Key West, Florida-based Papa’s Pilar Rum, the worldly-sourced and Florida-finished rum brand inspired by legendary novelist Ernest “Papa” Hemingway, announces availability of the latest rum in its Legacy series, Legacy Edition 2023, crafted in honor of surfing legend and big wave pioneer Greg Noll.
This limited-release Legacy Edition blend is the third expression in the series, and was bottled and crafted to perfection in 2023, readying it for release in February, the month Noll would have celebrated his 87th birthday.
Papa’s Pilar Rum was created alongside the Hemingway family to celebrate Hemingway’s life. Each Legacy Edition release pays homage to the iconic novelist along with other legends who live out his ‘Never A Spectator’ mantra and live life to the fullest. This year’s offering celebrates Noll, who, like Hemingway, was known for constantly pushing boundaries. Nicknamed “Da Bull” and known for wearing his iconic black and white striped boardshorts, Noll stared down fear and achieved what many thought was impossible. While this rum was created for a surf legend, it also celebrates and is intended for anyone who has a thirst for adventure.
“Much like Ernest Hemingway, Greg Noll was larger than life; he was a surfing trailblazer but also a committed craftsman. This duality, daring exploration and meticulous craftsmanship, not only applies to these legends, but is the heart of the Papa’s Pilar brand,” said Steve Groth, founder and CEO of Papa’s Pilar. “We’re thrilled to share our Legacy Series, masterfully crafted using innovative processes and blended rums from around the world.”
As the pioneer big wave rider, Noll proved it was possible to surf massive waves and is credited as the first person to surf, in 1964, the Third Reef Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, a day captured in an iconic photograph by John Severson that ran in Surfer Magazine. He went on to become a prominent surfboard shaper, founding Greg Noll Surfboards in Manhattan Beach, California. Greg made his way to Crescent City, California, where he continued to shape custom wood boards inspired by the early shapes that date back to the early 1900s and purchased by worldly known collectors. Noll passed away in 2021, but his legacy lives large, carried on by his son Jed Noll in San Clemente, California, at Noll Surfboards.
“My father was an inspiration to so many, and it’s important to me to have his legacy live on, both through Noll Surfboards, but also by bringing his story to others,” said Jed Noll. “Working with the Papa’s Pilar team and Hemingway family on this one-of-a-kind rum to celebrate my father has been an honor.”
Papa’s Pilar 2023 Legacy Edition Release
Papa’s Pilar Rum is an ultra-premium rum brand whose blends are hand-selected and artfully blended by 7th generation Master Distiller Ron Call. Call crafted Legacy Edition 2023 as he celebrated his 50th year of distilling dark spirits. It is made with rums from the Caribbean and South America that were blended in Bourbon barrels and Spanish Sherry casks, and expertly finished in once-used Apple Brandy French Limousin oak casks. A small amount of the rum is also finished in apricot and orange bitters casks. The resulting rum is complex and layered, offering a delicate aroma alongside an intense flavor profile. It has a scent of orange blossoms and a taste with slight hints of apricot and honeydew melon.
To honor Noll’s legacy further, Papa’s Pilar has collaborated with his family to incorporate unique design elements inspired by Noll’s life and the legacy he left behind. As with all Papa’s Pilar releases, the bottle is fashioned after a WWII canteen. The bottle comes wrapped in white canvas with the rum’s name printed on the front and black and white stripes on the back as a nod to the swim trunks Noll was known for. Wood pieces incorporated in the bottle’s medallion and within a custom coaster, tucked into the back of the canvas wrap, are crafted from remnants saved over the years at the Noll’s shop, the very wood used to make the family’s iconic surfboards. The bespoke coaster – each of the 3,000 is a unique creation – features the Noll redwood with the Papa’s Pilar nautical icon on one side, and the famous silhouette of Noll facing down a wave in his iconic shorts. The Legacy 2023 offering has golden brass elements on various locations of the bottle and features the Noll redwood medallion.
Papa’s Pilar proudly donates to worthy initiatives that would make Papa Hemingway proud. In line with its ethos, a portion of the proceeds of all Legacy Edition 2023 sales will be donated to Pipeline to a Cure, a nonprofit organization founded to celebrate the role surfing played in the development of hypertonic saline, an important treatment for those living with cystic fibrosis. This is a cause near and dear to the Noll family and is aligned with Papa’s Pilar’s ties to the nautical industry.
Availability and Pricing
Just 3,000 bottles of Legacy Edition 2023 are available for purchase beginning February 28, 2024 with a suggested retail price of $109.99 for a 750ml bottle online and in-store in California, Hawaii, Florida, New Jersey, South Carolina and Texas, regions hand-selected by Papa’s Pilar for having a vibrant surfing community. For additional information about Papa’s Pilar and upcoming releases, to secure your bottle, find a local retailer, or join the Hemingway Social Club, visit www.papaspilar.com.