Menu Section: Spirits Rum Premium

We learned in grade school that many pirates suffered from scurvy as their less-than-nutritious diets at sea did not contain enough Vitamin C. (That nutrient is usually found in perishable fruits and vegetables that were rarely found on pirate vessels on long journeys.) Perhaps it's coincidence, but Pyrat Cask 1623, named for the Old English word for "pirate," seems like a citrus blast that can cure whatever ails you. Now we're not suggesting that you take an 80-proof shot in the morning in lieu of your Flintstones chewables, but this oh-so-smooth, honeyed, syrupy rum is delightful on the nose, palate and the brain.

Named for the year in which the Mount Gay distillery was founded, this premium product of Barbados displays the type of craftsmanship and refinement of flavors that one would expect from the oldest continuously active rum brand in the world. Made from Barbadian sugarcane and coral-filtered water, Mount Gay 1703 goes through both single and continuous distillation processes for increased complexity before being aged for up to 30 years in lightly charred oak Bourbon barrels from Kentucky. The finished product is fruity, but not in a paper-umbrella-adornment way. Rather, the amber-hued rum features banana and candied fruits on the palate that lingered long after the 86-proof nectar warmed your innards.