2016 RumXP Awards Announced

2016 RumXP Award Winners
and Consumer Rum Jury Awards
 

20016 RumXP Judging Panel

Producers Awaiting Award Announcements

White Rums
Best In Class

Bayou Silver

Gold
Blue Chair Bay
Pito Rico Elite
Don Q Cristal
Ron Cartavio Silver

Premiun White Rums
Best In Class
Puerto Angel

Gold
Caliche
Fwago
Plantation 3 Star
Skotlander Rum VI
Koloa White

Gold Rum
Best In Class
Siesta Key Gold

Gold
Wicked Dolphin
Puerto Angel Amber
Don Q Gold
Koloa Gold

 

Spiced Rum
Best In Class
Siesta Key Spiced

Gold
Siesta Key Distillers Solara
Bayou Spiced
Siesta Key Limited Edition Spiced
Koloa Spiced

Flavored Rum
Best In Class
Koloa Coffee

Gold
Plantation Stiggin’s Fancy
Don Q Pasion
Blue Chair Bay Banana
Koloa Coconut

Overproof Rum
Best In Class
Pusser’s Gunpowder Proof

Gold
Pito Rico 106
Don Q 151
Gunroom 130 Proof
Skotlander 123.2

Black Rums
Best In Class
Wicked Dolphin Black

Gold
Koloa Black

Aged Rum (No Age Statement)
Best In Class
Bayou Select

Gold
Don Q Anejo
Marauda Steel Pan
Plantation Original Dark
Tiburon

Aged Rum (5 to 7 Years)
Best In Class
Ron Duran 7

Gold
Plantation 5
Cartavio 5

Aged Rum (9 to 15 Years)
Best In Class
Yolo Gold

Gold
Cartavio Solera 12
Ron Duran 12
Panama Pacific 9

Aged Rum (Older than 15 Years)
Best In Class
Pusser’s 15yr

Gold
Panama Pacific 23

 

Premium Aged Rum
Best In Class
Plantation 20th Anniversary

Gold
Plantation Grand Anejo
Santeria Rum
Don Q Gran Anejo
Fwago Single Barrel

Vintage Aged Rum
Best In Class
Mezan Jamaica 2000

Gold
Plantation Jamaica 2001
Plantation St. Lucia 2004
Mezan Panama 2006
Don Q 2005
Mezan Guyana 2005

The Judging Table

Rhum Agricole (Unaged)
Best In Class
La Mauny Ter Rouj

Gold
Trios Rivières Cuvee du Moulin
Isautier Blanc
La Mauny Blanc

Rhum Agricole (Aged)
Best In Class
Trois Rivières VSOP

Gold
Isautier Vieux Louis & Charles
Isautier Vieux 7yr
La Mauny XO

Cachaca ( Unaged)
Best In Class
Weber Haus

Gold
Germana Ultra Premium
Germana Palha
Novo Fogo Silver
Lundu Silver

Cachaca (Aged)
Best In Class
Sebastiana Single barrel

Gold
Novo Fogo 2yr Oak
Sebastiana 3yr Double Barrel
Middas Carvalho
Germana Caetano’s 

Consumer Jury
Best In Class
Siesta Key Toasted Coconut

Gold
Koloa Coffee
Plantation Pineapple
Pussers 15
YOLO Gold

Silver
Koloa Coconut
Duran 12
Mezan Panama 2005
La Mauny Spiced
Koloa Dark
Tiburon
Don Q Signature Release 2005

Bronze
Dzama Rhum Nosy Be 104
Balcones Texas Rum
Panama Pacific 9
Puerto Angel Blanco
Fwago White
Trois Rivières Cuvee Du Moulin
Blue Chair Bay White

 

Grand Tasting Opens For Members of the Industry

     Friday is the beginning of the Grand Tastings.  The doors open at 1:00 pm and close at 6:00 pm.  Friday is a day for the people in the spirits industry to make contact with the producers of the fine rums that have become available for distribution to all of the liquor stores and bars.

     One part of the show this year is the International Exposition for Rum.   The hosts of the 2016 Miami Rum Festival are inviting members of the spirits and beverage trade to their International Trade Exposition for Rum, running concurrently with the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival.   

     The Miami Rum Renaissance Festival features  three-days of the Grand Tasting Exhibition where participants can sample hundreds of fine rums from the Caribbean and beyond. Discover the finest rums from more than 30 countries, from each category and from each notable brand.  The addition of  the VIP Tasting Bar provides a select number of luxury, vintage and limited edition rums offering a new level of excitement for serious rum enthusiasts during the Grand Tasting hours.  There is more that enough for any enthusiast to keep very busy for the seven hours of the event. 


     It is fun arriving early and watching the event come together.  Watching the booths being assembled and everybody carrying all of their bottles and decorations in from outside.  It is like watching a small city being built right before your eyes.

     The awards from the RumXP Tasting Competition were announced after the door close to the public and the judges and the rum producers get to share the awards ceremony.  This is just as exciting for the judges as it is for the producers, because the judges don't know how the results have tallied up until they are announced.  I will have the complete run down on Sunday of all the winners.

 




      The fine people at Bayou Rum closed the evening with a trip for all of the judges to the Broken Shaker on Miami Beach.  This was a great meeting place with the usual fine atmosphere and the great cocktails created from Bayou Rums.

Final Day of Judging and Three Great Meetings

     Today is the final day of judging rum, two sessions that include Agricole and Cachaca.  We hae three great meetings with Mezan Rum, Doc Brown's Really Bad Rum and the evening by the pool with Plantation raps the day up.

     Our first meeting is breakfast with Mezan Rums - Our Niche.  Warren Bobrow, a writer, barman, and in a previous life a banker, is our spokesman for Mezan Rums.   Mezan is a collection of rums that are brought to you in their original untouched condition.  These are rums that are aged by the distillery for 8 years and then brought to England and the final aging is completed in the cool atmosphere of England.  This is a small batch product, the Guyana 2005 and the Panama 2006, there are only 3,000 bottles made and the Jaimaca XO, the only blended rum in the line.   This expression  is blended from rums ranging from 4 to 23 years old from Long Pond Estate, Worthy Park Estate, Monymusk Plantation,and Hampton Estate Distilleries in Jamaica.

     These are very unique in the rum world because of the way that they are made.  There are no additives, coloring or anything else added.  The rums are dropped to their 40 % ABV and bottled.  This is what gives these rums their very natural rum flavor and the funkiness of a somewhat "raw" rum.   All of the flavors that you taste are a result of the time spent in used bourbon barrels that they are rested in before bottling.

     The Guyana 2005 Rum is made at the Diamond Distillery in the wooden double pot still.  The Diamond Distillery is a living museum if you will, the equipment is ancient, but still making rum in the way it was made nearly 300 years ago.   This is a true classic rum in the tradition of the early rum makers.

     The Panama 2005 is produced in a multiple column still distillery that can not be named because of contractual agreements.  This distillery grows its own sugarcane for both its Aguardiente and rum.  They also have their own proprietary yeast that give their products their very special flavors.

     Session 5 of the judging is next on the agenda, this session is dedicated exclusively to Cachaca.  Cachaca is a very unique spirit that comes only from Brazil.  It is sort of the "bourbon" of the sugarcane spirits in that it can not be called Chacaca unless it is made in Brazil.  This is a spirit that has come into the forefront as a result of the World Cup Soccer Championships that were held in Brazil a few years back.  These are very different from most of the rums that you come across elsewhere in the world, but do have some very enjoyable flavors.



     Doc Brown's Really Bad Rum is our host for the lunch meeting. This is a rum from America's traditional home of the rum business, Billerica, Massachusetts.  Doc Brown's Really Bad Rum gets its name from a 16th century sailor and elixir maker that made elixir's that would cure anything and based on rum.   Today Doc Brown's is producing "Really Bad Rum Cake, Bar B Que Sauce, and rum. All of these are well done and very tasty.  The Dark Rum was their first, a very rich, sweet and smoky, with notes of orange.  The White is a basic honest white rum with nothing added.  Clean and perfect for creating your favorite cocktails.  The third is a spiced rum, based on a two year old rum with notes of vanilla, pepper, honey and clove.  Good balance and not over done.


     Doc Brown's Rums will be great as they become available in more places.  They are actively searching out distributors so they can be gotten in more places.  Their BBQ sauce and rum cakes are really bad good as well.

     The final session of judging is dedicated to 17 agricoles, six were unaged, 7 aged and 2 flavored,   This was a fun and really enjoyable session.   Agricole are rums that follow the very strict French rules for rum making.  Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) is the French set of rules that must be adhered to when making Rhum Agricole.   They are made from pure blue sugarcane juice and are fermented, distilled and aged according to AOC rules. These are what are known as agricultural Rhum and have a very unique flavor that is often an acquired taste.  Once you get use to the aromas and flavors they are exceptional expressions.

2016 RumXP Judging Panel

Rocky and the Plantation Line of fine Rums

St. Lucia 2005 and Gran Anejo

     Our Final meeting of the day is with Guillaume Lamy and the Plantation Rums from Cognac Ferrand from Cognac, France.  We got to taste the illusive Plantation St. Lucia 2005 and their new Gran Anejo a blend of rums from Guatemala and Belize.     All of the regular suspects were there as well, making the Plantation meeting was the great experience that it always is.  A special thanks to Guillaume, Pancho and Rocky for making the meeting such an enjoyable one.

Getting the Second Day Underway: Looks Like a Very Interesting One

     The second day of judging rum and meetings with Wicked Dolphin, Puerto Angel and Skotlander rum companies.  Rum Line this evening also looks like it is going to be offering an interesting visit.

JoAnn Elardo Owner Wicked Dolphin

     The breakfast meeting with JoAnn Elardo, founder and owner of Cape Spirits, the producer of Wicked Dolphin Rums.   She shared with us the history of Cape Spirits and how she came to the point where she was ready for such an endeavor.   Wicked Dolphin is doing such a great job of producing so many straight ahead and honest expressions these days.  Their 3 year old Gold Reserve, the new Black Rum, The Brewers Series and the Hidden Barrel are fine examples of the expressions that are coming out of Wicked Dolphin these days.

     All of these rums are being rested in large 53 gallon former bourbon casks, aged in the traditional manner.   The Brewer's Series spend 2 years in the bourbon casks before being moved to the barrels from the brewery for an additional year.  All of the rum is fermented, distilled, and aged at the Cape Coral facility, they are not out sourcing any of the rum and blending them with their own.  They are in the midst of experimenting with other types of barrels and sugars as well, the results will be available in the near future.

Session 3

     Today's first round of judging was 17 flavored rums.  Thee can be some of the toughest to evaluate.  It is so hard to move from one to the next and cleanse the palate enough to get the previous one's flavors to go away before you start on the next one.   This was some of the best flavored rums as a group that I have evaluated in this category.  Much more sophisticated that in the past.



     Our lunch meeting is with Patrick Wilson of Puerto Angel Rum from Oxaca, Mexico.  This is a USB Certified organic rum, made from organically grown sugarcane from the 6,000 foot level just outside of Oxaca.  Oxaca is a rural mountain town where

things move slowly and the sugarcane gets to the distillery by mule.   Nature starts the fermentation process without the addition of yeast to get it started.  This is a naturally occurring yeast rather than a cultivated yeast.   The rum is aged in new American Oak barrels. The Blanco is aged for 90 days and the Amber for 3 years. Both of these rums are available in a good number of states here in the United States, so check with your favorite store to see if they have it on the shelf.   The Blanco will retail at $20 and the Amber at $22, both are priced right to sip or create your favorite cocktails with.  Blanco will make a great t punch or daiquiri.

     The final judging session of the day was one of the tougher ones.   It starts with the single vintage rums, which are very nice, then moves to the spiced rums which isn't too bad either.  The killer comes at the end when the throw six overproof rums at you to end the session.  I love the overproofs, but after three my tongue had become somewhat numb, and after six I couldn't feel my lips , nose or the back of my throat.  The flavors were great with all of them, but the numbing was a bit weird.  Only two sessions left and we have completed the judging.

Session 4

Titte Hansen Rum Maker

     Next the 5 pm meeting with Skotlander Rums.  Titte Hansen is the inspiration behind this unique rum that is produced entirely in Denmark.  I brings in the molasses, ferments it , a process that takes about a month in the chilly atmosphere of Scandinavia.   The wine is then distilled in his pot still and aged in oak.  Their # IV rum is placed on an old schooner and travels around the Danish Sea for approximately 1400 nautical miles, with the rolling seas helping to get more of the rum in contact with the barrel.  This one is bottled at 43% ABV and has a wonderful bold flavor.  
The first year they produced 1000 bottles of rum and were concerned that they might have to drink it themselves, but things have gone very well and this year the will have produced 10,000 bottles.  This is a great thing for some wonderful people,  Skotlander rum will be in the United States soon and available online in most states.

Miami Rum Festival - Day 1

Judges station ready for evaluating the expressions

     Opening breakfast get together got the day going, then off to the business at hand.  The first session of rum judging.   This will continue through Thursday, working two sessions a day tasting about 25 expressions during each session.

     The first round of judging covered the White, Premium White, and the Gold categories.  There were some very interesting expressions in each of the flights.  After evaluating each of the expressions it was off to the reveal room and seeing which rums we rated to be the best in their category.  There were some surprises, but the quality always come to the surface when it is said and done.

     Next was lunch with Marauda Steel Pan Rum. This is a very nice blend of three 3 year old rums
with no additives or colors.  It marries 3 year old column still rum from Trinidad with 3 year old potstill rums from Jamaica and Guyana.  It is currently available in New York, Washington DC, Delaware, and Maryland.  It is expected to reach other areas in the US as demand is created.  Priced between $30 to $35 per 750
ml bottle

     This is a beautiful amber colored rum with aromas of light wood and earthy elements.  A medium bodied rum with a warm tingling smooth finish.   See more at: http://www.tastings.com/Spirits-Review/Marauda-Steel-Pan-Rum-USA-07-01-2015.aspx#sthash.Ivz2xUMj.dpuf 

Judges arriving in the room for evaluation the expressions

     Next on the agenda was the second round of judging with all of the categories of aged rum being evaluated. There were five groups, Aged with no age statement, Aged 5 to 7 Years, Aged 9 to 12 Years, Aged 15 to 23 Years and Premium Aged with No age Statement. This is the group that most of us enjoy judging the most, and the smiles on our faces as we judge them tells the story.

Session two with all of the aged rums

 

Travel Day: Conchy Tonkin' To the Miami Rum Festival

     Today I leave the rock and head for Miami and the Rum Festival for 2016.  It is always a fun trip to Miami and visiting so many of the interesting places that line the keys.  This year I am lacking my friend John Gibbons who could not make it to the festival this year, but the journey must go on in spite.

     Today was a bit tame than in previous years.  Without my friends aboard I pretty much just drove straight through and took care of some Miami errands and an all important stop at Total Wine and More to check out the Rum shelves and pick up a couple of bottles for home.

     I will be bringing you all of the news from the festival starting tomorrow when the judging begins and we start our meetings with the producers to see what is new in the rum world for this year.

     Remember to get on line and get your tickets before they are sold out.   They are available at http://www.rumrenaissance.com/Tickets.html  .  There are a very limited number of tickets that may be available at the door.  Don't take a chance and be disappointed get them on line today.

A New Old Fashion for the Summer

     Time for a very dry cocktail created with one of my favorite young rums.   Richland Rum is an honest rum that is dry by nature, yet has a really full flavor, making it perfect for a dry yet flavorful evening cocktail.   For me anyway, I don’t find the sweet cocktails that refreshing, as we move toward the warmer months the dry cocktail is more to my liking.  I like dry cocktails that linger on the palate long after it has been finished.

     I think you will find this kin to an old fashion to be an enjoyable evening cocktail as you sit of the aft deck or the patio watching the sunset.

Good Ole Days

• 1 ½ oz. Richland Rum
• 1 ½ oz. Dry Vermouth
• ½ oz. Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao
• 2 Dashes of Angostura Bitters
• 1 Dash Fee Bros. Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters

Place all ingredients into a shaker filled 2/3  with ice.  Shake until thoroughly chilled.  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon or orange zest.

Twisted by the Wind and the Waves

2007 Hurricane Frances over the Bahamas

    I was going through some of my old pictures from the Bahamas and found this picture of what was left of a cock in the Abacos after Hurricane Frances hit there in 2007.  I find that the powers of Mother Nature, especially when she is irritated and whips up one of her really strong hurricanes.   Floyd was one of the most damaging hurricanes that ever hit the Bahamas and she left behind massive amounts of damage throughout island chain.

William Grant Revamps Wood’s Rum Design

William Grant & Sons UK has revealed new premium packaging for Wood’s Old Navy Rum, inspired by the brand’s naval heritage.

The bottle is now “simpler and sturdier”, with thicker glass and a cork stopper. The recipe remains unchanged.   “After evaluating the brand’s rich history, consumer trends and the dark rum category, we recognized an opportunity for the rejuvenation of Wood’s,” said brand manager, Gwilym Cooke.   “Without straying from the navy history, we wanted more premium packaging to match the quality of the liquid inside the bottle, which hasn’t changed since it was established in 1887.”

Wood’s is distilled from black strap molasses at the Demerrara Rum’s Diamond Distillery in Guyana. The blend contains rum distilled in the only working single wooden pot still in the world.  The Demerara Navy Rum is said to be the only expression still bottled at 57% abv.

Wood’s Old Navy Rum will start shipping in the new bottle from early April 2016. The product retails at around £25 for a 70cl bottle.

House of Angostura Redesigns Rum Packaging

 The House of Angostura unveiled a complete packaging redesign of its international rum portfolio at this month’s Rhum Fest in Paris.

     The “brave” new look includes Angostura 1824, Angostura 1919, Angostura 7 Year Old, Angostura 5 Year Old and Angostura Reserva.  The new labels have been “streamlined” to feature the same typography and the brand’s butterfly logo has been placed centre at the top of the front label.  Additionally, two new brand icons have been added – a map of Trinidad and Tobago on the left and an illustration of a butterfly and molasses on the right.   Furthermore, the bottle designs for premium expressions Angostura 1824, 1919 and 7 Year Old feature a thick glass base with a new “orchid closure system” to make them easier to open while offering secure protection.

     The signature of Dr J.G.B. Siegert, founder of Angostura, and the crest of The House of Angostura are embossed on the bottles.   The three variants are also available in carton packages, with 1824 and 1919 both available in tubes and 1919 also available in a matte grey box.  All five rums feature a “spirit of Trinidad and Tobago” illustration on the bottle closure to “reiterate” the brand story through images of a dancing woman, sugarcane and Trinidad’s national bird, Scarlet Ibis.

     “It’s a big, brave move for us,” said Genevieve Jodhan, executive manager – international sales and marketing. “We are confident that our new, modern and sophisticated packaging captures the more than 190 years of heritage and history that inform the proud traditions of The House of Angostura.  “Every change reflects the exquisite quality of our rums. The new packaging isn’t just aesthetically pleasing, it also centers the brand geographically in its Caribbean birthplace, Trinidad and Tobago and reflects the unique nature of our journey.  “The entire range of Angostura rums celebrates the history and the true spirit of Trinidad and Tobago.

     “Over the last 192 years Angostura has successfully perfected the art of rum making, creating elegant stylish rums that are now found across the five continents.  “We believe that our new, totally reimagined packaging reflects our sense of adventure and innovation.”

Read More at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/04/prweb13314955.htm

What Happens to the Old American Oak Barrels after Whiskey?

     For years whiskey producers were struggling what to do with a large number of barrels after they had been used for 3 to 4 years aging whiskey.  There were a large number of them being stored in warehouses at a great expense to the whiskey producers.  Today this is no longer a problem at all.  Barrels that were almost given away to get rid of them theses days are going for $200.00 or more depending on their condition and how many years they have spent with spirits inside.



     Today they have become a very valuable commodity, the demand for used whiskey barrels has grown exponentially over the past 10 or 15 years.  Every other spirit producer is vying for them along with a large number of beer producers as well.  The demand for them has all but used up all of the barrels that were sitting around in their storage warehouses and there are producers waiting for the next batch to come available as they are emptied.


     Some of the old barrels are being cut up and

used as flooring and others made into flower pots  My friend Troy Roberts at Drum Circle Distillery in Sarasota, Florida is loaning his rum barrels to a local brewery for aging beer then putting his rum into them giving the rum a new flavor from the barrels.  There are many sherry and other wine using old whiskey casks and then having rum makers buy them for aging of the rum afterward.  The days of the old whiskey barrels being an expensive storage issue is pretty much gone, and the life of a retired whiskey barrel has been greatly extended by the producers of almost every other spirit, wine and beer out there.

Havana Club Prepares for US Market

     There is a lot more that just opening the flood gate and we have Cuban rums here in the United States.  There isn't enough aged rum being made to fill the sudden surge in demand that the United States will create.  Havana Club and the rest of the Cuban brands that will be coming to the United States have a lot of preparation in order to make this happen. 

     Havana Club International S.A.''s general director, Frenchman Jerome Cottin-Bizonne, has stated that the company is preparing to compete on the US market when trade relations resume between Cuba and the USA.   The investment in the Havana Club factory, located at the Mayabeque municipality of San Jose de las Lajas, aims to meet the high level of demand for aged rums in the US.   That factory has been updated to international standards with cutting-edge technology and the required ISO accreditation, the executive stressed.

     Havana Club International is a joint venture between the French Pernod Ricard company and the CubaRon production plant.   According to Cottin-Bizonne, the partnership, founded in 1993, has been highly productive.   Cottin-Bizonne also said that the recent visit of U.S. President, Barack Obama, to Cuba was a good news for Havana Club, because it represents a step towards the opening of the U.S. market to the Cuban rum, particularly the Havana Club brand.

Ron Abuelo Has Introduced a New Ron Abuelo XV Finish Collection

     The Ron Abuelo XV Finish Collection are authentic Panama Rums, they are the fruit of a long family history that keeps adding to its expertise.   Ron Abuelo has shined for many years throughout Latin America.   There is a significant importance of tradition in the development of Abuelo Rum and experimentation which allowed to reach the "finish collection" of Abuelo XV.  The three new rums complement the existing range of Anejo, 7 years and 12 years, not to mention the prestigious Abuelo Centuria .

    Ron Abuelo XV Finish Collection is a masterful series rums that is a limited edition created by the master blender at Varela Hermanos. There are three expressions in the series, Napoleon, Tawny and Oloroso.   The names were chosen to reflect not just the character of the finishing wood, but also the places that inspired their creation: Napoleon for Cognac and France, Oloroso for Sherry and Spain and Tawny for Port and Portugal.  

      NAPOLEON: What better name for a rum finished in barrels that have contained cognac!  The French oak of these barrels and the delicate and complex flavor and aroma of cognac, with its characteristic fruity sweetness, give Napoleon its distinctive character, because different notes appear to those that we traditionally have in our rums.  The aroma has notes of wood, fruit and a hint of cacao.  On the palate it has a dry fruit and wood with a lingering elegant finish.

     OLOROSO: Finished in “botas” of Jerez Oloroso (Fragrant Sherry) made of American oak.  The Jerez Oloroso is a really aromatic wine with a lot of body and mildly sweet.  It is perhaps the expression that most maintains the traditional character of our rums, but with a more complex character, which gives it its final finish where the notes of dried fruit can be distinguished.  First pass by the nose give you a complex blend of citrus peel and smokey wood.  In the mouth there are notes of citrus and toasted almonds in the rear of the mouth and a long and enjoyable finish.

  

     TAWNY:  means “amber or dark brown”.  This was the name given by the British in the XVII century to the most aged wines from Oporto, because of their color. As a dessert wine, it gives our rum a special and distinctive sweetness with notes of “berries,” but without notably transforming its characteristics.  On the nose this is unique with a sweet and dryness that is a blend of the wood and the berries.  In the mouth, there is a natural sweetness of a well rounded blend.  The flavors in the mouth seem to remain for an inordinate amount of time with woody and fruited notes at the finish.

     All three of these expressions have different and unique flavors that are what has come to be expected from the Varela Hermanos Distillery.   It is expected to be priced between $65.00 and $70.00 herein the United States and available around the end of April.