Review: Planteray Sealander Rum and Cut & Dry Coconut Rum

Planteray (nee Plantation) recently dropped two new rum products, both readily obtainable, unlike some of its luxe limited edition releases. The first is a new blended product designed to be an entry-level offering with a solid level of pedigree. The other is (to my knowledge) Planteray’s first coconut flavored product.

Let’s dig into both.

Planteray Sealander Rum Review

A blend of pot and column still rum from Barbados, Mauritius, and Fiji — rums from islands on three different oceans — dosed with sugar to a healthy 20 grams per liter, “allowing you to travel the world in one sip.” The rums in the blend are aged up to 8 years, depending on the source.

Big and fruit-forward on the nose, with bold notes of brown banana, toasted coconut, and baked apples, all swirled with caramel and vanilla. If you’re looking for a better “greatest hits” of the rum world, you aren’t likely to find one — and that’s clearly by design.

The fruit continues into the expressive and rich palate, though at the standard 40% abv, it hardly raises any skirts or eyebrows. Rather, the one-two punch of banana and coconut continues unmolested here, building atop a quite creamy body that is laden with vanilla, evoking a decadent cream pie. Yes, it’s sweet, but not overwhelming, though the dosage could perhaps have been dialed back a bit to create a punchier experience.

The chewy banana becomes taffy-like on the finish, where, at long last, notes of baking spice, more coconut, and a vague note of sweetened coffee take hold. Versatile stuff, but 100% built for mixing.

80 proof.

B+ / $44

Planteray Cut & Dry Coconut Rum Review

Everyone needs a good coconut-flavored rum in their cocktail repertoire, and Malibu is not really the answer. Cut & Dry is a 100% Barbadian rum from Stade’s West Indies Rum Distillery, infused with locally sourced coconut. Planteray says it takes one coconut per liter of finished product to flavor Cut & Dry.

The nose of Cut & Dry is thick not with sweet, baking coconut flakes but with well-toasted coconut notes — you can really smell the burnt, crispy edges that give coconut that hint of vanilla and caramel, rather than a one-note suntan lotion experience. The underlying rum is lightly visible, adding a layer of fruity apple and some banana, but both are mild.

On the palate, the script flips a bit. While it’s still heavy with that toasted coconut character, the rum is also sweeter than originally thought, layered with a strong vein of milk chocolate, creamy vanilla, and a note of candied maraschino cherry. The sweetness builds on the palate, outpacing expectations, leading to a finish that is overwhelmingly tropical, with not just loads of coconut but also lots of overripe banana to back it up. The conclusion is very lengthy with only hints of the underlying rum — though at 40% abv, you certainly know it’s there.

80 proof.

B+ / $38

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