While 2020 hasn’t been a walk in the park for, well, anyone, Goslings Rum has given us a reason to smile again. Rejoice, because Papa Seal Single Barrel Bermuda Rum, an extremely rare release that pays homage to the brand’s time-tested traditions, is hitting shelves.
The first iteration of Papa Seal arrived in Fall 2018 with about 2,500 bottles of the more than 15-year-old spirit available in select regions throughout the U.S. Like its predecessor, each bottle of Papa Seal 2020 will feature its barrel number, bottle number, and bottling date hand-written on its label. Housed in an elegant display box with a slide-out tray, open view window, and satin finish foil label, Papa Seal is ready to be gifted to appreciators of rum and sipping whiskies alike.
“Goslings Papa Seal is one of only a handful of single barrel rums currently on the market and is a complex and beautiful sipping nightcap,” says E. Malcolm Gosling, seventh-generation rum maker and CEO of Goslings International Limited. “We hope that Papa Seal joins Family Reserve Old Rum, our original annual premium release, as the entry for many people to discover the vibrancy of sipping rum in the same way as a fine whiskey, brandy, or cognac.”
Papa Seal 2020 is blended from pot and column distilled rums ranging between 10 and 21 years aged in hand-selected, once-used bourbon barrels with medium char. Each blend is married in American White Oak and aged for an additional two years in Bermuda’s humid, salty air, guaranteeing more balanced and intricate flavors. The aged barrels are then filtered and bottled independently at 83 proof.
While the exact flavor notes will vary barrel to barrel, drinkers can expect a lavish yet mellow palate with hints of caramel, spice, vanilla, and dried fruit, with a clean and well-balanced finish that lingers in the mouth.
Count us in.
