Objective Notes
Extremely Smooth (on the RnD scale of Harsh-Smooth-Very Smooth-Extremely Smooth)

Smooooth. Pyrat Cask 23 is a medium bodied dark amber colored rum. I can tell immediately when I've poured some into a glass as the aromas fill the air with smells of citrus (wild orange) , juicy fruit, and sweet honey. When you take your first taste you are astonished at the amazing quality and smoothness of this unique, old rum. It's unlike any rum you will try other than it's younger sibling, Pyrat XO Reserve, but it's much more polished and smooth with the additional 8-25 years of aging of this blend of rums. Wonderful flavors of sweet citrus (similar to the Savage Orange Liquor only available in Anguilla at their tasting room) and juicy fruit. It is a little sweet and tastes like a very fine cognac due to the advanced age of the blend of rums that vary from 23 to 40 years. It finishes nicely with the flavors lingering for a while.

Anecdotal Notes
Dave and I ended our afternoon on Anguilla by stopping by the Anguilla Rum Factory April 2006 on our way to the BVI's from Antigua. The facility is open to the public for tours and samples. Yes even the Cask 23 is available for sampling! We were happy to try all of their rums and we took a short self guided tour of the facility. We met many nice people and toured the barrel and packaging room. There was a shortage of storage and they had some barrels brought into the tasting room. They were filling the barrels with Cask 23 with what looked like a "gas pump nozzle". The person doing the pouring spilled some on the ground and proceeded to mop it up. He was amazed at our keen interest in his clean up job. We had a great time and they even threw in a shirt on the house for buying the Cask 23.

The bottle is a hand made, unique, and numbered decanter. The label looks like it is aged and antique to fit the style of the bottle. The bottle sports a gold medallion of HOTI, the Zen Patron Saint and protector of little children, fortune tellers, and bartenders! It has a brown silk ribbon and handsome wooden top cork closure. It comes with a book about the rum and it's all enclosed in a hand made walnut wooden case that is laser engraved. Almost like a small treasure chest with its magnetic closure door. It is one of the nicest packaging examples I've seen for a bottle of rum. And for this wonderfully ultra-premium rum it more than deserves the respect of a great package.

I did have an issue with the transport of the bottle home. Patron, the owner of Anguilla Distillers,  has the finest customer service of any company I've ever dealt with. If you want more details on this part of the story please e-mail me.

Taster’s Opinion
Roger - You are a fortunate person if you own a bottle of this nectar of the gods.  This is one of the best rums in the world that you can buy today. It isn't an everyday rum for most people but it is great for special occasions and to share with your very best friends who will appreciate it. It’s best enjoyed neat or on the rocks. It's priced at the extremely high end of the market but has been worth it in my opinion to own a bottle. If you are a serious connoisseur of fine rums this is one you should add to your collection as it isn’t too hard to find. Even better take a trip down to Anguilla and taste it where it's born!

Taster's Rating (10 is best):
Roger - 10.0 Flasks

Most recently tasted by: Roger in January, 2007 at RnD's Northern tasting room in USA.

*750ml unless otherwise stated.