Planteray Jamaica Clarendon MSP 2007

My experience with rum, apart from Foursquare releases, hasn't been great, but as someone who enjoys peated whisky, I keep thinking I should like rums with some hogo funk. Despite Plantation's controversial reputation, this caught my attention because it has a decent age of 15 years total, and a relatively lower ester count, so I'm hoping this will be a good introduction to funky Jamaican rums. The bottle notes indicate this has 13 years of tropical aging, followed by two years in France in former cognac barrels. The ester count is 102. The smell is notable for some funk. Oily engine, unripe banana, pineapple, vanilla, cinnamon. The taste is quite soft and somewhat bland upon arrival. Light vanilla and brown sugar. As it moves to the back, the fruits begin to emerge with banana, coconut, pineapple. The funk is much less prominent than in the smell, although some hints appear on the mid-palate through to the finish. The back end of the drink becomes spicy with cinnamon and clove. The finish lingers nicely. As for expectations, the mild hogo does provide a pleasant entry point into funky rum. It's more intriguing than off-putting, and is more noticeable in the smell than the taste. The age is a bit of a puzzle, as I wouldn't have guessed this to be 15 years old; it comes across as quite light and fruity. Overall, it's an enjoyable pour, though I wouldn't call it exceptional. But it does make me want to try some more funky rum.