Newbie needs help with stamped code on Plantation rums

[John Willy]

I need some help with the meaning of the small series of numbers stamped low on the neck of Plantation 1999 Barbados and 1990 Guyana.

Plantation 1999 Barbados:
23/07/08 11.34
LH.RHC08071801

Plantation 1990 Guyana:
13/04/07
LH.RHC0701801

I understand the top line is a date (dd/mm/yy). What does it signify? On the top line of the Barbados I have no clue as to the '11.34'. Same for the second line on both bottles. They have the same beginning letters, but the following numbers are similar but different. The Guyana has one less number or my old eyes just missed it. In my defense the stamp is fricking small.

This is all a learning process for me. The Barbados date looks reasonable as I remember (hopefully correctly) Plantation claims the Barbados is aged 8 years. So that date looks reasonable as a bottling or export date. On the other hand, the Plantation claims the Guyana is aged 13 years. Based on my assumptions per the Barbados, the stamped date looks a little 'long in tooth', particularly if it represents a bottling date.

Any and all ideas and knowledge regarding these stamps would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
John

[Capn Jimbo]

i really love stuff like this...


Here at the Rum Project we are simply mad to bust myths and to decode mysteries - and this is a particularly good one. Although I haven't done a lick of research, let me start here...

John, I agree with you about what appears to be a date - 23/7/08 = on the 2009 Barbados - but the mystery is the main label which features 2009. I'm pretty sure this year - 2009 - is the year of bottling, The 7/23/08? Is it possible this is the year of final vatting and blending just before bottling in 2009? Possible.

But in the case of the 1990 Guyana the "date" appears to be 4/13/07. If my first theory was correct, that would mean the bottling (1990) occurred before the vatting. Accordingly, my theory sucks canal water.

The issue: the relationship between the small print date and the bottle label seems inconsistent. The next step - naturally - is an email to Plantation...

[John Willy]

Capn',

Just a quick correction. The Barbados is a 1999 (date of distilling), not 2009.

Regards,
John

[Capn Jimbo]

Aha! I say...


Now things are beginning to make sense. As might have been so well said by Inspector Clousseau "1999!? Why didn't you say so in the first place?!" But of course you did say so and the magical transition to 2009 was my grievous error. It so happens that Sue Sea and I visited Total Wine today and I made sure to look at the Plantation offerings. The first thing I noted was that the main date - 1999 in the case of the Barbados - refers to the year distilled. Now the tiny labeled date - 7/23/2008 - now may mean this rum is about 9 years old at bottling.

Now let's consider the Guyana now that we know it was distilled in 1990. Now this date too makes more sense and may indicate - based on the tiny label date of 4/13/2007 that this rum is about 7 years old.

Are we getting somewhere?

[John Willy]

Capn',

Not to be arse, but 1990 Guyana with the 4/13/07 stamped date, according to your Barbados sleuthing and assumptions, and by the way thank you, would make that a 16 or 17 year old rum instead of plantations stated (one of the bottles carries a little folded paper attached to the neck that states the ages of their offerings from varied countries) 13 years. I am still flummoxed about the 1990 Guyana.

Regards,
John

[Capn Jimbo]

There's a reason they call me The Compleat Idiot of Rum!


Good grief! I have devolved from mistransposing years to errors in "simple math. In my defense, I haven't really slept well for three days, but this is getting ridiculous. My apologies, I'm truly embarassed.

Have mercy on the sleepless Capn - or be keelhauled, lol...

Your math is clearly better than mine, and the issue has now been clarified. If the small date isindeed the bottling year, then the Guyana might well be 17 years old. Now surely, there are a handful of such rums, but I'm with you on in having to really look askance at the Guyana. Here's what bothers me: all distillers rush to post an age statement on their labels (eg Plantation Barbados Grand Reserve "aged 5 years").

You can bet your bippy that a true 17 year old rum would surely appear on the Guyanan label, but mysteriously, it doesn't. My guess: it isn't 17 years old, and thus our attempt at decoding the small label fails. In fact, in my review of the Plantation website I found almost all of their rums fail to label years of aging, although they love to spout such nondescript phrases like "...lovingly aged in...".

Next step: one of my typical emails to the distiller - Plantation has answered them before. Stay tuned...


*******
Capn's Log: Here's the email I sent to Plantation, who have been quite responsive in the past...

"Dear Sirs...

At The Rum Project we have reviewed a number of your fine rums – all of which earned good or great ratings. Congratulations. By the way nearly a quarter million readers visit our forum each month. Recently one of our readers posted this question (paraphrased)...

“My 1990 Guyana also carries a small printed numerical code, namely:

Plantation 1990 Guyana:
13/04/07
LH.RHC0701801”

My questions:

1. Can you please interpret this small label. The 13/04/07 seems to be a date, namely April 13, 2007. What does this indicate? Does it refer to the age of the Guyanan rum distilled in 1990? What is the age of this rum? Is it 17 years as may be indicated by the numerical code?

2. In reviewing your entire line of products, very few actually make a clear age statement, eg “Barbados Grand Reserve, aged 5 years”. Although most of your rums make general comments such as “carefully aged in fine oak” or the like, almost none of them make an actual age statement. Why?

Cordially,
Capn Jimbo
The Rum Project"

[John Willy]

Much obliged Capn'! Looking forward to what Plantation has to say.

Regards,
John

[John Willy]

Capn',

Over two weeks and no response? Maybe one across the bow!

Regards,
John


*******
Capn's Log: Trust me, it is the exception to get a meaningful answer from most distillers. I am always surprised - and pleased - to get one. Don't hold your breath.