Tag Archives: pyrat

Review: Pyrat Pistol

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Rating: ★½☆☆☆
pyrat_pistol
www.pyratrum.com

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from Internet Wines and Spirits

I know it still has it’s fans, and I wouldn’t dream of trying to talk them out of their enjoyment. But to me, Pyrat rums seem a few years past their time. Somewhere a while back they changed their formula – the beloved Pyrat XO went from a fine rum to merely decent, the infamous Pyrat Cask 23 fell from extraordinary to – again – decent. And Pyrat Pistol? I never had the chance to try it before the change, but today it doesn’t strike me as something you need to seek out.

Pyrate Pistol tastes virtually identical to its sibling XO – plenty of citrus with a tiny touch of musk. But the finish is more bitter than is XO, and even while still on the tongue it carries just a bit of harshness. Basically a slightly inferior rum to XO, but without the significantly cheaper price tag to make it all add up. XO these days can be had in many markets for a song, so if lightweight citrusy rum is your cup of grog, that’s where I’d stick.

Pyrat Rum XO Side-by-Side Taste Test

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Some time back, perhaps a year or two, Planters Gold Pyrat XO Reserve became Pyrat Rum XO Reserve. The name change was subtle, and the label changed slightly to match, although the familiar (and beloved) handblown glass bottle remained the same, as did the accompanying ribbons and Hoti medallion. As time passed, I received an occasional email from readers asking if I’d noticed a difference in the new rum vs. the old. Some of these readers had claimed to have contacted the distillery to inquire, and passed along that the distillery claimed no changes had been made to the rum itself. Nonetheless, many fans seemed to have noticed something different. Continue reading →

Review: Pyrat Cask 23

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Rating: ★★★★★
Pyrat Cask 23
www.pyratrum.com

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from Internet Wines and Spirits

Note – in the years since writing this review, I’ve received many reports from readers that Pyrat Cask 23’s quality has declined. What small tastes I’ve had of more recent bottles appears to back up this observation, although I’m not yet certain. -Bilge

Presentation isn’t everything, but it’s a lot, and nobody knows this like the makers of Pyrat Cask 23. They start with a hand-blown glass bottle, fill it with their finest mix of select rums, seal it with a cork, and label it with some antique-looking stickers (not brown colored stickers, but stickers that used to be white and new and look like they’ve been aged for decades.) Then they hang yellow ribbons from the bottleneck, along with a medallion of the god of bartenders. And lastly, the whole affair is placed in a gorgeous cedar chest. I tell you, when you first open this bottle of rum you feel like you’ve just raided a spanish galleon (and when you look at the price tag, you might wish you had.) Continue reading →

Review: Pyrat XO

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Rating: ★★★☆☆
Planters Gold: Pyrat XO
www.pyratrum.com

Click to buy!
from Internet Wines and Spirits

Whatever you may say about Pyrat Rums, one thing is certain – nobody presents their product better. Whether you’ve acquired their top-of-the-line Cask 23, or if you’ve selected their more affordable XO Reserve, in either case you get a glorious handblown bottle – complete with cork, ribbons, and a medallion of Hoti (the god of bartenders.) This is how rum was meant to be packaged, and I’ve yet to find another that comes even close. Continue reading →