The man retrieved a bottle of Papa’s Pilar Sherry Cask from his shelf. It was rum. Rum was good and the man liked drinking it and he liked writing about it.
Pilar had been the name of Ernest Hemingway’s boat. Ernest Hemingway had liked rum.
This was a blend of seven different rums. The rums had come from Florida, the Caribbean and Central America. Some had been pot distilled. Others, column distilled. The oldest among them was 25 years old. They had been solera aged in bourbon barrels, port wine casks, and finally Spanish Oloroso Sherry casks. In those final casks the rum had spent exactly 30 days.
The man took a rocks glass from his cabinet and then he poured the rum into it. It was a deep amber color. He put his nose close to the glass and smelled it. The rum smelled good. It reminded him of praline, walnut, vanilla, and most of all, toffee.
The man sipped the rum. It was cool on the palate, and its mouthfeel had a slippery quality and a certain absence of body. It began with slight flavors of raisin and walnut. Yet, the man had expected more complexity. Instead a surge of sugar occurred at the center. This sweetness would define the rum’s flavor. At the end there was a pop of pepper. Then a finish like maple syrup, which was satisfying, if one-note, and not particularly interesting.
The man felt disappointed. He had expected there to be more complexity considering the nose and the finishing process. He wished that there had been more body, and variety of flavor. The man returned the bottle to the shelf.
Stats:
— 43% ABV
— $45-$47
CE Rating: ★★
