ST CROIX, USVI — Governor Kenneth Mapp has announced that a first-year progress report has been published online about the status of the US Virgin Islands’ recovery from Hurricanes Irma and Maria. “This is a road map in terms of where we were, where we are and where we are going with the recovery,” the […]

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We’ve long been fans of the upstart Papa’s Pilar rum brand, thanks to what is one of the industry’s most drinkable rums and a terrific, authentic Hemingway-backed story.

The brand has taken that drinkability both to hard-core rum aficionados and, more importantly, to bourbon and whisky drinkers.

The latter is likely the focus behind the newest expression, a new 2,000-case production of the Papa’s Pilar Bourbon Barrel Finished Dark Rum.

In recent years the brand, which made its initial launch five years ago with an aged “dark” and a lightly aged “blonde” expression, has diversified its range with a host of special-finish expressions, most notably last year’s spectacular Sherry finish.

And this is just as good.

This expression takes the signature blend (which itself blends rums aged in bourbon, port and sherry casks, and finishes it in bourbon barrels.

So what is the newest Pilar like?

The aroma is a delight, with notes of malted chocolate, key lime, cocoa powder and vanilla, with a flavor profile marked by sweet-edged notes of black pepper and spice.

On the finish, the bourbon begins to emerge, as the layers of this rum reveal themselves, with hints of toffee and caramel.

It’s just plain good, and another hit for the brand.

Rum Journal Review

92 Points

The post Rum Journal: A Bourbon-Edged Expression from Papa’s Pilar appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

All-inclusive brand Palladium Hotel Group is debuting the fruits of a $250 million expansion project in the Mexican Caribbean this week.

The result? Two new all-inclusive properties: the Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort and Spa, and the adults-only TRS Coral Hotel.

The TRS Coral.

Both properties will debut Nov. 1, a major all-inclusive addition to the fast-growing Costa Mujeres development.

Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres will have a total of 670 suites, with a family-friendly environment including a host of pools, bars and restaurants.

A “loft suite” at the TRS Coral.

The adjacent property, the TRS Coral, will be entirely adults-only, with 469 suites, along with five a la carte eateries, an “Ibiza-style” beach club called Helios, and a signature culinary experience called CHIC Cabaret and Restaurant.

TRS Coral will also include exclusive butler service and 24-hour room service, part of an offering that recently joined the Leading Hotels of the World.

The Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres will have a family-friendly focus.

The complex will also be home to the first-ever Rafa Nadal Tennis Center in Mexico, with a range of tennis programs and classes, along with eight flood-lit clay courts, a football pitch, a paddle court and a gym, along with a premium sports shop, a bar and an exhibition about Nadal’s legendary career.

Unsurprisingly, the large complex will also have a major focus on the meetings sector, with a 1,500-square-meter convention center and an on-site team of event staff.

The Grand Palladium.

“The Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort & Spa and the TRS Coral Hotel exemplify Palladium Hotel Group’s commitment to providing our guests with everything they need for an unforgettable vacation,” said Pilar Arizmendi, Palladium Hotel Group’s VP of Sales & Marketing in The Americas. “We can’t wait for our opening next week, when our first guests will enjoy an unparalleled luxury experience in the new treasure of the Mexican Caribbean.”

Costa Mujeres, set on a peninsula on the mainland across from the island of Isla Mujeres, has seen wave of hotel growth in recent years from brands like Secrets and Riu.

Indeed, fellow all-inclusive company Riu will be launching its own new Costa Mujeres property in November, the Riu Palace Costa Mujeres.

The post Palladium Set to Debut $250M All-Inclusive Expansion appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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… hand, the bill significantly strengthens Puerto Rico’s renewable portfolio standard to … PREPA, the Puerto Rico Public-Private Partnerships Authority, and the Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency … interests of multiple sectors of Puerto Rican society and by giving the …

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By Sharon Austin BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (BGIS) Some displaced public workers in Barbados should find employment in a number of upcoming projects, according to Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, who said $100 million in road works would be executed as a result of loans from the Caribbean Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and CAF. She also […]

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