2014 Rum Master Tasting Results

     The results for the 2014 Rum Masters Tasting had some real surprises.  It is starting to reflect the new look for the category.  This is one event that stresses the merits of each of the rums on ts own, not the mixability or how it tastes when mixed with something.   This is a London based tasting that each year does a fine job of judging the expressions  in their own category and presenting a fine set of results.

White
Company	Product Name	Award
Havana Club	Havana Club Añejo 3yo	Gold
Angostura Ltd	Angostura Reserva	Gold
Fiji Rum Company	Bounty Fiji Rum Premium White	Silver
Joseph Banks	Joseph Banks 5 Island Rum	Silver
Santa Teresa	Santa Teresa Claro	Silver
Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala	Rum Botran Reserva Blanca	Silver
Selvarey	Selvarey White	Silver
Gold up to 7yo
Company	Product Name	Award
Joseph Banks	Joseph Banks 7yo Golden Age Rum	Master
Santa Teresa	Santa Teresa Añejo Gran Reserva	Master
Edrington Distillers	Brugal XV Ron Reserva	Gold
Rémy Cointreau	Mount Gay Distilleries Black Barrel Rum	Gold
One Eyed Spirits	Ron de Jeremy Rum	Gold
Berry Bros & Rudd	Penny Blue XO Mauritian Rum, Batch No.1	Gold
Edrington Distillers	Brugal Añejo	Silver
Ocean’s Distillery	Ocean’s Mellow & Singular 7yo	Silver
Amrut Distilleries	Amrut Two Indies Rum	Silver
Rock Spirits	Screech 80° Rum	Silver
Gold 8-12yo
Company	Product Name	Award
Abbey Holdings	St Nicholas Abbey Gold 10yo	Gold
Santa Teresa	Santa Teresa Selecto	Silver
Tortuga International Holdings	Tortuga 12yo Aged Gold Rum	Silver
Gold over 12yo
Company	Product Name	Award
Destilaria Ron Millonario	Ron Millonario XO Rum	Master
Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala	Botran Solera 1893	Master
Destilaria Ron Millonario	Ron Millonario Solera 15yo	Gold
La Hechicera	La Hechicera	Gold
Abbey Holdings	St Nicholas Abbey Gold 15yo	Silver
Dark up to 7yo
Company	Product Name	Award
Pusser’s Rum Ltd	Pusser’s Rum	Master
Havana Club	Havana Club Añejo 7yo	Gold
Angostura Ltd	Angostura 7yo	Gold

Dark 8-12yo
Company	Product Name	Award
Angostura Ltd	Angostura 1824	Gold
Westerhall Estate	Westerhall Vintage Rum	Gold
Amathus Drinks	Flor de Cana Centenario 12yo	Gold
Angostura Ltd	Angostura 1919	Silver
Dark over 12yo
Company	Product Name	Award
Pusser’s Rum Ltd	Pusser’s Navy Rum 15yo	Master
Compañía Licorera de Nicaragua	Flor de Cana Centenario Gold 18yo	Gold
Distilleria Serralles	Don Q Añejo	Gold
Distilleria Serralles	Don Q Gran Añejo	Gold
Premium
Company	Product Name	Award
Santa Teresa	Santa Teresa 1796	Gold
Super-Premium
Company	Product Name	Award
Rémy Cointreau	Mount Gay Distilleries Extra Old	Gold
La Hechicera	La Hechicera	Gold
Maverick Drinks	Professor Cornelius Ampleforth’s Rumbullion	Gold
Havana Club	Havana Club Selección de Maestros	Gold
Rhum Agricole
Company	Product Name	Award
Distillerie Damoiseau	Very Old Rhum Damoiseau 10yo 2001 Vintage	Master
Distillerie Damoiseau	Very Old Rhum Damoiseau XO	Gold
Héritiers Crassous de Medeuil	Very Old Rhum J.M 10yo 2002 Vintage	Gold
Héritiers Crassous de Medeuil	Very Old Rhum J.M XO	Silver
Héritiers Clement	Clement Aged Rum Select Barrel	Silver
Héritiers Clement	Very Old Rum Clement VSOP	Silver

Flavoured Rum
Company	Product Name	Award
Casa Santana Ron y Licores	Juan Valdez Coffee-Infused 8yo Rum	Master
Quintessential Brands	Toussaint Coffee Rum Liqueur	Gold
Worthy Park Estate	Rum-Bar Rum Cream Liqueur	Gold
Spiced Rum
Company	Product Name	Award
Fiji Rum Company	Bounty Fiji Rum Premium Spiced	Master
One Eyed Spirits	Ron de Jeremy Spiced Rum	Master
Bardinet SA	Negrita Spiced Rum	Gold
Blavod Drinks	Red Leg Rum	Gold
William Grant & Sons	Sailor Jerry	Gold
Rock Spirits	Screech 70° Spiced Rum	Silver
Maverick Drinks	Professor Cornelius Ampleforth’s Rumbullion	Silver
Maverick Drinks	Professor Cornelius Ampleforth’s Rumbullion Navy Strength	Silver
Overproof
Company	Product Name	Award
Westerhall Estate	Westerhall Jack Iron Rum	Master
William Grant & Sons	Wood’s Old Navy Rum	Gold
Worthy Park Estate	Rum-Bar White Overproof	Silver

     I found the results very interesting, especially where there were so many rums entered that we don't get to see here in the United States.  Rums like Havana Club, Wood's Old Navy, Toussaint Coffee Rum Liqueur, Rhum Damoiseau 10 year old, 2001 Vintage or St Nicholas Abbey Gold 10 year old.  Very impressive list and a great job was done by the judges.  ;o)

A Formula for Insanity Today

     This day has all of the earmarks of a day filled with nothing but craziness.  The combination of a full moon and St. Patrick's Day is definitely one for high powered insanity and huge partys.  

     The Irish always seem to be able to party very hardy on St. Patrick's Day.  The green of the Irish combined with a fun filled day of good drinking and parades will surely make things happen in a fun way.   St. Patrick's Day and Full Moon Party's all at the same time that is just crazy.
    
      All of these thing arriving at the same time gave me an idea for a new and fun cocktail that really fills the bill for such an occasion.

Bahama Bob's Irish Clover

• 1 oz. Good Gold Rum
• 1 oz. Blue Curacao
• 1/2 oz. Crème of Coconut
• 1 1/2 oz. Pineapple Juice
• 1/2 oz. Grapefruit Juice
• Splash of Barritt's Ginger Beer

Pour all ingredients except the Barritt's Ginger Beer into a Shaker filled with ice and shake until fully chilled.  Strain into a Collins Glass filled with ice and top up with Barritt's Ginger Beer.

Let's all get out and celebrate with the Irish and enjoy the full moon.  Please be careful, this day could lead to some real fun and trouble.  Enjoy the cocktail and all of the revelry of a Great Irish Party.  ;o)

Sunday a Day for Reflection

     I love Sundays, they are a day that I like to reflect on the days that have just been completed and look into the mirror of life and wonder what lies ahead.  ;o)

Mount Gay Rum Refinery in Barbados Closed

     Two stories crossed my desk today, one from the "Jamaican Observer", "The Gleaner" and the other from "The Spirit Business" report  the closure of the Rum Refinery had in fact happened.  This is only one of the two distilleries that were producing the Mount Gay Rums.  

     "Rémy Cointreau has denied it’s Mount Gay Distillery is closing following reports in Barbados press."

     "Reports have recently circulated in the island’s local press that Mount Gay Distillery – Barbados’s oldest rum distillery – was closing its doors after encountering financial difficulty."

     "However, Rémy Cointreau has since said that it is in fact The Rum Refinery – a distillery which provides liquid for Mount Gay Rum along with the Mount Gay Distillery itself – which had temporarily ceased production."

Rum Refinery Closure

     Barbados Today reported that a letter was sent to The Rum Refinery workers stating that the distillery had “had ceased its operations, pending a decision by the shareholders on the future of the company”.

     Yet the publication did not clarify the independence of this distillery to the Mount Gay Distillery itself, leading to confusion among members of the trade and public.

     Questions put to Rémy Cointreau over whether supply for Mount Gay rum will be affected by the closure of The Rum Refinery have yet to be answered.

     Mount Gay Distilleries was acquired French spirits company Rémy Cointreau in 1989.

 

     There seems to be problems in the negotiations for the sale of the "Rum Refinery" between the shareholders that include the 60 shareholding members of the Ward family.  Company Chairman Bryan Wellington later told Barbados Today that he was hopeful that a deal could be closed by the end of March and that the 30 workers sent home from the refinery would be rehired.

     "What you can tell them is that we are attempting to bring this matter to a successful and mutually satisfactory resolution," said Wellington, "which is far better than what was reported saying that there are rumours that the offer has fallen through."

     This site has been making rum since 1667 on a sugar plantation that was called Mount Gilboa, original rum making there was formally dated as 1703.   It is also the location for the production of the fine quality "Mount Gilboa " Pot Stilled Rum.  Though the distillery has been closed since September of 2013, there is still hope that the riff can be fixed and the sale can go through and get the distillery back up and operating.

        The French drinks group added that despite a “historical and supply relationship” between the two distilleries, they “are not synonymous” and are “two separate and distinct entities”.

     You can Read more @ http://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2014/03/remy-denies-mount-gay-rum-distillery-closure/ 

     Also @ http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Mount-Gay-Rum-refinery-closed--future-uncertain

And Finally @ http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20140314/business/business92.html

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Break Has Hit Key West, and Under Age Drinking Has Risen Its Ugly Head

     As a barman, there is one thing that scares the heck out of me, serving  an under aged person.   This is the worst time of the year for this as well and I do not condone this practice at all..   The bars and stores are busy and you find yourself  "in the weeds" as 8 to 10 will all come through the door at once.  The truth is it is the most likely time to get busted for serving a minor by the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms people as well.   This is no excuse, but it can happen.  The biggest trouble comes when an older person orders several cocktails and takes them out to the porch out of my sight. 

     When the college aged kids hit Key West for Spring Break, I hope that a lot of the parents try to talk to them about under aged drinking, but I feel their words are falling on deaf ears.  Although recent studies have found that talking to kids about alcohol can lead to lower drinking rates, even among college students.

     Robert Turrisi, PhD, a psychologist at Penn State University, and colleagues gave parents booster brochures to help them talk to their recent high school graduates about drinking before they left for college. Four months after this intervention, students were drinking less than their peers.  In another study, Kim Fromme, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Texas at Austin asked college students to take a survey that assessed family and peer attitudes and level of caring.  They found that students who felt that their parents were aware and cared were likely to drink less.

 

 

     As students are adjusting to campus  life, peers become a stronger influence than the parents sometinmes.  In schools where there is an emphasis on athletics and where sororities and fraternities are prevalent, drinking rates tend to be higher.  Still students tend to overestimate how much their classmates are actually drinking and may drink more to try to fit in.  Parents can help with a reality check, reminding students of their goals, and just letting them know they care."

The transition from High School to College can be the undoing of a lot of good judgement, especially if it is their first time away from home and parental control.   "

 

     This is a part of a really good article  by Lise Gervais for Public Action Management.  

 

 

     For college students, you will want to know about their Spring Break plans and communicate your desire for their safety and well being.  Remember... you have more   Having these kinds of discussions with kids of any age can be difficult for both parent and child, but there is help.  The Partnership for A Drug-Free America has a very informative site about the development of the teen brain and how to start a discussion on drinking. Substances Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA.gov) has an interactive video that is worth the time and very helpful.  The American Academy of Pediatrics website http://www.healthychildren.org   also has helpful information on talking with kids about alcohol. 

influence than you think!

 

     The people you keep out of trouble by talking to you kids about under aged drinking goes a lot further than just the kids, it keeps a lot of people that are on the street save from drunken actions and the store keepers and bartenders that are bombarded with the students life safe and out of trouble with the law as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miami Rum Renaissance Festival is Getting Close

     The 2014 edition of the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival is nearing fast.  If you haven't gotten your tickets and your hotel reservations, now is the time to get it done.  April is just over the horizon and the 25th through the 27th will be upon us before you know it.  Tickets are available on line at http://www.rumrenaissance.com/  There you will find all of the information that you will need to be prepared for the days of fun in Miami.

    

     "Rum is experiencing a Renaissance of appreciation.

Savvy consumers come to the Miami Rum Festival to discover a truly remarkable range of fine rums from the Caribbean region, as well as North, Central and South America, Europe, Asia and from the furthest reaches of the world."

 

     "Enjoy a grand two-day exhibition of the best rum brands, the excitement of the Island Lifestyle Showcase, celebrity seminars, workshops and cocktail competitions, the annual RumXP competition and awards, an opportunity to rub shoulders with dignitaries and notable experts, and more."

 

     I look forward to this event every year and will be there for the duration of the event.  I am looking forward to meeting every one at the event and enjoying some fine rums with you. 

 

     Miami Rum Festival takes place in the sub-tropical wonderland of Miami at the world class Doubletree by Hilton Miami Airport Convention Center.  Today is the time to get your reservations and tickets.

 

     See everyone in Miami!  ;o)

Can I Operate a "Home Still" and Produce Spirits for "Persomal Use"?

    A little bit of research into the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) rules makes it really clear that the answer is "NO"!   The stories of being able to produce spirits for your personal consumption is still just as serious of a crime as was moonshining in  the Carolina's during the moonshining days of the 40's and 50's.   "Thunder Road" and the shiners vs the revenuers is going on today here in Florida.  A TTB report of a joint operation with the Florida Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco targeted possession of stills and the illegal production of distilled spirits.

     The joint operation resulted in 8 arrests and seizure of 46 stills by Florida authorities. 

    "The possession of unregistered stills and the production of distilled spirits without a Federal permit and without payment of tax are Federal felony offenses which may result in the seizure and forfeiture of land and other property associated with the illegal activity." 

     "Persons wishing to distill spirits legally are encouraged to visit the TTB distilled spirits homepage at http://www.ttb.gov/spirits/index.shtml

 for guidance and to apply for a permit."

 

The process to be able to produce spirits here in America is expensive and very time consuming.   There are a number of companies that sell "home stills", but if you use them to produce consumable alcoholic spirits you are the one that is in trouble, not the makes of the stills.   You  better make sure that there is a market for your product before starting down the road of that business.   Our Federal, State and Local governments still want their cut of any spirits that are produced.  Again it is back to the revenuer vs the distiller.  

 

       "You may not produce spirits for beverage purposes without paying taxes and without prior approval of paperwork to operate a distilled spirits plant. [See 26 U.S.C. 5601 & 5602 for some of the criminal penalties.] There are numerous requirements that must be met that also make it impractical to produce spirits for personal or beverage use. Some of these requirements are paying special tax, filing an extensive application, filing a bond, providing adequate equipment to measure spirits, providing suitable tanks and pipelines, providing a separate building (other than a dwelling) and maintaining detailed records, and filing reports. All of these requirements are listed in 27 CFR Part 19. "

 

    Here are some of the laws that govern the operation of a still for the purpose of producing spirits.  "

     "Spirits may be produced for non-beverage purposes for fuel use only without payment of tax, but you also must file an application, receive TTB's approval, and follow requirements, such as construction, use, records and reports."

 

     The bottom line is you really need to get your spirits at the store or your favorite watering hole, a felony arrest like what is happening in Florida aren't really worth the little bit of savings on your next cocktail.  ;o(

 

Bahama Bob's Ultimate Mojito

     I was fooling around with an idea I had for an ultimate mojito in the Rum Lab the other day, when I hit upon this recipe.   I was looking for a premium mojito rather than another flavored one, so here is what came out of the efforts.

    First of all I had to choose a rum that fit the balance of the cocktail.  It turned out to be from my friends at Diplomatico that provided the one that fit the profile of this cocktail.  Next I needed to add a different twist to the mix so I replaced the club soda with another bubbly, Prosecco Italian Champagne, and of course a touch of St. Germain just as a finishing touch. 



Bahama Bob's Ultimate Mojito

• 2 oz. Diplomatico Blanco Rum
• 1 1/2 oz. Depaz Cane Syrup
• Juice of 1/2  Lime
• 1/2  Bar Spoon of St. Germain
• Prosecco Champagne
• 7 to 10 Fresh Mint Leaves

Place the lime juice, cane syrup, and mint leaves into a  12 oz. glass and muddle with a smooth wood muddler very lightly, fill glass with ice, add the rum and St Germain and shake until chilled. Top the glass with Prosecco Italian Champagne and garnish with a lime wheel and a mint sprig.

     This is a great version for the person that has become bored with the traditional Mojito.  ;o)

Rum is Quickly Loosing the "Coke" and Becoming a Mature Spirit for Sipping

     Rum , as I said in articles before, is really starting to truly mature as a category.  There are many new premium and ultra premium expression hitting the market and the indication of many more coming soon.   I seems to be the opinion of many others in the business that this is going to be the direction of most of the rum producers.

     "Often afflicted by the same irreverent “good time” party label as Tequila, rum has been endeavouring to convey a more grown-up image in recent years, and lose the coke."

     " Alberto Fernandez, global brand director for Diageo-owned Zacapa rum: “As consumer knowledge of the category increases, so does the appetite for more top-end offerings.”

     "As is the case with many spirits categories, the effort to establish a mature representation is often coupled with a necessity to release mature expressions."

     "The industry has therefore recently seen a swell in the amount of older, more luxurious expressions launched, inevitably with a price point to match."

     "Last October, category colossus Bacardi hit the market with four sipping rums priced up to US$250, The Facundo Rum Collection."

    " As well as potential growth in value resulting from the trend of premiumisation, rum volumes have also been forecast to continue to soar."

     You can read more on the growth of the rum category and the five largest markets for rum in the world at http://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2014/03/worlds-largest-rum-markets/

     Don Pancho Fernandez introduced his new "personal collection" of ultra premium rums called "Origenes" last spring at the Rum Renaissance Festival in Miami.

    There is a real solid trend underway that really makes me happy to see so many find high quality rums being produced through out the world today and more on the way.   This is what is going to propel rum's growth and the flooding of the market with flavored unaged distillate under the name of rum.   From my perspective as a server of quality rums, the public, especially here in America, are looking for quality rum they can either sip or use in premium cocktails.   Rum has reached the point where it needs to loose the image of having to be mixed in something to kill the taste.  ;o)

Sunday Morning on the Dock

     I just love walking down the docks on Sunday morning just as the sun make its appearance on the horizon.  It is such a powerful mass of oranges and yellows that really helps to bring me to life in the morning and a smile to my face as I head up to the office.  ;o)

Having a Party, Diageo will Bring the Zombie to You House

Zombie Time

     In a article in Bloomberg Technology, Diageo announced that is bringing the party to your house
for $3300.00.  Just think about it a world class mixologist and all of the booze at your party while you can play along with the rest of the guests.

     " 'At home, people are confident enough to make a gin and tonic, but the cocktail scene is still new,' said Kenji Jesse, who's running the bartender training program for the service. So far, he's trained up 10 mixologists, all of whom were participants in Diageo's "World Class" competition to find the world's best barman, for the new service, which has so far held two events."

 

     "The Internet is the next frontier for Diageo and its closest rival Pernod Ricard SA, (RI) which are looking for ways to grow their businesses in developed markets like Europe, where discounting and fragile consumer confidence have hit sales."

    

     This is a very novel idea being presented by such a very large company, though the program is strictly being offered in London at this time.    "While creating a website and putting in place systems to package and deliver purchases may have been costly to set up, it could be less expensive than the price of buying space to promote brands in a supermarket, Helen Blackholly,
senior director at consultant Alvarez & Marsal, said." 

     "At 2,000 pounds, the parties might be lucrative for Diageo, though they are clearly not for everyone. Should they take off, Diageo’s Jesse says he may train up to 40 more mixologists for the service."

     Read More @ http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-07/for-3-300-diageo-will-make-you-a-zombie-in-your-house.html

     Watch for other companies to follow suit, I think this is going to be a service that really takes off especially in the larger cities around the world.   One perhaps might make use of the service for a wedding, large family event or even for an office party, but I don't see myself spending that kind of money for an everyday get together with friends.  ;o)

Bringing the Cane to the Plant

     Sugar Cane is the basis of all rum.   Bringing the sugar cane to the processing plant is quite another matter.   In different countries it is done differently, but it does require a cutting and a stripping of the outer foliage from the stalks.   In Panama it is done by hand with a machete and in other places you will find it being
done  machine.   The interesting part of this story is that we are deep into an age where machinery does our work for us, yet in many places the work is still being done by hand.  The cane here in Panama is cut by hand, loaded onto oxen pulled carts by hand, and fed into the crusher by hand.   This is reminiscent of how it was done when rum was in its infancy.


     Bringing the cane in from the fields, Panamanian workers use oxen pulled carts to carry the cane to the crusher.  These very old wood and steel wheeled carts can carry a large load of cut cane to the crusher.  Once at the crusher, it is hand unloaded and placed in the hopper and mechanically fed into the rollers of the crusher where the cane juice is extracted and collected.

Nothing like Rum from the Barrel

     It is a real pleasure to see this being done in the traditional way, with no fires burning the cane and polluting the country side.   This is a choice that was made in conjunction with the neighbors that live and work the fields around the estate.  It provides jobs to the community that would otherwise be lost to the locals.   People that I met while visiting the cane fields are very happy with the situation and appreciate the jobs and the opportunity to earn a living.

     This is the end of the road for the cane once it reaches the crusher.  From here it follows the path to becoming rum.   In some places the cane syrup is processed into sugar and the remaining molasses is then fermented into a wash from which the rum is distilled, other places the cane juice is taken straight to the fermenting tanks to become the wash.  

     Now it is time to leave the estate and move on to another rum adventure, but seeing the process through to rum is always a memorable one.  The basics are always the same, but the little things that make these rums so wonderful and different are what I really enjoy about traveling through the world of rum.  ;o)

Chris Blackwell, Ian Fleming and Golden Eye

    Golden Eye, named for the mission he was a part of during World War II, is the 15 acre estate that belonged to Ian Fleming and where he penned all of the James Bond novels.   Just after World War II ended Ian Fleming returned to Jamaica and bought the 15 acre plot of land in the banana port of Oracabessa, Jamaica, located due North of Kingston and just to the East of Ocho Rios.   After his death in 1964, the family retained the estate until 1976.   Chris Blackwell, a location scout for "Dr. No" and owner of Island Records and discovered Bob Marley, bought Golden Eye.

     The Blackwell family once owned J. Wray & Nephew, the number one rum from Jamaica.  Blackwell wanted to revive the family tradition of rum making by creating his own rum made from local Jamaican resources.   This is a classic Jamaican style pot-stilled rum that is combined with the lighter column still rum.  It has burnt molasses and tropical fruits notes with a long and fruity finish.   The rum is produced today by J. Wray & Nephew and finally headed to the United States in the very near future.



The Golden Eye Rum Cocktail

• 2 oz. Blackwell Rum
• 1 oz. pineapple juice
• 1 oz. coconut juice
• 0.25 oz. coffee liqueur
• 0.5 oz. sugarcane syrup
•  0.75 oz. fresh lime juice.

Shake all ingredients together with ice and strain into an ice filled glass. Shake ground nutmeg on the top of the filled glass and garnish with cherries.

 

     Give the rum and the cocktail a try and conger up some of the romance of Jamaica and Bond, James Bond on the beach with Ursela Andress exiting the water onto the beach in Dr. No.  ;o)