The Rum and Cachaça Masters 2018 Results

     The Rum & Cachaça Masters 2018 was notable for the sheer quality of the expressions on display. As our blind-tasting competition proves, the category is bursting with innovation.   Rum is coming under greater scrutiny than ever before.   As the category takes slow but meaningful steps up the ladder of premiumization, and as the captivating notions of ‘craft’ and ‘heritage’ seep over from other spirit sectors, consumers and industry stakeholders are paying closer attention to rum – how it’s made, where it’s made, and its quality credentials.

      Rum has long been something of an elusive party spirit, and a lack of consumer education – as well as irregular definitions around the world – means it hasn’t premiumized as fast as its brown spirit cousins whisky and Cognac. As the category moves upmarket, some products have also been criticized for a perceived lack of transparency, namely, using color, sugar and other additives, seemingly to justify higher price points.

     Despite this, rum truly is a drink for the masses, and its potential is clear for all to see – it is sweet enough to be accessible to new spirits drinkers, and still has the sophisticated traits inherent to aged products that are sought by spirits connoisseurs.

The Spirits Business gathered together a group of drinks experts at The Rum Kitchen in London’s Notting Hill to assess the state of the category. Our Rum Masters 2018 competition was assessed by three panels of tasters. The first flight of the day – a Cachaça sub­category – came under the scrutiny of: Daawud Zepherin, The Rum Kitchen ambassador; Alessio Franzese, executive bar manager at The Kitty Hawk; Chris Mathurin, rum blogger; and Peter Holland, independent rum expert and founder of thefloatingrumshack.com. The panel was chaired by Melita Kiely, deputy editor of The Spirits Business.

Read More at https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2018/03/the-rum-masters-2018-results/  

The Rum & Cachaça Masters 2018 Results

Cane Spirit/Cachaça

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Very Good Goods	Vale Verde Prata	Gold
Very Good Goods	Vale Verde Extra Premium 3 Años	Gold
The Responsible Trading Company	Abelha Organic Cachaça	Silver

White Rum – Standard

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Bardinet	Negrita White Signature	Gold
Aldi UK	Old Hopking Premium White Rum	Silver

White Rum – Premium

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Havana Club International	Havana Club 3 Year Old	Gold
Angostura	Angostura Reserva	Silver
E. C. Oxenham & Cy	Bougainville White Rum	Silver
Tanduay Distillers	Tanduay Asian Rum Silver	Silver

White Rum – Super­-Premium

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Bacardi	Banks 5	Gold
Worthy Park Estate	Rum-­Bar Silver	Silver

Gold Rum – Premium

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
E. C. Oxenham & Cy	Bougainville Gold Aged Rum	Gold
Crucial Drinks	Six Saints Pedro Ximénez	Gold
Tanduay Distillers	Tanduay Asian Rum Gold	Gold
Bardinet	Negrita Añejo Reserva	Silver

Gold Rum – Super-­Premium

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Neptune Rum	Neptune Rum Gold	Master
Element Eight	Element Eight Republica Rum	Master
MSB-­Spirits	MarlinSpike 888 HighSeas Blend	Gold
Angostura	Angostura 1919	Gold
Bacardi	Banks 7	Gold
One Eyed Spirits	Ron de Jeremy Reserva	Silver

Gold Rum ­ Ultra-­Premium

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Worthy Park Estate	Worthy Park Single Estate Reserve	Master

Gold Rum – Aged up to 7 Years

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Worthy Park Estate	Rum­-Bar Gold	Gold
Marauda Rum	Marauda Rum Steelpan	Gold
Brugal	Brugal Extra Viejo	Silver
Neptune Rum	Neptune Rum Gold	Silver
Rathlee Distilling Company	Rathlee Golden Barrel Aged	Silver
Bajan Trading	Rum Sixty Six Extra Old	Silver

Gold Rum – Aged 8 to 12 Years

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Maison Ferrand	Plantation Fiji 2009	Gold
Bacardi	Bacardi Limitada	Silver
Indian Ocean Rum Company	Penny Blue XO #005	Silver
Bajan Trading	Rum Sixty Six Family Reserve	Silver
Bajan Trading	Rum Sixty Six Cask Strength	Silver

Gold Rum – Aged over 13 Years

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Maison Ferrand	Plantation Peru 2014	Gold
Maison Ferrand	Plantation Barbados 2002	Silver
Pirate’s Grog Rum	Pirate’s Grog No.13	Silver

Dark Rum – Super-­Premium

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Lost Spirits Distillery	Lost Spirits Distillery ‘Jamaican’	Master
Havana Club International	Havana Club Selección de Maestros	Gold
Stoli Group	Bayou Select Rum	Silver
Rémy Cointreau	Mount Gay Black Barrel	Silver

Dark Rum – Ultra-­Premium

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Bodegas Williams & Humbert	Ron Dos Maderas Luxus	Gold
La Hechicera Company	La Hechicera Solera 21	Gold
Bacardi	Facundo Exquisito	Silver
Bodegas Williams & Humbert	Ron Dos Maderas PX	Silver
Añejos de Altura	Ron Zacapa Centenario Sistema Solera 23 Rum	Silver
Angostura	Angostura 1787	Silver
Bodegas Williams & Humbert	Ron Dos Maderas Selección	Silver

Dark Rum – Aged up to 7 Years

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Angostura	Angostura 7 Year Old	Gold
Nyborg Destilleri	Huracán Organic Rum	Gold
Havana Club International	Havana Club 7 Year Old	Silver

Dark Rum – Aged 8 to 12 Years

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Bacardi	Bacardi 8 Años	Master
Cruzan Rum	Cruzan Single Barrel Rum	Gold

Dark Rum – Aged over 13 Years

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Havana Club International	Havana Club 15 Years Old	Gold
Pusser’s Rum	Pusser’s Rum Aged 15 Years	Gold
Cubata	Ron Vacilón 15 Años	Gold
Cubata	Ron Vacilón 18 Años	Gold
Cubata	Ron Vacilón 25 Años	Gold
Aloha Assets Corp	Autentico Nativo 15 years	Silver
Famille Naud Master Distillers	Naud 15 Year Old Panamanian Rum	Silver

Rhum Agricole – White

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Groupe BBS	Trois Rivières Cuvée l’Océan	Master
Groupe BBS	Trois Rivières Cuvée Mojito & Long Drink	Gold
Groupe BBS	Maison la Mauny Rhum Blanc Agricole 40°	Silver
Groupe BBS	Maison La Mauny Ter Rouj	Silver

Rhum Agricole – Aged

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Groupe BBS	Maison la Mauny Signature de Maître de Chais	Master
Groupe BBS	Maison la Mauny VSOP 40°	Master
Groupe BBS	Trois Rivières 12 Ans	Master
Groupe BBS	Maison la Mauny XO	Gold
Groupe BBS	Trois Rivières Cask Strength	Gold
Groupe BBS	Maison la Mauny Rhum Ambré Agricole 40°	Gold
Groupe BBS	Trois Rivières VO Cuvée du Moulin	Gold
Groupe BBS	Trois Rivières VSOP Réserve Spéciale	Gold
Crucial Drinks	French Overseas XO Rum	Silver
Groupe BBS	Maison la Mauny Héritage 1749	Silver
Groupe BBS	Trois Rivières Rhum Ambré Agricole	Silver
Groupe BBS	Trois Rivières Rhum Ambré Finish Whisky	Silver
La Martiniquaise	Rhum Vieux Saint James	Silver

Rhum Agricole – Overproof

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Groupe BBS	Maison La Mauny Rhum Blanc Agricole 50°	Gold
Groupe BBS	Maison La Mauny Acacia	Silver
Groupe BBS	Trois Rivières Rhum Blanc Agricole 50°	Silver

Spiced Rum

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Bardinet	Negrita Spiced	Master
Aldi UK	Old Hopking Spiced Gold Rum	Gold
BBC Wines & Spirits	Botafogo	Gold
Stoli Group	Bayou Spiced Rum	Gold
Groupe BBS	Maison la Mauny Rhum Spiced	Gold
Distil Company	RedLeg Spiced Rum	Silver
One Eyed Spirits	Ron de Jeremy Spiced	Silver
Anchor Spirits Ireland	Spike Island Spiced Rum	Silver
Elements Eight	Elements Eight Exotic Spiced Rum	Silver
Pedro Mandinga	Pedro Mandinga Spiced	Silver
2240 Social Club	World’s End Rum ‘Tiki Spiced’	Silver
Atom Brands	Rumbullion!	Silver
Spirit of Glasgow	Sugar House Spiced	Silver
Atom Brands	Rumbullion! XO 15 Years Old	Silver
Atom Brands	Rumbullion! Navy-­Strength	Silver

White Rum – Overproof

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Worthy Park Estate	Rum-­Bar White Overproof Rum	Master

Gold Rum – Overproof

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
LWC Drinks	Old J Tiki Fire	Silver

Dark Rum – Overproof

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Pusser’s Rum	Pusser’s Gunpowder Proof British Navy Rum	Master
Maison Ferrand	Plantation OFTD (Old Fashioned Traditional Dark)	Master
Lost Spirits Distillery	Lost Spirits Distillery ‘Navy 61’	Silver

Flavoured/Infused

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Paradise Imports	Gubba Silver	Silver
Groupe BBS	Maison la Mauny Ananas 40°	Silver

Rum/Cachaça Liqueurs

Brand Owner	Product	Medal
Grays Distilling	New Grove Honey Rum Liqueur	Gold
Very Good Goods	Vale Verde 1727 Licor de Café	Gold
Pirate’s Grog Rum	Pirate’s Grog Black Ei8ht Coffee Rum Liqueur	Gold