Pyrat XO Reserve

Pyrat XO Reserve is an Anguilla labelled rum, column distilled from molasses and bottled at 40%, best understood for what it actually is rather than what its extra anejo billing suggests. This is a heavily sweetened, orange forward style that drinks more like an orange liqueur built on a rum base than a traditional dry aged spirit.

The column still keeps the spirit light, and added sugar and pronounced orange do the rest. The nose is all sweet orange and orange peel with vanilla and a faint herbal, even medicinal lift, while the palate carries that same candied citrus with vanilla and a slightly bitter peel note on the finish. There is little of the woody, spicy complexity rum enthusiasts look for, so it is honest to set expectations, this is citrus dessert booze. Taken on those terms it has its place, in cocktails, in baking, or for drinkers who simply enjoy sweet orange and vanilla.