Don Papa Rum is distilled in the fertile foothills of Mt.
Kanlaon, an area where some of the finest sugarcane is milled producing rich,
sweet molasses. The blending of Don Papa is sheer alchemy, done in
collaboration with a master blender from Ginebra San Miguel. It is then aged
for 7 years in American oak barrels yielding a pristine, small batch
product. Heavy with notes of caramel and vanilla, this rum lends itself to
the sweeter side, but nothing less should be expected from the Philippines
first real sipping rum. Bottled with an eye-catching packaging featuring a trippy
Alice in Wonderland meets island adventurer motif, this Don Papa rum is a truly
intriguing release. Not to mention the creative genius that is the bottle
itself.
Don Papa Rum was founded in 2011 by Stephen Carroll, a
former Remy Cointreau executive. After visiting the sugar capital of Negros,
while visiting the Philippines, Carroll became enchanted by the island and its
"stories of an island that had everything; from the world’s finest
sugarcane, beautiful beaches, mountains, and volcanoes… even guerillas in the
hills!" He became determined to switch up the Philippines’ less than
stellar rum reputation, with a new imaginative, premium offering. The
Philippines is ranked number three on the list of largest rum markets in the
world, making it even more of a prime fit for former Remy exec.
The brand is indubitably inspired by the Philippines. The name Don Papa is a
nod to Dionisio Magbuelas, more popularly known has Papa Isio, a healer,
shaman, seer, rebel, and leader of the babaylanes or shamans, who played a key
part during the years prior to the onset of the Philippine Revolution in the
19th century. Don Papa is inspired by the essence of the leader that Magbuelas was;
"A real and charismatic leader from the island of Negros, Philippines,
whose legend was instrumental to the independence of the island during the
Revolution of the 1890s" Don Papa.
The bespoke, imaginative vial symbolizes the history of the Philippines, as a
creative representation of the influences of colonialism. The bottle is from
France, the cork from Portugal, the label from Italy, and the brand image was
designed in New York by Stranger & Stranger. The label features Don Papa,
adorned with a gecko. There are 49 other animals hidden in the label including
the native tarsier, endemic to the southern Philippine islands of Bohol, Samar,
and Leyte. This award winning design won a Gold medal for packaging at the 2013
San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and product innovation of the year at
the 2013 Paris Cocktail Spirits Show.
