The Super-Limited Rum Features French Oak Apple Brandy Cask Finish, Immersive Augmented Reality Experience, and Partnership with Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation

Papa’s Pilar Rum, the ultra-premium rum brand inspired by Ernest Hemingway, announces its 2022 Legacy Edition release, the second in its series of limited-quantity special bottlings.

Now officially available for pre-order, the 2022 Legacy Edition showcases Papa’s Pilar’s dedication to innovation both in and out of the barrel, and celebrates the 70th anniversary of the publishing of Hemingway’s acclaimed literary masterpiece, The Old Man and the Sea. The liquid inside the bottle consists of nine different rums from five sources – Barbados, Dominican Republic, Panama, Venezuela, Florida – which is then expertly finished in hand-selected French Oak Apple Brandy barrels.

“I’m inspired by Papa Hemingway daily and the 2022 Legacy Edition was a way for me to tap into that inspiration even further while celebrating his life’s work and highlighting innovative rum finishing techniques,” said Master Distiller Ron Call. “I hand-selected some of the most unique barrels for finishing: French Oak Apple Brandy casks. These brandy casks produce apple-forward characteristics, which is rare in rum. You’ll also find notes of vanilla with a touch of honeysuckle and a dark rich honey finish. The result is a rum unlike anything you’ve tasted.”

According to literary lore, The Old Man and the Sea was finished while Hemingway was aboard his beloved boat, the Pilar. To bring the novel to life for the anniversary and to pay homage to Hemingway’s “Never a Spectator” spirit in an interactive way, the brand created an immersive AR experience that tells the story of The Old Man and the Sea narrated by artist and conservationist Dr. Guy Harvey, and shows Harvey’s first-ever sketches, which were inspired by the book.

For every bottle (SRP: $102.99) sold, Papa’s Pilar will donate $20 to the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, which supports reef conservation, restoration and education, a year-round effort for the rum brand. The bottle itself also serves as a keepsake, wrapped in genuine leather made to resemble the shape of the iconic WWII canteen bottle, and features a pocket on the back that includes a writer’s notebook embossed with the “Never a Spectator” stamp, the motto of Papa’s Pilar Rum. Attached to the side is a black and copper pen for rum and Hemingway enthusiasts to write about their own adventures, also made to match the copper details of the bottle.