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If you’re a fan of Jamaican rum, you are probably familiar with the term “hogo.” That refers to rum that is often described, rather nebulously, as “funky,” but really means that it has a gamey, savory, intense flavor profile that has become a badge of honor for many rums (and is something that diehard fans seek out). Well, Planteray is leaning into this description with the new Hogo Monsta, a rum from Barbados that comes in a small bottle and is said to be so extreme that it’s meant only for mixing and not sipping.

The brand describes the rum as being the world’s “heaviest,” a high-ester expression that has a total of 2,029 grams per hectoliter of aromatic compounds that are responsible for the floral and tropical fruit notes you’ll find on the palate. That is indeed much higher than you’ll find in most rums, and those aromatic compounds include esters as well as other organic compounds and higher alcohols.

Hogo Monsta was distilled at Stade’s West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados, which has been around since the late 1800s and was acquired by French spirits company Maison Ferrand in 2017. “At Stade’s Rum Distillery, rum has always been both tradition and experimentation,” said Alexandre Gabriel, owner and master blender of Planteray Rum, in a statement (the brand changed its name from Plantation Rum in early 2024 because of the association with the slave trade). “For years, this style of high-ester rum lived in the shadows—used discreetly by blenders to add power and depth to a final mix. We always dreamed of bottling it as-is, raw and unapologetic. Hogo Monsta is that dream unleashed.”

Hogo Monsta, which is bottled at a high 56.6 percent ABV, is not meant to be a sipping rum, or even one that you would use to whip up a few cocktails, according to the brand. “Its potency makes it unsuitable for volume consumption or unmeasured pours,” says the marketing—don’t worry, though, it’s not going to kill you, it’s just super intense. Instead, the point of the rum is to add just a few drops to a cocktail like a mai tai or a daiquiri to elevate the flavor and use as a “professional tool… a concentrated flavor catalyst created for skilled hands.” Or as Gabriel puts it, “Don’t buy this unless you know what it is!”

Well, hopefully now you do. We did not get to (carefully) sample Hogo Monsta Rum yet, but the official tasting notes describe overripe banana, pineapple, mango, varnish, brine, spice, and tropical funk on the palate, with an oily and dense mouthfeel. It is available nationwide (SRP $55) starting this month in small 200-ml bottles, and you can find other Planteray rums at websites like ReserveBar now.