Rum: Papa's Pilar

So, we here at Goatsden are always open to exploring new spirits, and credit our supporters with “training” us at tasting stuff like sake, whiskeys, wine, and of course plenty of beer. The opportunity to sample some rums that are new to Indiana didn’t go unheeded, so we gladly hopped the train to the islands to try these. Okay, we didn’t have to go that far, but these are really really nice!

Inspired by legendary writer and adventurer Ernest Hemingway (aka “Papa”, and named after his trusty boat, the Pilar), these rums are blended from sources close to Hemingway’s favored travels (the Caribbean, Florida, and Central America), aged at different times in American bourbon barrels, port wine casks, and finished in Spanish sherry casks for added nuance. Yes, if this sounds like a complex mix of rums, you are right.

PAPA’S PILAR BLONDE RUM
84 proof, $29.99/750mL

This pale, clean yellow rum pours with an instant aroma of vanilla and fruit, with floral notes. Initial tasting indicates a light, fruit-forward flavor, followed by a mellow spicy character. I also get tones of pear, vanilla, and a sweetness hiding beneath the warm finish.

A solid blonde rum here, certainly, and quite easy to drink.

PAPA’S PILAR DARK RUM
86 proof, retail $39.99/750mL

This dark amber rum (a blend that includes some 24-year-old rums) pours with an aroma of sweet candy, spice, vanilla, and an earthy, almost peaty, smoky character.

The taste here rums parallel, with an earthy, smoky character and an underlying sweetness under the palate. There’s a potent burn at the finish, but this one remains smooth all the way down.

In short, these are some premium rums, and ones I’d have no problems returning to in the future. These may well be worthy of Hemingway’s considerable legend.

Papa's Pilar site