Pyrat XO Reserve Planter’s Gold rum showed up at the Broadway Dive Bar wrapped in ribbons and medallions.  Pretty, unnecessary yet worth the effort to peel back the multiple layers of packaging.

The XO Reserve Planter’s Gold is a dark amber liquid, a more fluid molasses (from which it is distilled), darker than its more commonplace commercialized rum counterparts.  Bacardi Gold looks like cheap cough syrup in comparison.  And the comparison ends there.

The sharp scent of most rum to me is still a reminder of too many nights spent in the ladies room of my or someone else’s dorm or parking lot at college after too many affairs with Captain Morgan.  But the smell of Planter’s Gold is sweet and honeyed, mellow, triggering no unpleasant memories.  From the get go, it’s obvious that this is quality, clean and rich with a slight spicy undertone.  Round one is over.  And my nose doesn’t feel burnt.

Despite the obvious smoothness, I’m hesitant.  My sip is more of a lap, a low commitment to my task.  But it’s actually really good.  The mellowness is consistent throughout the taste as well; a slow burn melts on my tongue. A second sip, Honey and a little spice (cloves?) wend their way through my taste buds.  Warmth, not fire, settles in my mouth, followed by an almost Granny Smith apple aftertaste.  Odd, but good.

Add ice.  This is, after all, good enough to sip and too good to waste on coke.  The Granny Smith edge becomes all the more evident, opening into a citrus twinge.  Add a lemon.  Now we’re talking.  The added lemon complements the ever-so-slight bite perfectly.  It probably would taste good with coke, with the caramel syrupy thing.  But cola of all kinds makes my nose wrinkle.  So that part is up to anyone else wanting to upgrade from Bacardi. A Planter’s Gold rum or mixed drink would be a way to sound like you know what you’re talking about, and get rewarded for your attempt at condescending discrimination with a really good drink.

Pyrat XO Planter’s Gold Reserve is good stuff.  And versatile, from brown leather chairs, to Brooklyn patio parties with just the addition of some ice. Because while Planter’s Gold can be had at the Dive Bars, no one in Manhattan has a patio!