Pyrat

[saltgrassbear]

It's like going on a treasure hunt. I located some bottles of PYRAT XO Reserve. It is indeed different than the Appleton Reserve, and I do believe I prefer it. Wait let me try the Appleton again I've located a bottle of Cask 23 about 200 miles away and am wondering if the price and taste are worth the drive.
Now my question is: Is the PYRAT Planters Gold XO Reserve before Patron purchased them and is it still available?

SGB

[Count Silvio]

Originally Posted by saltgrassbear

Now my question is: Is the PYRAT Planters Gold XO Reserve before Patron purchased them and is it still available?

I believe I have one of the older bottles. Got it this year from spain. I should probably consider myself lucky?

[Scottes]

Originally Posted by Count Silvio

I believe I have one of the older bottles. Got it this year from spain. I should probably consider myself lucky?

http://scottesrum.com/2007/06/17/pyrat-xo-old-vs-new/

Short version:

The old has a very nice taste, good basic rum but sweeter. Tastes of caramel and honey came through, with hints of vanilla and a slight orange taste. It’s sweet, but not overly sweet, and quite smooth. It has a slight burn that lasts, and the finish lingers a bit as well. This is an excellent rum.

The new has a distinct orange taste, is definitely sweeter, and has more honey coming through. It’s a bit smoother, with less burn and a longer finish. There’s a small bit of spiciness coming through at the end, leaving a bit of tingling in the mouth. This is also an excellent rum.

There’s no doubt in my mind that these are two different rums.

See this link for another comparison of the old Pyrat versus the new Pyrat:
http://www.bilgemunky.com/editorials/pyratxo.php


One should remember that Anguilla Rums does not make their own rum. They buy rum from 9 different makers and blend it. The same 9 rums are used for their Pistol, XO, and Cask 1623 - different aging, barrels, and blending are what define the final product.

So it's *possible* that Pyrat XO could vary from year to year. I do not know how strict they are with continuing the same taste over time. The changes noted above do appear to be quite drastic, and therefore intentional IMHO.

[saltgrassbear]

Just ran across some PYRAT XO RESERVE in a box. I'm on evenings now and can't wait to get home and have a sip of rum. As I said, I've located a bottle of cask 23. Think I'll make the drive and check it out. If it's better than the xo reserve, it must be good.

SGB

[Scottes]

The Cask 23 is very good, but very expensive. It's worth a treat, but it's not something I'd buy regularly. For the price of 1 bottle you can get 10 bottles of XO, or 6 bottles of Ron Zacapa 23-year-old.

But it is worth a special treat.

[saltgrassbear]

Point taken, but I must try the Cask 23. Be nice if I could find an open bottle locally. There are rumors on top of rumors about PYRAT being discontinued. Should one go out and buy a couple cases?

SGB

[Edward Hamilton]

Originally Posted by saltgrassbear

Now my question is: Is the PYRAT Planters Gold XO Reserve before Patron purchased them and is it still available?

SGB

Pyrat was started by Martin Crowley who also started Patron Spirits.

[Count Silvio]

Originally Posted by saltgrassbear

There are rumors on top of rumors about PYRAT being discontinued. Should one go out and buy a couple cases?

SGB

I hope this is not the case. It took forever for me to track down a bottle in europe for a "decent" price. Because of this price and difficulty of finding it, it is not possible for me to buy it very often. Some german netshops sell it for more than 80 euros, I got it for 50 euros from spain. Can't believe it is only 20 dollars in some places, I wish it was that cheap in europe. I'm not even going to mention the price of Cask 1623.

[bluewave6]

I heard rumors a few months back that Pyrat was being discontinued but my local haunt said they have not heard of anything official and have had no problem getting the Pyrat XO and Pistol in. I do know that the Pyrat Blanco was discontinued a while back...I was fortunate to find an old stock bottle in a hole in the wall liquor store (which is where I find some of my best finds and prices

[saltgrassbear]

One big question. How do you keep from drinking half a bottle at a time. Good RUM tastes so good, it's hard to stop.

SGB