2017 International Spirits Challenge Rum Winners

     The 2017 International Spirits Challenge is complete for this year and the winners in the Rum Category have been announced.  Some surprises, but for the most part the winners have shown their quality before and cream floated to the top again.

     The big winner this year is Richard Seale and the RL Seale & Company (Foursquare Distillery) of Barbados.  Six Gold Medals for his Doorly’s 12 Year, Foursquare 2004, Foursquare Criterion, Foursquare Triptych, R L Seale’s Finest and Foursquare Zinfadel Cask Blend, then add in the three Silver Medals for Doorly’s XO, Doorly’s 8 Year Old and Foursquare 2013, put him clearly on top of the heap.  If you throw on top of that “Rum Producer of the Year”, They are the absolute dominate distillery of 2017.

     Here are all of the “Rum Winner’s” for 2017.  Congratulations to all of the winners for 2017.

Brand name as it appears on the bottle	Brand Owner Company Name	Tasting Medal
Admiral Rodney Extra Old St Lucia Rum	St Lucia Distillers	Gold
Bundaberg Rum : Master Distillers' Collection - Blenders Edition	Bundaberg Distilling Co	Gold
Doorly's 12 Year Old	R L Seale & Company	Gold
Foursquare 2004	R L Seale & Company	Gold
Foursquare Criterion	R L Seale & Company	Gold
Foursquare Triptych	R L Seale & Company	Gold
Foursquare Zinfadel Cask Blend	R L Seale & Company	Gold
Havana Club Selección de Maestros	Havana Club International	Gold
Penny Blue VSOP	Berry Bros. & Rudd	Gold
Pusser's Rum Gunpowder Proof	Pusser's Rum Company	Gold
R L Seale's Finest	R L Seale & Company	Gold
Rum-Bar Rum, White Overproof	Worthy Park Estate	Gold
1931 by St Lucia Distillers 6th Edition	St Lucia Distillers	Silver
Branca	J.Faria & Filhos	Silver
Bundaberg Rum : Master Distillers' Collection - Small Batch	Bundaberg Distilling Co	Silver
Bundaberg Rum : Master Distillers' Collection - Small Batch Vintage Barrel	Bundaberg Distilling Co	Silver
Cachaça Tiê Prata	Cachaçaria Tiê	Silver
Chairman's Reserve Finest St Lucia Rum	St Lucia Distillers	Silver
Chairman's Reserve: The Forgotten Casks	St Lucia Distillers	Silver
Diplomatico Planas	IRUM International Rum and Spirits Distributors	Silver
Doorly's 8 Year Old	R L Seale & Company	Silver
Doorly's XO	R L Seale & Company	Silver
Foursquare 2013	R L Seale & Company	Silver
Havana Club 7 Años	Havana Club International	Silver
Marauda Rum Steelpan	Marauda Rum	Silver
Mezan Jamaica 2005	Marussia Beverages	Silver
Naud Panama Rum 15 Year Old	Noble And Unusual Distrillery	Silver
Navy Island - XO Reserve	Navy Island Rum Company	Silver
Negrita White Signature	Bardinet	Silver
Old Hopking White Rum	Aldi UK	Silver
Penny Blue XO Batch 4	Berry Bros. & Rudd	Silver
R. St. Barth Chic	Sarl R St Barth	Silver
Real McCoy 2016	Real McCoy	Silver
Red Heart Original	Pernod Ricard South Africa	Silver
Rumbullion! XO 15 Years Old	Ableforth's	Silver
Samai Gold Rum	Samai Distillery	Silver
Spiced Rum	Marks & Spencer	Silver
Woods Old Navy Rum	William Grant & Sons	Silver
Zabana Rum	Emperador Distillers	Silver
1000 Islands Moonshine	King's Lock Craft Distillery	Bronze
Aguardente 970 Reserva	J.Faria & Filhos	Bronze
Angostura 1787	Angostura	Bronze
Angostura 1824	Angostura	Bronze
Angostura 5 year old	Angostura	Bronze
Botafogo	BBC Wines & Spirits	Bronze
Branca Destilação Especial	J.Faria & Filhos	Bronze
Bundaberg Rum : Master Distillers' Collection - Solera	Bundaberg Distilling Co	Bronze
Cachaça Tiê Ouro	Cachaçaria Tiê	Bronze
Charrette Rhum Blanc Traditionnel de La Réunion	Rhums Réunion	Bronze
Charrette Rhum Vieux 3ans Traditionnel de La Réunion	Rhums Réunion	Bronze
Charrette Rhum Vieux Traditionnel 7ans	Rhums Réunion	Bronze
Diplomatico Mantuano	IRUM International Rum and Spirits Distributors	Bronze
Dos Maderas 5+5 Aged Rum	Bodegas Williams And Humbert	Bronze
Dos Maderas Luxus 10 + 5 Aged Rum	Bodegas Williams And Humbert	Bronze
Fiorito Lemon Infused Rum	di Fiorito B.V.	Bronze
Formosa Rum	YoungCheers	Bronze
Fort La Tour	Distillerie Fils du Roy	Bronze
Gingerbread Flavoured Rum	Marks & Spencer	Bronze
Havana Club Añejo 3 Años	Havana Club International	Bronze
Lido Rum	J.Faria & Filhos	Bronze
Marks & Spencer Dark Rum	Marks and Spencer	Bronze
Marks & Spencer White Rum	Marks and Spencer	Bronze
Mezan Jamaica X.O	Marussia Beverages	Bronze
Naud Spiced Rum Hidden Loot	Noble And Unusual Distrillery	Bronze
Negrita Anejo Reserve	Bardinet	Bronze
Neptuns Rhum	FSM - Flensburger Spirituosen Manufaktur	Bronze
O.V.D.	William Grant & Sons	Bronze
Old Hopking Dark Rum	Aldi UK	Bronze
Phraya	Thai Beverage Marketing Company	Bronze
Project One 'Caribbean Spirit'	Oldman Spirits	Bronze
Pusser's Rum 15 Year Aged	Pusser's Rum Company	Bronze
R. St. Barth Cool	Sarl R St Barth	Bronze
RedLeg	RedLeg Rum Company	Bronze
Ron Botran Reserva Blanca	Ron Botran	Bronze
Rum-Bar Gold	Worthy Park Estate	Bronze
Rumbullion!	Ableforth's	Bronze
Rumbullion! Navy-Strength	Ableforth's	Bronze
Saint James Royal Amber	La Martiniquaise	Bronze
Samai Kampot Pepper Rum	Samai Distillery	Bronze
SeaWolf White Rum	Boilermaker Drinks Co	Bronze
St Abbs Captain's Table XO	Black Mountain Spirits Company	Bronze
St Abbs Cask Silver	Black Mountain Spirits Company	Bronze
St Abbs Six Spice	Black Mountain Spirits Company	Bronze

Just When You Think it Can't Get Darker

     This is one of those Key West evenings when you think that it can't get any darker when a bolt of lightning strikes as the sun appears from behind the clouds to give you a beautiful sunset.  Where else but Key West?  Such a wonderful and interesting place to live.  It never gets boring.

Bahama Bob's Rumstyles Top 5

Number 1

Friday, December 21, 2012

The Beginning of a New Cycle: Hopefully and Improvement

     A lot has been bantered around about the world ending at 6:11AM EST, but it is after 8 and I can no longer procrastinate writing today's blog.   I guess the predictions are as usual a pile of "horse feathers" and we must go ahead with living as usual.

    The truth about the Mayan Calender is that the civilization was gone before the end of their calender.   The Mayans were scientists and great observers of the things around them.   Just because the did not create a calender for the next cycle it doesn't mean that there wasn't going to be another cycle.

     This is a new cycle starting today, one that I hope will bring some sanity to this world that we live in.    It is a chance to start with a clean slate and make tings better this time around.   It is my sincere hope that people will start respecting the ways and views of others as they expect others to respect their views and ways.

    This is our new calender, it goes into effect in 11 days.   This is the time to make a sincere effort to make things better, not to just talk about it and repeat the rhetoric, it's time to "do".

    I think it is time to celebrate the new cycle and go have a  glass of nice rum add a couple of cubes and just hope that the future is brighter than the past.   

Bahama Bob's Rumstyles Top 5

Number 2

Thursday, March 17, 2011

What is this Solera Rum Aging Process



Here is the Solera System at Valera Hermano

     The "Solera System" is most prevalent among the Spanish speaking rum producers.    This method allows the quick removal of rough edges from the rum than does the single barrel methods.     The rum in the bottom tier is the Solera, or the eldest of the rum.    All of the rows above are the criadera or the younger rums in the system.     The entire stock of the rums in the Solera system is aged at an over proof level and then cut to the proper strength when bottled.     It is estimated on average that rum spends 6 years in the solera system, but because the "mother rum" never leaves the system, the age is really difficult to assess.



Refilling the top of the la criadera

     How does the system work?     As you can see from the picture, the barrels are stacked on their sides in a pyramid like structure that makes up the solera system.     At the end of a cycle about 50% of the rum is taken out of the solera (bottom row for bottling) and the rum from the next row up is transferred down to the solera filling the void created when the rum was removed for bottling.     Because only half of the rum was removed from the solera, the "mother rum" left behind and the rum transferred down from the criadera blend together and the characteristics of the "mother rum" are quickly transferred to the younger rum and the maturity is attained much quicker that if the rum was aged from scratch in a single barrel.    This process is continued all the way to the top of the criadera where new product is added and the cycle begins again.

    The solera system  represents several years of rum production and is a valuable asset of the company.     This is why you see several parallel soleras systems sitting side by side in the bodega.     There are many years of aging involved in making great rum, and the solera is a great way to shorten the actual aging of the rums and allowing  the rum producer to get the rum to market sooner.     Because some of the "mother rum" never leaves the solera, the actual age of the rum can not be published, but the effeciency of the system leaves no doubt that the rum is on a par with rums that have spent much more time in single barrels.



Barrel Proof sitting on the "Solera"

     "La Crianza" or the nursery of the "Mother Rum" is where the majority of the aging or toning of the rum takes place as the rum is moved down the system til it finally reaches the bottom row and is allowed to rest with the "mother rum" before removal for bottling.      Sipping a barrel proof of the mother rum in a solera is an opportunity that should never be missed.      Even at the over proof levels, this rum has a flavor that is almost impossible to describe.

     Though some rum experts have described the Solera method of aging rum as "cheating", it does shorten the time necessary to mature the rum and the product is still on a par with many of the older single barrel aged rums.     With today's economy, the rum producers need to bring their products to the market sooner, and the solera system allow this without compromising the taste of the rum.    

Bahama Bob's Rumstyles Top 5

Number 3

Friday, August 2, 2013

Back to the Thirties and the Tropicana

    Dinner and a show, what a concept.  I've forgotten how much fun it is to go out for and evening that includes a five course dinner and an extravagant show.  Not a movie, but a real Caribbean 1930's style revue.  You know like the ones from the Carmen Miranda movies.    This is a really spectacular production that could only be done in the atmosphere of the outdoor theater at the Tropicana.  

     The show lasts for about two hours and it just keeps happening all around you.  One set of dancers and costumes that will absolutely dazzle you right after another.   The extremely skilled dancers and singers combined with the unbelievable costumes keep your attention throughout the show.   There are no breaks, just a continuous flow of dancers and singers for two hours of exciting entertainment.

     This is really a story that words can not do justice, so I think that I'll just let you see all of the pictures.  They tell a much better story that my words could ever do.   If you get the chance to see one of these Latin productions, don't let the opportunity slip by you.  It is one of the most unforgettable show that I have ever seen.   Like I say, words can not describe the show that comes at you from all sides, at eye level, above, behind and across from you.  It keeps your head spinning all evening from start to finish.  ;o)

Bahama Bob's Rumstyles Top 5

Number 4

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

60 Minutes "The Rum War"

     The CBS Broadcast on 60 Minutes about "The Rum War" was well balanced and good interviews with both sides of the conflict.  I feel that this was well presented and very informative as to where it started and how vehement that both sides are about who is right.   This is a battle that went to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2009, and has arisen again in the past year as the U.S. - Cuba relations have started to improve.

     This is not a new thing, but rather a source of deep bitterness that goes back the the nationalization of all property in Cuba  in 1959.   The Castro Regime confiscated the properties and assets of both the Bacardi's and the Arechabala families.  It is a battle between two of the giants of the spirits industry, Bacardi and the combination of Pernod Ricard and the Cuban Government.

     If you are interested in seeing the entire segment you can see it at the site below.  If you missed it and you are interested in seeing the issues that surround it, spend 12 minutes and see a well produced and balanced report.


Watch the segment at http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-havana-club-rum-cuba-revolution/

Bahama Bob's Rumstyles Top 5 Posts

     For the next five days, I'm going to republish my top 5 articles in the history of Bahama Bob's Rumstyles, I hope you enjoy revisiting them.

Number 5 

Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar and the Goombay Smash  

    Green Turtle Cay in Abaco the Bahamas is where you will find Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar, home of the Bahamian National Drink, the Goombay Smash.    Invented by Miss Emily in the 1960's, this famous cocktail is still a mainstay throughout the Bahamas and the rest of the Caribbean.

Miss Emily

     Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar is currently being run by here Daughter Victoria, who maintains the Blue Bee Bar in the traditional manner of which her mother so successfully operated the place.    Miss Emily opened her bar in 1957, and created the Goombay Smash in the 60's.  She ran the bar until her passing in 1997.    The Blue Bee Bar has been the "watering hole" for yachtsmen, pilots and celebrities for years and it has been visited by the likes of Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffett though the years.   Today they have added a dining room that features Caribbean food and plenty of the traditional Goombay Smash Cocktails.

     Goombay Smash

• 1 oz. Coconut Rum
• 1 oz. Dark Rum
• 1/2 oz.  Apricot Brandy
• 2 oz. Pineapple Juice
• 2 oz. Orange Juice

Place all of the ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake until chilled and pour into a Collins glass and garnish with an orange wheel and a cherry.

     The Goombay Smash is one of the more popular cocktails that I make at the Rum Bar Key West for my customers because of it's natural sweetness and thirst quenching qualities.   This becomes a favorite of all that taste it and usually find the customers coming back for seconds of Miss Emily's fabulous concoction of the 60's.   ;o)

Summer Cocktail FantasyTime

     Last night was a perfect night to watch the sun sink into the ocean and enjoy a nice new cocktail fresh from the rum lab.   This is one that will transport you to the Thirty's and the hot nights of the era in the Caribbean when Prohibition was killing the fun in the good ole USA.  Simple to make and a flavor to carry your off into your dreams of the tropics.



Bahama Bob's Key West Nights

• 2 Oz. Cartavio Soloera Rum
• 1 oz. Dolin Vermouth
• ½ oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
• 3 Dashes Fee Bros. Whiskey Barrel Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice and shake until there is heavy condensation on the outside of the shaker and strain into a snifter.

Wading Birds along the Shoreline Make Me Smile

     One of the things I get a lot of enjoyment from is sitting by the shore and watching all of the life that appears as I sit there.  This time it was bird life, a group of these wading birds cam up and started nibbling on stuff along the water line.  Makes for a lot of fun watching them bopping and weaving around each other as they feed.

Flor de Cana Centenario 24 Named “2017 Best Rum of the Year” in Madrid

     Flor de Caña Centenario 25, the crown jewel of Nicaraguan rum brand, continues to position itself at the top of the ultra-premium rum category worldwide by being named the “2017 Best Rum of the Year”, the highest distinction awarded by the prestigious International Rum Conference in Madrid, Spain.   This is the latest in a series of awards that Flor de Caña Centenario 25 has earned, including “Among the Finest Products in the World” for its Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, “Best New Rum of the Year” by the Caribbean Journal, “Design Masters” by The Spirits Business of London and “Best Packaging” by the International Rum Conference in Madrid in 2014 and 2015.  

     Flor de Cana Centenario 25 is an ultra-premium rum aged 25 years in American Oak Barrels.  Its deep and elegant dark amber color and aroma the blends vanilla, wood and dark cocoa notes that dance around smoothly on your palate along with the fruity, nutty and caramel notes.

     Several of the other products in the Flor de Caña family received important recognition during the 2017 International Rum Conference in Madrid, including:

• Flor de Caña Centenario 18 - Double Gold Medal
• Flor de Caña Centenario 12 - Silver Medal
• Flor de Caña 7 Years Gran Reserva - Gold Medal
• Flor de Caña 5 Years Añejo Clásico - Gold Medal
• Flor de Caña 4 Years Extra Seco - Gold Medal

For more information, visit FlorDeCana.com.