Rum Connoisseur
Interview of The Week:

RON CALL

Papa´s Pilar Master Blender

1. Who is Ron Call?

A second-generation distiller and veteran of both the rum and bourbon industries, Ron Call began his career at Jim Beam in 1974. He started out as a Lab Technician, and throughout his 16 years with the company, worked his way up to Quality Manager, where he remained until being recruited to Florida Distillers in 1990. While at Florida Distillers, he led the development of nearly all of Cruzan’s flavors, as well as its award-winning Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum.

Ron began working with Papa’s Pilar in 2012. As Master Blender, he calls on his more than 45 years of experience to hand-select the rums that make up each of Papa’s Pilar’s blends, as well as the barrels used to finish each expression. From Papa’s Pilar Blonde and Dark to the variety of special releases by the brand, Ron balances the art and science of blending and aging, ensuring that every pour is consistent, bold and delicious.

 

2. Biggest achievement you personally feel you have accomplished for the rum industry.

Until joining Papa’s Pilar, I’d say my biggest achievement in the rum industry was winning “Best of Category” and Double Gold with the Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum at the 2000 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. However, I think helping shape Papa’s Pilar into what it is today has to take the cake. We’ve been able to create some really amazing rum, including Pilar Blonde, Pilar Dark, and a variety of special releases over the years. Within our portfolio, I’d say that I’m most proud of the Marquesas Blend, which was just released in October and was recognized as “Best of Class” and Double Gold at the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition this year. When it came to picking the barrels, I selected a cooperage that I knew would give us the high quality #4 char barrels that we needed to age this rum. That combination really created the profile I had in mind, and I think it made a very special product.

3. What made you fall in love with rum and when did it happen?

As a second-generation distiller, whiskey was my first love – but I’ve always been drawn to rum. It has that soft, balanced profile, and I like that you can completely change the profile of the raw materials through the art of blending and aging. Some bourbon can be harsh or have a burn or some of the “green” notes that I don’t always like, but nicely aged rum has that smooth, medium-bodied profile. I think that’s why I love our Marquesas Blend so much – the slight marinate of the oak with the char from the whiskey barrels gives that softness and balance.

 

4. What is that thing that makes you want to continue in the rum industry?

I get personal satisfaction in seeing people’s reactions when they try Papa’s Pilar Rum. Many people who have never tried high-quality, aged rum are shocked when they learn that rum can taste like that, and I like being part of that education process, especially as both Papa’s Pilar and the ultra-premium rum category as a whole continue to grow.

 

5. Favourite Drink + Recipe

I usually go for a rum-based Manhattan. We’ve seen that classic cocktails have been becoming popular again, along with variations on those classic recipes that involve substituting out the core spirits. We have a recipe for a Manhattan that’s made with our Marquesas Blend rum, which is a great example of that.

Marquesas Manhattan

2 oz Papa’s Pilar Marquesas Blend Dark Rum

1 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth

3 dashes Angostura bitters

Dirty Cherry Garnish

Build in shaker; strain neat.

 

I’ll also say, I was never a fan of mojitos until trying our Papa’s Pilar mojito, which is made with a split base of our Blonde and Dark rums. It gave it a lot more complexity and character, and it made a wonderful and refreshing drink without using too much mint.

 

6. Where do you see the rum industry today and in the next 5 years?

People are getting more and more excited to learn about rum – I was at a store a few weeks ago and spoke to a few customers who were tickled to death to learn more about Papa’s Pilar rum and rum as a whole. People who have an appetite for high-end spirits are starting to take notice and pay attention to the category. I think rum will continue to strengthen its stronghold in the super- and ultra-premium categories over the next five years. Through my work with the Papa’s Pilar team, I’m hoping we’ll be able to help accomplish this.

 

7. What do you think needs to happen to grow the premium category of rum?

The quality of the product needs to remain consistent. Of course, experimenting with new profiles and putting out special releases is important, but the key is to make sure that even while doing those at times, the core products are consistently high-quality.

 

8. Which rum would you recommend a person that:

• Sipping a premium rum for the 1st time:
  • Papa’s Pilar Blonde Rum. It’s approachable when enjoyed as sipping rum, and it makes for a really high-end, delicious cocktail.
• Likes Scotch Whisky:
  • Probably a blended, high-end Rhum Agricole.
• Likes Bourbon:
  • Papa’s Pilar Marquesas Blend Rum. It’s hard to believe the profile you get from aging in those whiskey barrels, but you can truly change the whole character of the rum that way. It shocks people to experience rum that tastes like that.
• Likes Gin or Vodka:
  • There are some extra dry rums on the market that I think would appeal to a gin or vodka drinker.

 

9. Share some (2-3) of your mentors and how they have helped you.

Two of my mentors from my Jim Beam days were Don Calhoun and Booker Noe. As the Plant Manager, Don taught me a lot about bottling and production. He always gave me the opportunity to learn as much as possible, sending me to troubleshoot issues and get the kind of hands-on experience and knowledge that never goes away. Booker, who was a family friend of my dad while he was in the business as well, taught me the distilling and aging side of things. That’s not something you go to school to learn – you learn it by doing it, and I was lucky to get that experience and guidance while I was there.

10. What 3-5 things do you have in your bucket list for the next 12 months?

We’ve been experimenting with a few different blends, so I’m looking forward to trying some new things with unique profiles. I’d also love to do another single barrel release eventually, and it’s my personal goal to win Double Gold or better on that.

 

11. Any last words?

I’ve seen a lot of changes across the board since I started out in the rum industry, and working with the team at Papa’s Pilar has given me a lot of faith in the future of the industry. They’re good folks to work with, they do their work with integrity, and I really appreciate them. If there’s one thing I’ve learned through my experience, it’s that you can’t do it without being like a family. I’m lucky to have that with this team.

 

12. How can people learn more about you? Website? Social Media Page

You can learn more about Papa’s Pilar and our rums at www.papaspilar.com, or you can follow us on social media:

– Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PapasPilarRum/

– Instagram https://www.instagram.com/papaspilar/

– Twitter https://twitter.com/papaspilar