Had wine not been the drink of choice 2,000 or so years ago, Jesus would have probably turned every drop of water on earth into Pyrat Rum XO Reserve. Each bottle of this aromatic and easy drinking rum is hand filled and labeled with a hand written serial number at the factory on the island of Anguilla. Pyrat Rum XO is actually a blend of 9 different rums that are blended and then aged to marry the flavors. The squatty corked bottle is reminiscent of the type of bottle used by the rum runners and pirates who roamed the Caribbean in the 1800’s.
I used to drink this stuff by the gallons during my year-long walkabout in the Caribbean. You could get it anywhere, and like most rum in the Caribbean it was cheap. This was not the case when I returned home to sunny Florida some 8 years ago. No one had even heard of my beloved Pyrat Rum. Finally, about a year or so ago, the Patron company decided I had been punished enough and began stocking the shelves of my local ABC Liquor store with Pyrat Rum.
To see if this rum was all that I remember, I bought a bottle and called Nathan and his girlfriend Rachel to come help Laura and I kill the bottle. I thought the taste was perfection. This is one of the few rums I could drink on the rocks. Nathan was of the same opinion and said it was surprisingly, “not bad.” However, our women gave the chilled shots a less than spectacular review. Laura claimed straight Pyrat was only good for clearing her sinuses while Rachel said it had the aftertaste of a pine tree.
Now that I think about it….how does Rachel know what a pine tree tastes like?
Although we had our differences when it came to straight up Pyrat, we all agreed that it definitely had mixing potential. We decided to go with one of the most popular drinks in any Florida night club or bar, the Cuba Libre (a.k.a. rum and Coke). Mixed with Coke this rum has a clean and almost vanilla flavor and everyone agreed that it didn’t have the usual aftertaste you get with normal rum.
The final test for this rum would come the next morning. Just how bad would the hangover be? After drinking the entire bottle in one night Nathan and I reported the same results. No headache. No sick stomach. No hangover. Perfection.
A 750ml bottle of this stuff will set you back about $35 at any store, but I’ve found it a few places online for about $26. Whether you pay $26 or $35, trust me when I tell you this rum is worth every penny.The Patron company has a whole list of drink recipes for Pyrat Rum on their website that I’m sure will keep you busy for a night or two.
Here’s one of my favorites:
Pyrat Punch
Ingredients:
2 oz Pyrat XO Reserve
2 oz Soda water
Juice of 1/2 Lime
Dash bitters
Splash of Pineapple Juice (optional)
Splash of Grapefruit Juice (optional)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Fresh Cherries
Directions:
Method:
Combine rum, limejuice, and bitters in a shaker of ice. Shake gently.
Pour into margarita glass. Garnish with nutmeg and fresh cherries.
Optional juices are pineapple and grapefruit.
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December 16th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
James,
You are dead on! This is the most enjoyable rum I have ever tasted. Smooth, full flavored and the hint of vanilla aftertaste is just heavenly!
January 1st, 2009 at 5:21 pm
I recently tried this for the first time. The bottle I purchased had a blue-cheese aroma and flavor. I returned the bottle suspecting it was simply a bad cork however the second bottle had the same problem. Since I’ve never tried this before I don’t know whether it’s me or the intended flavor.
January 9th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Been drinking Pyrat for years – LOVE it! I think it has lost a little bit of flavor since Paul Mitchell added it to his Patron portfolio, but all in all, the greater availability outweighs the former cache of finding some. Try a couple ounces of it on ice with a 1/2 tsp of brown sugar and a squeeze of lime – perfect way to enjoy it. This rum and Herradura Reposado tequila (Anejo when I’m feeling wealthy) are two of the finest spirits known to man. Love the website – keep up the great work!
January 25th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
This “rum” is really not my cup of tea, it tasted more like a mixture of rum and orange liqueur…good with ice cream, but way too sweet for sipping and enjoying. God only knows what goes in it and how much sugar is added..
February 4th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Really did not like this rum; I agree with Stanley on the rotten cork smell.
I wanted to like it, but something is really wrong with it for my taste buds.
They sell a lot of it though, so I guess best thing to do is try it for yourself.
Perhaps order a shot from the bar first though, getting through a whole bottle if its not your taste is a bit rough.
February 22nd, 2009 at 8:45 pm
PYRAT is nasty tasting when compared to the old original Planters Gold XO Reserve. I agree that since Patron Spirits took it over it tastes like a mixture of rum and orange liqueur. Come to think of it I think Patron makes some kind of orange liquer Patron Citronge’. I wouldn’t drink this garbage at all. Any real rum drinker wouldn’t touch this stuff.
February 24th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
hey:
i bought a bottle of pyrat xo reserve at an upscale liquor store….$29.00.
when i opened the bottle, i expected “Great”..
what i got was something that tasted like a cheap Bourbon.
no orange aroma, no rum taste..just like a cheap bourbon.
i had some friends taste it..and got the same reaction from them.
granted, im no expert..but i like rum.
i will not finish the bottle.i tried it with “pepsi” and it was even worse.
did i get a bad bottle???
February 24th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Jim,
I’ve had a couple people tell me they’ve had some bad Pyrat. I’m going to buy some this weekend to test it out again for myself. It wouldn’t surprise me though if to save money the Patron company dicked around with the recipe. Buying it for $29 also tells me they may be using cheaper ingredients to expand their market share via price cutting. I’ll do some digging and do a post on it.
March 13th, 2009 at 2:13 am
As bad as it gets. I understand the packaging but if buy it keep the bottle and refill it. Try some of the true standards first like 15yr or 25yr Barbancourt or Ron Pampero as reference points. The reaction of the two women in the story were right on. This is the Swisher Sweet of rums. There is SOMETHING artificial in this rum that just isn’t right. I wish I knew so I could stay away from it in other drinks. Like the day I realized why both sake and Budweiser give me a headache. Apparently there is something about fermented rice. It’s the main ingredient in both(according to their labels). What’s in Pyrat though? Pine?
July 14th, 2009 at 12:24 am
Agreed. I had this stuff for the 1st time this 4th of July and and am now trolling the blogs explaining how freakin’ good it is.
July 16th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Well, I’m glad to read others had a similar response… My Sweetie gave me a bottle of Pyrat XO Reserve for my birthday (I usually drink Matusalem Gran Reserva or Clement Rhum Agricole Vieux VSOP), but had been eyeing the Pyrat in the PA State Store (have to visit Jersey for the others)…
I had the same reaction about the cork (smelled funky), the sugary orange-added taste, and the absence of what I consider to be a classic rum flavor (I thought it tasted like a cordial/liquer of some kind). Since I didn’t care for it straight I tried mixing in some Coke, but it just made the Coke very sweet and, again, didn’t add that flavor I associate with Rum so I didn’t think it tasted right. Sweetie agreed. I had the same thought: “Did I get a bad bottle?”
That being said, to each their own… Maybe if I get through the bottle it could grow on me as something completely of its own accord, but that will be a slow journey. (Flip side is, I can casually go through a bottle of Matusalem in 2 days if I’m not careful).
August 30th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
whats wrong with everybody? I am a rum drinkin son of a bitch and Pyrat is awesome end of story. Mixed with coke is spectacular or on the rocks its great. Beats the shit out of Captain Morgan or Bacardi.