So this has in 3 years gone through 3 casks, Bourbon/Port/Sherry – but the thing about casking is you kinda need time and while you do get some of the sherry finish here – it’s not ideal in any way. Add some massive burn and sugary nonsense and you begin to think maybe this shouldn’t be blonde and maybe – it just needs more time to age. As it stands though this is basically worthless.
The cherry on top (or perhaps the dumb chain on top) is invoking the roots of rum and Hemingway – meaning the nonsense train continues. The roots of rum were a whole lot darker than these, and Hemingway – well let’s not dig into whether Hemingway should be celebrated at all, but even if he should – this is a pretty piss poor way to do so.
What they Say: “The artisan-crafted spirit that reflects Rum’s gutsy roots. Inspired by possibly the world’s greatest adventurer – Ernest Hemingway.
- Sources: Florida, Central America & The Caribbean
- Temperature Controlled Slow Fermentation
- Column Distillation
- Solera Blended in Bourbon Barrels & Port Wine Casks
- Finished in Spanish Sherry Casks”
Taste: 3.0 – You get some sugar and a weird sugar like vibe that isn’t agave or cane, but is just not desirable.
Aftertaste: 2.0 – We’ll agree to this – you can in the aftertaste get that sherry cask finish. Sadly the main question therein is – WHY. Why would you do this? Why would you ruin what could have been a good rum?
Burn/Smooth: 3.0 – It’s not a fire and brimstone burn, but god is that bad and nowhere near smooth.
Aroma: 5.0 – Despite the color and ‘blonde’ it smells pretty much exactly like any other gold rum. On that basis – average.
Honesty: 2.0 – Let us be VERY clear here. When we heard the greatest adventurer we expected the like of Lindbergh, Hillary, Shackleton – not Hemingway who just visited some French colonies and got drunk and wrote a bunch of macho bullshit. So first off – fuck you. Secondly, the whole chain holding the top thing – piss off. Third – Papa’s Pilar? No.
Mixability: 4.0
W/ Rocks: 3.5 – That makes everything way more upfront and open – and you know what – it’s bad.
Rum and Coke: 4.5 – This is so far the best way to consume this – and while yes maybe something like a Daiquiri might be better served by this – overall it’s just a failure.
Value: 3.0 – No. Sorry but this simply isn’t worth that price in any way, shape, or form.
Google Shop Average: $30
Website: https://www.papaspilar.com/
Reviewer Scores:
BuffaloJern: 2.0
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Metric Score: 22/70 |+| Metric Average: 3.14 |+| Reviewer Average: 2.0
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Final Thoughts: It seems that Papa Pilar does indeed have more rums than this blonde, but given the naming it tries to invoke and the price it might be a long while before we decide to give their aged brothers a shot. In case the above isn’t clear enough – no one should buy this.
