Papa's Pilar

I recently went to Florida Keys and made the pilgrimage down to see Papa’s house in Key West.  It was an interesting place to visit and to see all the six toed cats running about the place.  While down there all the bars had plenty of Rum and of course they had ample supply of Papa’s Pilar in various configurations. 

Pilar is the name of Hemingway’s famous boat where he spent a lot of time entertaining his friends and fishing for Marlin and other fish off the coast of Florida and Cuba.  The Pilar now sits on the tennis court of the Finca Vigia, Papa’s Havana residence.  Pilar was also the name of one of the main characters of his famous novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls.   

The rum that carries Ernest Hemingway’s nickname and the name of his famous boat is a nice sipping libation.  I enjoyed drinking it on the rocks.  I find it to be a smooth and enjoyable drink and the bottle as well as the namesake make it interesting, as I am a big fan of Hemingway’s prose and I find his life quite intriguing.  The bottle pictured here is the variation that is finished in a whiskey barrel.  It is finished in a #4 Char Kentucky Bourbon Barrel.  It is a blended Rum including rum from the Caribbean, U.S. & Central America.  The notes are of vanilla, coffee, and honey with hints of oak and vanilla.  On the tongue it has rich cocoa notes with a hint of vanilla and finishes with spice and a smooth sweetness.   I enjoy it best over a big rock.