Papa's Pilar Dark Rum

Heavy toffee vibe. Works neat, or mixed with straight coconut water.

Nose is a lot of butterscotch, followed by dark chocolate, vanilla, littllleeee bit of coffee. Flavor follows the sweet butterscotch smell, then a lot of dark spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove), the dark chocolate comes out. Ends with the dry tannin flavor of the sherry, but pretty subtle. Not a long longer.

An interesting approach to a rum, bordering on "the kitchen sink": solera vatting rums from 5 countries (perhaps even more unique recipes) including some of their own distillate, using bourbon, port, and sherry casks, and likely being a little loose in the dosage/flavoring department. Nothing to do but give it a whirl! The bottle and (distillery-only) cap are both extravagantly pleasing to the touch and very heavy. Unfortunately, while this makes the cap feel quite special, like an unearthed Spanish doubloon, the bottle is so heavy, wide, and smooth that its tiny central spout is tragically frustrating to pour. An odd gripe, but prominently noticeable. A very dark brown with long, treacly, sugar-aided legs. The nose is quite appealing but eventually I settled on imitation maple syrup… or a combination of aromas that add up to maple syrup without actually containing it. Strong vanilla. Graham cracker. Shares an unexpected but striking kinship with Angel’s Envy (rum barrel) Finished Rye. Quite pleasant on the surface, but unsettling as a veteran of distilled spirits who prizes authenticity. The palate opens sweet but just avoids syrupy, perhaps due to a thin body. This undoubtedly has added sugar, but I’d wager it is a smidge less than the worst offenders: Diplomatico, Zacapa, et al. More maple syrup and charred oak dominate the flavors. Brown sugar rounds into molasses. Vanilla cavendish tobacco. Sweetness along with the oak, quasi-maple, and vanilla resonate through the finish while a touch of astringency dries the mouth. At the end of the day there are a number of things to enjoy about this, but an impression of artificiality saps most of the excitement.

Nice molasses flavor, slight burn, chocolate finish