Pyrat XO Reserve Rum

"Sipping rums", round two.

In their words:
Pyrat XO Reserve Rum (Pronounced: Pirate)

From the creators of Patron, the world's #1 ultra premium tequila, we bring you the finest ultra premium rum for those who accept only the finest things in life.

Pyrat XO Reserve is a blend of unique Caribbean rums aged up to 15 years in Limousin oak and American sweet oak barrels. It has a "toasted apricot" amber color and offers flavors of vanilla, caramel, honey and cinnamon. An extremely smooth but gentle "palette texture" keeps it soft to the taste.

Gold Medal Winner American Tasting Awards

Once aged and blended to perfection, Pyrat XO Reserve is poured into individually numbered, hand-crafted decanters and decorated with a Hoti (pronounced Ho-Tie). The Hoti represents the Zen patron of fortunetellers and bartenders.

How to enjoy the rich taste of Pyrat XO Reserve:
Neat in a snifter with a lemon twist
On the rocks with a wedge of lime
With your favorite cola or juice on the rocks

In my words:
Butterscotch. So much butterscotch it's like someone broke a Werther's Original apart in your brain. Rather than being one note, however, this comes across as savory and inviting. The remainder of the nose contains a hint of molasses and faint citrus aromas.

There's a lot of burnt sugar sweetness up front, followed by a splash of coconut across the palate. The alcohol stings up into the sinuses before settling into a soft, smooth, and surprisingly short finish.

While Pyrat XO Reserve Rum wasn't exactly what I'm looking on my quest for "sipping rums" (for one thing, it's very much a light rum), I was suitably impressed by it's sophistication. The butterscotch nose wasn't overpowering, but instead rather delicate. I drank it neat and did find some of the piquancy you find in certain scotches, but over all I couldn't help but think of this as more of a top shelf mixer (though this is just my personal opinion). I definitely think Pyrat Rum XO Reserve could make a killer mojito. I would not smother it in juice or, God help us, soda.

Pyrat Rum XO Reserve is hand bottled (for the record: #1443087).