curious, refined taste for beauty, Alexandre Gabriel is a tireless entrepreneur in search of perfection. An artisan businessman, he delivers the best product by implementing the most advanced and precise production methods. He knows that a great cognac, a superior rum, is above all a powerful emotion to be shared. Alexandre Gabriel applies the discipline and passion of ancient craftsmen, artisans, and goldsmiths to his rum and cognac.

In 1989 Alexander Gabriel discovers Maison Ferrand, one of the oldest spirit brands in the Cognac region. The reputation of the House is indisputable but sales are lagging. An immediate crush grabs hold and Alexandre Gabriel dives in with exuberance to the details and craft of Cognac production. 

Travel follows passion and soon Alexandre Gabriel is creating a dedicated distribution network of equally passionate partners. He builds on his values and vision for the House. Twenty years later, most of his founding team are still together. 

The 1990s see Alexandre Gabriel combing the Caribbean in search of the best rums of the region. Plantation is born: an artisanal range of rums from the great terroirs of the tropics. Fifteen years of dedicated rum-making later, in 2012, Alexandre is awarded Master Rum Blender of the Year at the Golden Rum Barrel Awards and was named Distiller of the Year by The American Distilling Institute.

Today, President and Owner of Maison Ferrand, Alexandre Gabriel has won praise across the category and industry. Focusing on three major spirits that represent the passion and vision of Maison Ferrand: Ferrand Cognac, Citadelle Gin, and Plantation Rum : authentic spirits that express the individual terroirs that made them. 

THE SINGLE CASK COLLECTION
Plantation Single Cask rums are limited releases of double-aged Haute Couture rums. All Plantation rums mature in a two-stage ageing process, beginning in the tropics where they age in bourbon casks, and then at the Château de Bonbonnet in France to mature in Ferrand barrels. Plantation Single Cask rums then benefit from further maturation in carefully selected beer, wine or spirit casks, each selected to enhance the rum's unique characteristics. Every Single Cask rum takes its own ageing path to greatness, and each bottle is personalized and numbered. Only a few barrels of these unique reserve rums are bottled annually, making them a prize for collectors.

THE TERROIRS OF RUM
Plantation Cellar Master Alexandre Gabriel identifies each rum-producing country by the specific traditions and production techniques of its terroir – the unique environmental characteristics that give each rum its distinctive character. He chooses the best casks from each distillery, celebrating the qualities that make each terroir special.

TASTING NOTES

Nose : Complex, it starts on bitter almond and vanilla and then evolves on to a more phenolic profile with leather, allspice and gentian root.

Palate : Full, it follows the nose with a spicier profile of cloves and cinnamon with balsamic notes. Thereafter it moves towards bacon, tobacco and maple syrup.

Born in southern Burgundy, Alexandre Gabriel spent his youth working on his family's farm in central France. After studying at the Macalester College in Minnesota and earning a degree in Lyon, Gabriel began working at Maison Ferrand, one of the oldest cognac houses in France. During his tenure at Maison Ferrand, Gabriel would dispose of used cognac casks by selling them to distilleries in Scotland and the Caribbean. "Our love affair with rum began when we sold the prized casks that once held our Cognac to rum producers, and we fell in love with their product," says Gabriel. The tradition of "pineapple rum" dates back to the 1700s, when Caribbean distillers would soak pineapples in their rum barrels, giving the rum an uncommon richness and sweetness. Although the practice eventually fell out of favor, Gabriel and his partner-in-crime, cocktail writer David Wondrich, decided to revive the tradition after stumbling across several ancient recipes buried in the 1824 English Journal of Patent and Inventions and the 1844 Journal of Agricultural Society. To craft Plantation Stiggins Fancy Pineapple Rum, which is named after Rev. Stiggins, a character in Charles Dicken's "Pickwick Papers," Gabriel steeps the flesh of Queen Victoria pineapples in his aged Plantation Original Dark Rum. Then, seeking more aromatics, Gabriel distills the pineapple rind with his Plantation 3 Stars White Rum, blending the two rums together before letting the new spirit spend additional time in oak barrels. "It's not too weird... that's the strength of it," says Wondrich.