Platinum Blond is the 5th Papa's Pilar expression that Limpd and I have reviewed here on our little corner of the interwebs. Since the last four expressions that we reviewed ticked all of our boxes when it comes to booze, ie...
Pretty packaging,
A great back story,
And super tasty flavors,
...when asked if we'd like to try their latest Rum release, we jumped at the opportunity and said, "YES!".
If we didn't say "Yes!", you wouldn't be reading this review right now. Makes sense, no?
Below are a few words about Platinum Blonde, the latest Rum expression from Papa's Pilar:
Papa's Pilar®, the award-winning, premium sipping rum inspired by Ernest Hemingway, has released 2,000 cases of Platinum Blonde rum in select markets. As the first special release crafted from the brand's award-winning flagship Blonde Rum, the team of Master Blenders drew inspiration from Cuban-style rum, which is known for being light to medium bodied, smooth and soft. While the team chose to use the same five premium aged rums as in the Flagship Blonde expression, which are sourced from five different locations throughout the Caribbean, Central America and the U.S., they varied the quantity of the rums (aged from 2-7 years) to produce a specific taste profile the Master Blender was looking to achieve. The five rums are column distilled and solera blended in Bourbon barrels and Spanish Sherry casks. Rich notes from once-used bourbon barrels gives the expression great depth. Other factors, including the cooperage, temperature and different percentage of rums, also impact everything from the nose, color, flavor and finish. Over-proofed at 92 (vs. the Flagship at 84-proof), Platinum drinks smoothly, is incredibly mixable and perfect for cocktails. "Drawing inspiration from Cuban-styled rum, Papa's Pilar Platinum Blonde Limited Edition is a light to medium bodied rum that took years to perfect," said Ron Call, Head of Rum Production. "It's one of the best batched releases of which I've been part and certainly one of which "Papa" would be proud."Now that you know a bit about this Rum, let's get on with our review...
- Appearance: Pale golden color.
- ABV: 46%
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Aroma
- Limpd: A good bit of alcohol upfront, with delightful hints of coconut and Butter Rum Lifesavers.
- G-LO: Very light and fruity on the nose with hints of vanilla, powdered sugar, cinnamon, coconut, and ripe banana.
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Taste
- Limpd: Spicy with a syrupy thickness. After the alcohol, there's a lot of sweetness upfront; think vanilla frosting (the icing on animal crackers). Then, the flavors shift to fruits (coconut and caramel apples) and Lyle's Golden Syrup. The finish is mild with a little heat and a bit dry.
- G-LO: Medium bodied with a wee bit of oiliness. Very little alcohol sting. Very soft with lots of vanilla and powdered sugar at the start. Almost has a vanilla custard like flavor. At mid-palate, things start to heat up a bit with some cinnamon heat coupled with those coconut and banana notes. Gets a little dry at the finish with lingering heat and the flavors all coming together. Think tropical vanilla custard, lightly topped with cinnamon and light brown sugar.
The Verdict
Limpd: I really liked this one. Platinum Blonde (not to be confused with Atomic Blonde) is sweet and spicy with a great balance from start to finish. I think this is a fine sipping rum that would certainly boost a cocktail. Well done!
G-LO: As has been the case before, Papa's Pilar delivered yet another tasty Rum expression. While not as rich and flavorful as the Dark Rums that we've sampled from this brand, this is still quite good on its own. I picture this being really good in a simple tropical drink. Maybe some fresh coconut milk over ice with a splash of fresh squeezed pineapple juice, or even better, this would make one hell of a classic Daiquiri.
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