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Planteray Hogo Monsta (Extra High Ester Rum) 2025
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Most people here rate this a wild success, and the warning that comes with it is fair: this is a 2029 g/hL ester bomb, not a sipping rum. Glue, nail polish and solvent hit you across the room, then overripe banana, pineapple and mango push through, with a surprising marzipan sweetness. Barbados that drinks like a Jamaican DOK. The finish, oddly, is short.
The community says- Huge ester punch
- Overripe fruit
- Keep in mind: Short finish
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No shop currently delivers to Germany.
Auction results: 39–46 € (2 sales in 24 months, incl. buyer's premium, latest 03/2026). How the range is built ›
Buying advice
These ship to you
Yes, if you're after bold, tropical, funky rums for cocktails.
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The look inside the bottle
How does Planteray Hogo Monsta (Extra High Ester Rum) 2025 taste?
From community reviews · summarized with AI
Extreme ester bomb, more cocktail spice than sipper Funk chasers love it — a huge, expressive ester monster most enjoy as a cocktail "bitters." A recurring gripe: for all that intensity, the finish falls surprisingly short.
Aroma profilehigh-ester funk fans and adventurous bartenders
anyone new to rum or funk-averse
Style & occasion: Tropical & funkyCocktails & mixingSipping neat
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
Relative to this rum's strongest aroma family
41 of 87 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Which glass for which rum? The community guide ›
What does the community say?
87 community reviews
Rating scale & review checks
On RumX, 7 means “Good” and 8 means “Very good”.
See the full rating guideHow ratings are made and how we check them ›The website shows a selection of written reviews. The distribution also includes ratings without text. All published reviews are available in the RumX app.
41 selected written reviews
The distribution above includes all 87 ratings, including those without text.
Review by cigares
Most helpful positive review
A rum tasted at Whisky Live in Paris in 2025. A nose of extreme esters, glue, nail polish. On the palate, the esters are also very present, an ultra-dry mouthfeel but with a little sweetness. Overripe tropical fruits but also red fruits. The finish is very short, but the aromas that remain in the mouth afterwards are delicious once the esters have evaporated. The experience of an extreme rum.
Review by Julien Ries
Most helpful critical review
(Quick) tasting of Planteray Hogo Monsta. Passing quickly through V and B Sallanches (which I highly recommend for its selection), the owner (a true rum enthusiast) kindly let me taste this ester monster (2029g/hL AA). At opening, you can smell the aromas from 4 meters away (no exaggeration). Lots of salted butter caramel, glue, solvent, and you fear the wallpaper might peel off. Rotten pineapple, oozing mango forgotten in the fruit basket. It stinks badly! You brace yourself to drink what promises to be a drinking game challenge. On the palate, you wonder if you’re drinking something unhealthy (yes, obviously it’s alcohol, 56.6%). But mainly it tastes strongly of the chemical products already mentioned: nail polish, wallpaper glue, solvent. It’s explosive, extreme. Impossible to enjoy but still a curiosity to dip your lips in such an original liquid. The rotten fruits are definitely there. The mouthfeel lingers for hours. I think I’ll still burp it at breakfast tomorrow morning. I can’t give a good rating to this totally "ormi" rum (unidentified rum object). It’s just for fun hence the 20cl bottle. More a cocktail ingredient or a curiosity for extreme drink lovers.
Review by Thunderbird
Finally got the Hogo Monsta in my hands today and poured it straight into the glass. Immediately, a load of esters fills the room. It instantly brings associations to Jamaica. Only this is a rum from Barbados... the nose is almost identical to a C<>H, HGML. On the palate, funk, esters, marzipan, young wood, and light tannins. It fits together exceptionally well. The ABV allows for easy sipping and I find it perfectly reduced. The only downside is the relatively short finish, which is a bit surprising given the high ester content. That keeps it from getting a higher rating.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Hogo Monsta 2025. But I found 2024 undiluted way cooler 😆 still an intense experience, overall relatively little complexity and primarily fruity and estery. All other aromas that a comparable Hampden DOK etc. has are missing here.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
#5892 25.10 2025 Tasted at the Whisky & Rom Festival in Copenhagen 2025. This is a lighter release than the previous one. Still very fruity with nice esters and a natural sweetness. The palate is oily, fruity and sweet with a medium long finish.
Review by LukaŽiga
8,3:On the nose, medicinal with esters, glue, nail polish, briny olive, smoky, roasted wood with marzipan, fermented, overripe tropical fruits like banana and pineapple, bump into our nosetrils. On aeration, the molasses is flowery, slightly sweet with honey, rubber, solvents are obvious, citrus fruits arise, ginger, allspice and almonds. 8,3:On the palate, the attack is medicinal, funky with esters, nail polish, glue, rubber, creamy with roasted wood notes like, marzipan, burnt sugar, candied caramel, spicy with allspice, ginger, smoky, fruity with fermented tropical fruits like banana and pineapple, mango, citrus and red fruits, some raisins, as the molasses is flowery, briny with olive. 8,4:The finish is the most balanced, round, long, dry&tannic, slightly dirty, medicinal with esters, glue, nail polish, phenol, a bit metallic, the wood is roasted, smoky with chocolate, caramel, nuts, spicy and the molasses is vegetal with briny olive. Edit:16.5.26, top with Sprite, 21.6.26 in Mai Tai
Review by Skyfly
Such a blast of esters that apart from nail polish, glue, tropical fruits and sugar syrup, you can hardly taste any other aromas. Alcohol very well integrated, but apparently diluted.
Review by Christian Rudt
The first sip is quite tasty but quickly hits you with a lot of glue in the nose. Tropical fruit can be perceived in the background. Taste-wise lots of esters and tropical fruit. Good to drink neat, in a cocktail I will surely add a bar spoon and try what effect it has. Overall just nice that West Indies and Ferrand had the courage to bring it to market in small bottles.
Review by Master P
Hogo Mosta hits it well, really powerful on the nose. Really awesome, lots of esters and fruit. Taste-wise, I have to say the 2024 sample was much more intense and nuanced in terms of acidity and fruitiness. So I'm a bit disappointed, but still a cool stuff. Retasting with a bottle opened for 4 weeks, much more accessible now. Great sipper.
Review by Tschusikowsky
The nose is almost identical to a Hampden at Hgml level. Tons of glue and nail polish. The party continues in the mouth as well. The dilution suits it quite well overall. I don't think I would need it at cask strength. The finish is relatively fleeting considering the intensity in the mouth, a shame. But for the price, you get a great rum here.
Review by Dr.Django
Eeester!! The name and the monster on the label are already a program on the nose. Wonderful high ester rum that is a lot of fun. Not particularly complex, which is not surprising for its age. A bit rough in the finish. A very good promising rum!
Review by Jarek
I'm a bit disappointed... I assumed it was the same stuff as RX19267, which was presented to us at the Planteray RumX tasting. I was quite enthusiastic back then, especially because of the fruitiness and acidity. With the Hogo Monster I miss both. No acidity, little fruit, instead vegetal notes and olive. Not uninteresting, but not what I hoped for.
Review by Mirco
Powerful, ester-forward Barbados rum with a distinctive profile. On the nose, intense fermented fruit, glue, banana, and a clear funk note, more commonly known from Jamaica. On the palate, energetic, spicy, and fruit-laden with hints of tropical fruit, vanilla, and a slightly medicinal edge. The 56.6% carries the aroma well, though you can tell that the dilution slightly reduces complexity compared to the cask-strength version we tried at an RX Planteray tasting, which showed a bit more expression.
Review by Jakob
An ester content of over 2000 grams per hectoliter is of course an absolute extreme. The aroma is correspondingly strongly defined by citrus and tropical fruits as well as nail polish and glue. You have to like that, although the reduction to just under 57% alcohol is quite fitting. Intense, demanding, but definitely worthwhile for lovers of the high ester style.
Review by zabo
I expected something more punchy here, but unfortunately was disappointed. After the Plantery Masterclass from RumX back then and the high ester monster there, this one is quite far off. I was waiting for the BumBumEisEster kick. But all in all, a solid mixer.
Review by TheRhumhoe
One of the most extreme and crazy profiles that Barbados has produced. The nose is invaded by chemical notes of esters, glue, nail polish and solvents. Still, ultra-ripe tropical fruits (banana, pineapple) and an unexpected sweetness of marzipan can be distinguished. An extremely funky and concentrated nose but surprisingly soft, reflecting all the extravagance of the profile. The radicality is also present on the palate: the profile becomes ultra dry, suffocated by ester and medicinal flavors, but retains a very delicate sweetness in the aromas, notably with marzipan, tropical fruits (pineapple, banana, mango) and red fruits. Intense, creamy and funky, it's a profile that drinks relatively easily, with very good alcohol integration. The finish lacks a bit of life and remains on its closed register of phenolic, tannic notes and overripe fruits. Caramel and a hint of wood give some roundness to these very heavy and esterified tones. An interesting rum to show that Barbados has some firepower and which should work well in mixology.
Review by TheJackDrop
Among the attractions at the Planteray booth (a myriad of bottles available), the Hogo Monsta, WIRD's secret sauce, was there to soften our palate (or blow it up, everyone sees it as they want). Personally tasted 3 times, and each time I found it huge but approachable. It's still a madness of 2000 esters, packed with overripe fruits, solvents, but so "soft" on the palate. In a Daiquiri, obviously huge, the point isn't to drink it neat, even if the experience is pleasant.
Review by Florent Apl
Not a rum for everyone for sure, but I personnally love it. It's an ester bomb, but still very enjoyable, juicy and full of flavors. Unlike the other ester-oriented rums from Barbados, this one has the merit of being being extreme enough to catch attention.
Review by Chrischi78
The nose, as expected, esters with light fruity notes. Very powerful on the palate and immediately full of esters. But then it remains surprisingly one-dimensional and the finish is also surprisingly short.
Review by Martin Augustin
A true ester monster. An incredibly intense taste experience. Lots of ester, marzipan, and glue. I really like the concept of the small bottles, especially for rarities.
Review by Johannes
Great esters, tropical notes. Unfortunately not much more.
Review by Rhum Mirror 🇧🇪
💥 To console yourself: Hogo Monsta 2025 – 56.6% Fortunately, West Indies Rum Distillery brought out the heavy cavalry! This Barbadian rum with Jamaican accents comes from an exceptional two-week fermentation (very long for Barbados) and a double pot still distillation — John Dore #88 followed by the Old Gregg. Result: a liquid monster with 2029 g/hL of esters. On the palate, it's an explosion of ripe tropical fruits, a funky, angry and terribly expressive rum! A true monster in liquid form — a single drop can transform your cocktail. 🧪🔥 And a good idea: it is offered in a 20 cL bottle, enough to discover it without breaking the bank.
Review by Michael Schou
08-11-2025 - Rate 8.0 Fun experiment from Planteray. Have not tasted high ester WIRD or Barbados before. Wonder what a Hampden at 2.000 g/hL Nose and palate are dominated by ester, glue, nail polish and tropical fruits. Medium finish also dominated bye glue and nail polish 09-01-2026 - Rate 7.6
Review by F.L.O.
Die Esterbombe hält (fast) was sie verspricht. Die Nase ist schon gewaltig, die Fruchtexplosion kommt dann noch inklusive dazu. Bemerkenswert ist aber der ellenlange Abgang und der Nachklang…den hat man noch 1-2 Stunden später am Gaumen.
Review by Rafał
Happy new year 🥳🥃 Ripe fruits and tropical fruits (bananas and pineapple), nail polish remover esters and caramel with coconut, something like cream and vanilla. On the palate, esters, olives, caramel, sweetness of fruits, a bit of alcohol, pineapple and very ripe banana.
Review by Richard Colwell
Extremely bold across the nose and palate, though more moderate on the finish. Strong industrial, gasoline-chemical notes both on the note and palate. Some banana notes come through with time, though I found them to be overpowered at full proof. Proofed down slightly, these ester-driven notes come through more. Similarly, the finish is dominated by the chemical notes initially, but eventually fades more towards the overripe fruit notes. This rum definitely is an acquired taste.
Review by Leo Krüper
Pleasantly rounded high-ester.
Review by Schnubbii
Phew, this is the full ester blast, but somehow I miss the finesse here. Worth trying once, but I don't need more than the sample.
Review by Mc Pirate
Expressive nose, obviously esterified, with beautiful notes of exotic fruits. These esters remind of a Jamaican but the varnish and glue are very little present! Mouth with a very frank attack that leaves room for fruits again to finish on yellow fruits. Not to be drunk anytime! A palate that has warmed up a bit beforehand will be more able to appreciate it.
Review by mandolin01
Pretty good! The esters are obviously quite present but the alcohol strength is well chosen. It's not very strong in the end. Not very complex though but nice to have. Probably very good in a cocktail. Neat, it goes down well.
Review by TheShark65
Wow! Not necessarily made to be enjoyed neat - but it definitely is possible! Alcohol is very well integrated. Nice aroma profile, finish a bit short, but surely works well as a 'bitters' in cocktails.
Review by Pandemonia
Wow! I am not used to such a thing. First off, immediate and utterly dominant glue and nail polish. If just two terms were to describe this rum, those would be the ones. The taste on the tongue is remarkably similar to the aroma, and the finish is also inescapably similiar - but noticably long lasting. However, the taste is light and balanced compared to the freight train that hits your nostrils, even though the notes are the same. In fact it is nothing short of damn impressive to tame such a smelly and powerful beast from the aroma to the palate and I wonder how they do it at all. The more I sip the more it grows on me. This is not what it is intended for! Yet it seems to work and work damn well. I must be mistaken somehow. Beneath the volatile varnish are faint whiffs of perfume and if there is any difference in the notes on the tongue from the nose it must be the additional aftertones of spice, leather and young wood on the palate. Otherwise it carries the same synthetic notes throughout, from aroma to the finish and is actually much better than you'd think to sip as well. Though I probably won't do that much more, given its bottle size and price. But what the hell, man. What a rum!
Review by Philip M. 🇧🇪
29/11/2025: private tasting @ Olivier.
Review by Jus Liens
Surprising. Tasted after a Hampden DOK: you really need that to welcome this Monsta. It's tasty, buttery, powerful. But it's not a sipping rum. It's a bartender's cocktail rum or a cook's rum.
Review by Anonymous
Extremely intense if drunk neat, too intense for my taste. Use it like a spice: 1mL in a Daiquiri to add a good dose of funk. Beware, the length on the palate lasts looong, be ready.
Review by Adrien B
Good explosion well integrated.
Review by Linus94
An absolute bomb This ester notes make the nose an absolute highlight. A rum you could also use as a perfume :) On the nose lots of esters including ethyl acetate. A wonderful aroma of fruits. Incredibly complex. The taste underlines the nose but is a bit sharp. The taste could be a bit rounder. All in all a fantastic rum.
Review by Dominic Lutz
Nose: The ester comes through immediately and very clearly, accompanied by nail polish, which almost covers everything else. You can feel the 56.6% ABV right away; it’s present and gives the nose a lot of punch. Overall, it feels very intense and clearly leans towards high-ester, almost Jamaica-associated. On the palate, it stays fully in the high-ester profile. The polish dominates again, along with a slight sweetness, vanilla, and some wood in the background. Adding water makes the sweetness more noticeable, but at the same time, the integration of the alcohol suffers a bit. Finish: The finish is warm, long, and very intense. I like the aromatic loudness, but the dominance of the polish makes it a bit monotonous for me. Because of that, it feels more like a very exciting mix rum rather than a candidate I absolutely have to drink neat.
Review by Solidfunk
I finally understand glue. Also banana, overripe mango. Pours super pale golden. Mouth opens up pepper and banan runt candy. Creme brulee. Finishes with hot pepper but just for a hot second. Definitely a wild experience. Small taste from bartender at Casta's.
Review by StefanR
The Planteray Hogo Monsta is less a classic rum for cozy enjoyment, but rather an experiment in extreme aroma concentration – a modern interpretation of the historical 'high ester / hogo' rums. It shows the 'wild' side of tropical pot-still distillates, with its intensity challenging both novices and traditional connoisseurs. Used with care, it gives cocktails enormous depth and funk character; enjoyed neat, however, it is an experience that only works in small sips.
Review by daiquiri_lab
The nose is alright, kind of creamy vanilla. Smells like high ester Long Pond a bit. On the palate stuff starts out ok, but there's an enormous, mainly rancid note that quickly overpowers the rum and utterly dominates the finish. I thought this rum was revolting, and I'm generally a fan of funky rums.
This selection contains no written reviews in this rating range.
Expert reviews
Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum.
Expert review by The Dunder Hut
A very elegant way to jump in your throat with a barrage of ester. This has despite it's brutality a very subtle bomb of aroma, very Barbados and very ester which gives Ou the sensation of Jamaica funk albeit the flavour
Planteray Hogo Monsta (Extra High Ester Rum) 2025 at live auctions
A bid is not a final price: the house sets the buyer's premium, shipping and any customs duty.
All live auctions ›Community shelf
225 bottles logged by 130 collectors.
Both drunk and collected.
16% opened, 9 emptied.
What did the community pay for Planteray Hogo Monsta (Extra High Ester Rum) 2025?
Community paid 30–40 €.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 34 €. Price history with 2 auction results in RX+ ›
+26 additions in the last 3 months.
Additions per month over the last 12 months; dark bars: the last 3.
225 purchased · 92 tasted · 64 wishlist · as of
Details about Planteray Hogo Monsta (Extra High Ester Rum) 2025
A rum from Barbados, bottled by Maison Ferrand, at 56,6%.
Read on in the RumX Guide
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