The Keys are Bright and Beautiful for 2017

    The Florida Keys are blessed with so many beautiful days and afternoon every year and it looks as though this year will be no different.  I had the opportunity to cruise my favorite quiet place in the Keys this week and the afternoon was not disappointing.  I hope you enjoy my afternoon between the bridges at Bahia Honda State Park.

Ian Burrell, Global Rum Ambassador Looks at Rum for 2017

Ian Burrell

     Ian Burrell, a global rum ambassador friend of mine offers his feelings of where the rum category is headed in 2017.   The rum category this year is at a point where the  consumers will start to question more about what type of rum is in their glass and are they getting real value for money?   “With an increase in true premium rums being launched in 2017 by such producers as Diplomatico, Foursquare,  Appleton and even Bacardi’s acquisition of Santa Teresa’s distribution rights will be the center of conversation  at rum festivals, rum clubs and online.    A shift in how premium rums are being made, marketed and sold is also expected.   Most people in the industry will be focusing on the Bacardi vs Havana Club trademark war in the US.  There will be a few other Cuban rum brands like Santiago de Cuba, Ron Varadero, Ron Caney and Ron Mulata will be getting ready to make their presents on the international stage during 2017.

Peter Holland

     Peter Holland of The Floating Rum Shack, thinks that there are plenty of gains to be made at the top end with a more educated consumer demanding authentically produced rums, with the emphasis on the contents rather than the packaging.  You can expect a greater demand for genuine aged products and the cost of the “juice” will surely go up as well.  There is a risk that the middle ground products will lose out a bit without age statement blends being reduced a bit to compensate for the improvements at the high in.

      “Rum cocktails will also continue to drive the category as bartenders seek to use premium rums in their creations.”   The spiced and flavored end of the market will continue to expand. I’m expecting releases from major players this year, but I’m a bit worried that we’ll have too much ‘Sugar & Spice’ and end up with rum having nothing as far as the “nice image” goes.   “There may be a touch of desire for amazing expressions like cachaça and agricole to hit the market!    “Education is still very much needed throughout the category.”

Santa Teresa Rums Announces a Global Distribution Agreement with Bacardi

     Venezuela's Santa Teresa, one of a dwindling number of successful rum companies , announced a deal with the Bacardi, for global distribution.   Despite a harrowing economic crisis in Venezuela, the rum industry appears to be the only thriving industry.   The deal will grant the family-owned Santa Teresa "a significant market expansion from the existing 34 markets, aiming for double-digit growth for its portfolio of aged rums within the next three years." The company will retain distribution in Venezuela.

     Santa Teresa is one of Venezuela's top rum companies. It was founded in 1796 and began producing rum in 1885.   Over the years the company has done some modernization of its distillery, but still retains its venerable old solera aging bodega.    International sales have risen steadily in recent years - from 160,000 cases in 2014 to 200,000 cases in 2016.   

Santa Teresa Solera Aging Bodega

     After launching its own, small, selection of premium rums, this deal will provide Bacardí with a great selection of upper end rums to the marketplace.   Santa Teresa's rum is Venezuela's oldest rum producer, are distilled and bottled at a sugar-cane estate in the state of Aragua, Venezuela.

Afro Lady Evening Cocktail

     Here is an idea to replace the traditional Rum and Cola, it has some of the sweetness of the Cuba Libre, but you can just sit back and sip on this one and enjoy the taste of the spirits rather than the cola with a little bit of alcohol burn at the end.  The Afro Lady is much better just served chilled and let the marriage of the spirits and the orgeat do the work for you.



Afro Lady Evening Cocktail

• 2 oz. Afrohead Aged Dark Rum or the Afrohead XO
• 1 oz. Orgeat
• 2 Dashes of Fee Bros. Whiskey Barrel Bitters

Place all ingredients into a shaker and shake until thoroughly chilled.  Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with cherry.

Afrohead "Kill Devil" Cocktail

    Today it is known as Rum, but back in the days of the pirates and the sailors of the 1700's, it was called "Kill Devil".  Kill Devil or rum was a commodity and would be traded for salted fish, pork, beef, timber and livestock.   Kill Devil was very much a part of the "Triangle Trade" between the colonies, Africa and Barbados during the era.  Afrohead Rum has sort of of its own triangle trade origin.  The idea of it was born on Harbour Island in the Bahamas, created in Trinidad and being sold here in the United States.  This is a wonderful rum that has such a colorful history and a chance to off you a chance to enjoy a really fun cocktail.

Afrohead “Kill Devil” Cocktail  

• 2 oz. Afrohead Aged Dark Rum
• 1 oz. Sweet Vermouth
• 2 dashes of Fee Brothers Old Fashion Bitters

Place all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice, shake until thoroughly chilled and strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.  Garnish with a lemon zest.

Afrohead Rum Tasting at The Rum Bar in Key West

   Bahama Bob Leonard will be having an Afrohead Rum Tasting at the Rum Bar at the Speakeasy Inn in Key West on Thursday January 12, Try some of the Aftohead and the quality cocktails offered at the bar from 4 pm until 6 pm.  This will be a fun opportunity to taste the Afrohead XO and Aged Dark Rums, both are wonderful expressions being  offered for you pleasure.

 

     I will be there to offer you a chance to sample these fine rums and try an Afrohead cocktail that I've created just for the event.  There will also be some fun bling given away at the tasting.   If you have questions about the rum, its history, flavor and anything else about it, I'll be there to answer your questions.

     I'm looking forward to seeing many of you at the Rum Bar.  This is the first time I've been there to do an event since my retirement 14 months ago.  Looking forward to being back behind a bar there and getting together with all of the rum aficionados that make some time to stop by.

Spiced Cookie Daiquiri

     The winter by the fireplace is a perfect place for some nice cookie rum cocktails.  This week lets try a spiced cookie daiquiri.   This can be a really rewarding experience for your palate.  Cookies also make great desserts for after dinner.

Spiced Cookie Daiquiri

• 1 oz. Siesta Key Spiced Rum
• 1 oz. Nassau Royale Liqueur
• 1 oz. White Rum
• 1 oz. Light Cream
• ½ oz. of Bahama Bob’s  Cartavio Black Honey Syrup

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice, shake and strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Bahama Bob's Cartavio Black Honey Syrup

• 2/3 cup Cartavio Black Rum
• 1/2 cup Pure Clover Honey
• 1 tsp. Lemon Juice
• 1 tbsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1/8 tsp. Ground Nutmeg

Place all ingredients into a pan and heat at 275 degrees until it begins to biol.  Make sure that you are stirring all of the time.  Reduce the temperature to 125 and keep stirring for another 5 minutes.  Allow to cool until it reaches a temperature that won't burn you to the touch and put into a dispenser.  Store in a refrigerator until needed.

Key West's First Winter Storm of 2017

     Well it finally happened, winter's first storm for 2017.  With winds over 30 miles per hour and temperatures dropping to 58 degrees, I guess that we can call it winter.   The winds had the boat rocking all afternoon and all night as well as the cold front passed through.   I know it isn't the snow tha those of you in the northern tiers have, but when your wardrobe is shorts and t shirts, this is a "solid freeze" for us.

How Can I Become More Knowledgeable About Rum?

     This is a question that a lot of bartenders and customers shave asked me over the years.  This is a tough question for many people who like rum and want to be better educated about them.   This is what I spent most of my career as a barman doing for people that would come through the door.   Today this is a more difficult job because I don’t have the tools or the “podium” to speak from every day.  

     Today I have to rely on tastings for specific brands to put the message across, but I can only do this one brand at a time.  What I am doing now is putting together a twice monthly program where I can talk rum with people that are interested.  I am planning a twice monthly event that combines two of my favorite things, rum and karaoke.   This is in the final stages of planning, and will begin in the middle of February. 

     The plan is to have three or four different rums of different origins and types to teach the differences of type of distillation, aging, blending and what additives do to the final product.  These programs will be at no cost to the customers and will be open to all locals and tourists in Key West.  I have to say that I am excited about the possibilities this program will be able to offer those people interested in rum who are visiting or living in the Florida Keys. 

     Watch the blog for more as things get finalized and we start to advertise the times and dates for the events.

Where is Rum Headed in 2017

     With forecasts volume sales gains of 0.7% for 2016, values are actually likely to show a decrease of 0.1%.   For distillers and marketers that are trying build the category’s value, the data does point out an improving picture.   There are value gains, though low do indicate that the category is moving in the right direction.  Predicted growth for 2017 is expected to be at 0.4%, compared with 0.9% in value terms.

     Consumers have a taste for rum, but they there seems to be a lack of those willing to pay for the super – premium expressions.   The producers are non the less wooing a small but growing pocket in the market that buys these spirits.  . “The rum category, in particular the super-premium sector, has seen strong growth,” Carl Stephenson, founder of Elements Eight rum, said, as the company unveiled a higher-end redesign in July.    “In 2016, we saw the acceleration of the upward trend for premium and super premium rums, super-premium innovations like single casks and single vintages are showing a lot of interest.

     There has been a lot of interest in the agricole style of rhum that goes along with the interest in the higher end rums.   Trois Rivières , Saint James, Clement and Damoiseau all have high quality expressions that more and more people are showing interest in. 

     2017 should be interesting to follow, especially if the groups that are not only pushing for a premiumization, but for honesty about what is being added to the rum.  The French sets of rules for agricole are a good guideline for the rest of the industry, but those like Richard Seale and Luca Gargano, who are trying to add credibility of the category.  This will help educate the customers to understand what they are buying as they do in other spirits categories.  All in all, I feel this is going to be a good year for rum, I feel like the slide in sales over the past few year will be turned around.

Richard Seale Announces Three new releases for 2017

     Richard Seale has announced that Foursquare Distillery will be introducing two new expressions for 2017, in addition to one expression in partnership with Luca Gargano's Velier.

     Foursquare Distillery will be releasing their 2005, replacing the incredible Foursquare 2004.  The 2005 is a 9 year old that has spent time in former bourbon barrels.   In addition there will be one more release later in 2017.

     The Foursquare Triptych release is the partnership of Richard Seale and Luca Gargano.   This will be a blend that starts out with three different vintages that are aged in three different types of barrels.  The three vintages are a blend of Copper double retort pot still and the traditional twin column coffee still rums from 2004, 2005 and 2007.   The 2004 is aged in Former Bourbon Barrels, the 2005 is aged in Madeira casks, and the 2007 in Virgin Oak Barrels.  The expression is bottled at barrel proof 56% ABV retaining the full color and flavor of the expression. 

    

The Quiet Dinner Finale

After New Years, thing have slowed down and a great dinner must be finished off by a really nice after dinner cocktail.  I had an idea for a sweet tart sweet idea that has worked out very well.  The sweetness of an Oloroso barrel finished rum, the tartness of an Italian Amaro and a touch of a cinnamon honey syrup leave your palate feeling like you just ate a decedent dessert.   The flavors work very well together like a great dessert.

Oloroso Amaro  Dessert Aperitif

• 1 1/2 oz. Abuelo XV Oloroso Cask Rum
• 1/2 oz. Amaro de Toscana
• 1/4 oz. Bahama Bob's Cinnamon Honey Syrup

Place all ingredients into a shaker and shake until thoroughly chilled.  Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.

Bahama Bob’s Cinnamon Honey Syrup

• ½ Cup of Dark Brown Sugar
• ½ Cup Sugar in the Raw
• ½ Cup Pure Clover Honey
• 1 Cups of Water
• 1 Tbsp. Ground Cinnamon
• 1 Tsp. Lemon Juice 

Place all ingredients except the water and cinnamon in a pan and heat at 375 degrees stirring until all melts into a liquid.  Slowly add the water and bring to a boil.  Add Cinnamon and reduce heat to 230 degrees and bring to a slow boil and continue stirring for 5 minutes.  Pour into a dish that will not melt or crack and place in refrigerator for about an hour.  Pour into a dispensing bottle and put into refrigerator until ready to use.

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/

The After Dinner Cocktail is Coming Back

     The after dinner cocktail is evolving into the “dessert” in many of the finest restaurants world over.   The trend of eating lighter and healthier is lending itself to having an after dinner cocktail rather than one of those mega calorie desserts.   Whether you are in a tiny restaurant in New York, the Quarter in New Orleans or on a hill in San Francisco, this is the direction that many fine restaurants have taken.   

     The after-dinner selections have traditionally been stereotyped as sweet and syrupy, says Adam Orzechowski, bar manager of the New Orleans restaurant Trinity, so naturally, he explains, many Americans have long avoided the realm of after-dinner spirits and cocktails. "I think there was a lot of misinformation out there, and with the advent of this whole mixology movement, they just took a back seat," he explains. "The modern trend is far more balanced, with more focus on pairings. Bitter, dry, and citrusy notes all help finish the dining experience."

     The idea of finishing  dinner with a 100 or calorie cocktail instead of a 1200 calorie chocolate something or other makes sense to many of us that care about being able to leave the table feeling comfortable.   A nice high quality sipping rum, with ice or neat makes a really great way to put the finishing touch on a fine dinner.  If your taste calls for something sweet, then there are any number of after dinner cocktails that fit that bill.  I'll be exploring the area of after dinner cocktails this winter.

Who Will be Making the Real "Havana Club" Rum?

     Today CBS as on its weekly news show “60 Minutes” will be looking into the Rum War going on between Bacardi and the partnership of Pernod Ricard and Cuban Government over the use of the name ”Havana Club” .   This should be a very interesting  show covering the war that goes all the way back to the Cuban Revolution.

 

     It's a story 60 Minutes reports from Cuba, where a longtime feud has roots to the Cuban Revolution.    

Who makes the real Havana Club Rum?   Who should own the right to sell the liquor under the famous Havana Club brand name?   

     Two companies are currently selling rum under the same name and for years have been battling it out in court for the right to the legendary brand. It's a story Sharyn Alfonsi goes to report in Cuba, where the longtime feud traces its roots to the Cuban Revolution. 

     "The Rum War" will be broadcast on the next edition of 60 Minutes Sunday Jan. 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. PT.

      This bar fight began in 1959, when the family making Havana Club had its business taken by Fidel Castro's revolutionary government. More than half a century later, one entity, Bacardi, makes rum in Puerto Rico and another, Pernod Ricard, makes it in Cuba in partnership with the Cuban Government. Both bottles say Havana Club Rum, both make a mean daiquiri -- the rum drink said to have been invented in Cuba around the same time the Havana Club Rum brand emerged. But who should be the rightful owner of the fabled brand?

Today the Sun Rises on 2017

     Today is the beginning of a New Year, lets make this one a great one by doing what is right and having a great deal of fun.  Try to find the good in this year just as hard as we sought out the bad in 2016.

Wishing All a Safe and Fun 2017

     With the arrival of 2017, we have an opportunity to start again.  Everyone will try to live up to their resolutions that will in general slip by the wayside within a month or so, but what can we expect from this New Year?   So many people have been saying they are glad to see 2016 over with, but what are we going to do different to make the new year a better one.     We can hope this year will be a fabulous one filled with so many wonderful things .  There a lot of people predicting new and wonderful things along with those predicting doom and despair.   In the spirits industry I have run across three very interesting predictions .

“A Rum Revival”

Colin Asare-Appiah, East Senior Portfolio Ambassador

     Often seen as a warm weather spirit, or to be sipped only while on a sandy beach watching the sunset, rum has faced a stigma in the past with very little consumer awareness or interest existing outside of “occasion based” drinking. Luckily, the tides seem to be shifting with a new wave of a demand for expertly prepared tiki inspired cocktails and bartenders are seeking out rum brands that have an authentic story and unique taste that give them reason to include them on their back bar and on their cocktail menus.

“Guilty Pleasure Drinks”

Jaymee Mandeville, West Senior Portfolio Ambassador

     There was a time when 70s, 80s and 90s style cocktails were a no go in craft cocktail bars. They were looked down upon for their call of artificial ingredients or thought to be too sweet and unsophisticated. Bartenders have recently begun to revisit these decade old cocktails (Pina Colada’s, Appletini’s, Sex on the Beach) and re-imagining them with fresh, quality, housemade ingredients transforming them into delicious, complex and well-executed drinks. Craft cocktail bars around the country are stepping up to the plate and showcasing their adaptations on these classics and we have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of this trend in the coming year.

“Libations of Luxury”

Duane Fernandez, Texas Portfolio Ambassador

     In a time where exceptionally rare spirits regularly grace bar shelves with their presence, bartenders are breaking free from the notion that these spirits must be sipped alone and without interruption from additional spirits or modifiers. Ultra Premium Scotch Whisky, in particular, has been used more and more in cocktails. With delicate attention to detail and respect for the liquid coming from these revered, nearly sacred bottles, there is a new trend that has taken flight, where bartenders have begun featuring these spirits on premium and super premium cocktail menus. Rather than leaving the bottles to gather dusts, bars are presenting these cocktails as a beautiful way to enjoy what might be a once in a lifetime cocktail.

"Rum Based Luxury and Feel Good Cocktails"

Bahama Bob Leonard, Key West Rum Guy

     What I see for 2017 is exquisite rums being used in sophisticated cocktails.  Rum has a reputation as a “feel good” spirit that mixes well with others and yields so many high quality cocktails.   What the category needs is to continue moving into a better class of consumers.   I keep finding is rum being used in place of other spirits in traditional and fine quality cocktails throughout the spirits world.  I see this becoming more prevalent and being enjoyed by more and more customers and bartenders following this trend.   The use of what was once felt to be sipping rums is finding itself in ultra -premium cocktails.  Rums that people would tell you should only be sipped do lend themselves well to cocktails as well.  Great rums like other great spirits can be a part of a great cocktail by imparting its unique flavor to the mix.

     Here is to a happy and safe New Year to all.  I’m a believer in pushing the positive and hopeful that thing will do well and be fun and wonderful.

Peak Drinking Season in the United States. Where are the Biggest Drinkers?

     I ran across this article in The Charlotte Observer, it has a lot of very interesting information I thought you might enjoy reading.

     While we don't recommend that you "binge drink through New Year's," there's no doubt that the holidays have traditionally been a time for boozing it up. For instance, considering the total monthly alcohol sales in the United States, you may detect a seasonal trend - the spikes in December of each year.

     We're not just buying booze during the holidays, of course - we're guzzling it down, too. Various direct and indirect measures of alcohol consumption, including breathalyzer data, Web searches for hangover relief and alcohol-related traffic deaths all suggest that peak American drinking happens between Thanksgiving and New Year's.

     New England is home to the nation's heaviest drinkers - New Hampshire, where about 64 percent of residents age of 12 or older drink monthly, is tops in the country. Vermont, Maine and Connecticut also come in at drinking rates above 60 percent. Hard-drinking cheeseheads in Wisconsin see to it that their home is the only Midwestern state in the top tier of American drinkers.

     The next tier of heavy drinking states are all in the northern part of the country. Some researchers posit that there may be a relationship between heavy drinking and latitude - at the country level, alcohol consumption tends to increase the farther you get away from the equator. This could be a function of the potential for boredom and depression during winter months when the nights are long, the days are short, and baby it's cold outside - for a prime example of this, see recent stories involving alcohol and misconduct among people who live in Antarctica.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/nation-world/national/article122829154.html#storylink=cpy

I Guess We are Descendants of Party Animals After All

     Could it be that monkeys and apes foraging in the tropical forests be the evolutionary reason for our attraction to alcohol?   In an interesting article in The Atlantic looks at the possibility that prehistoric apes and monkeys drinking from  naturally occurring pools of fermenting materials could be the source of our taste for alcoholic beverages.

     The 'drunken monkey' hypothesis proposes that alcohol, and primarily the ethanol molecule, is routinely consumed by all animals that eat fruits and nectar. As first worked out by Louis Pasteur in the 19th century, fermentation is a natural process deriving from the metabolic action of yeasts on sugar molecules. The molecules produce alcohol to kill off their bacterial competitors, and the booze accumulates at low concentrations within fruits and nectar. It also wafts into the environment, producing a downwind vapor trail that reliably indicates the presence of fruits and sugars. Any animal that can sense and follow this odor upwind will come to the source of ethanol and, of course, the sugars within the fruit. In tropical forests, ripe fruit occurs patchily, so any ability to find it over long distances is beneficial.

          Around 10 million years ago, as our ape ancestors progressively became more upright and began to walk about bipedally, an interesting change occurred in their physiological ability to process alcohol. Based on DNA sequence data and modern-day reconstruction of ancestral enzymes, we now know that the ability of these early apes to metabolize alcohol increased about 20-fold due to a single-point mutation in their genes, consistent with greater dietary exposure to this molecule. These animals were walking about the forest floor and within savannahs, and might have simply been obtaining greater access to fallen fruits that had been fermenting longer, and thus that contained more alcohol. Whatever the initial advantages might have been for this particular mutation, we have retained it into modern times.   What once helped to find food more efficiently in the wild has become a major part of human culture, with alcohol both loved and abused throughout the world.

     I find it to be very interesting that our taste for alcoholic beverages really seems to be a naturally occurring thing.  It looks as we evolved, we were able to find more places that alcoholic beverages were available.  This is a lot closer to our behavior than you might think.  The easier the access to the bar, the more often you might visit it.  Alcohol exposure is an ancient and persistent part of animal diets suggests that today's drinking behavior is motivated, in part, by deeply rooted reward pathways within our brain.   And these responses we share with creatures as diverse as fruit bats, flies and even chimpanzees.  

Read More at https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/12/drunken-monkey/511046/

Cold Weather Means Hot Cocktails

     The weather is getting colder, even her in Key West, so it is time for a warm you up Hot Cocktail.  This will warm you with the strength of the Pusser's rum just like brandy does.  Warm on two fronts, perfect for the cold day.

Key West Hot Winter Grog

• 1 1/2 oz. Pusser’s Gunpowder Proof Rum
• 1/2 oz.Triple Sec
• 1 oz. Bahama Bob’s  Honey Cinnamon Syrup
• 1/4  oz. Lemon Juice
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 3 oz. Boiling Water

Place all ingredients except the hot water and the cinnamon stick in a coffee mug.  add hot water and stir until mixed drop in the cinnamon stick and serve.

Bahama Bob’s Cinnamon Honey Syrup

• 2 Cup Pure Clover Honey
• 2 Cups of Water
• 3  Cinnamon Sticks
• 1/2 Tsp. Lemon Juice 

Place water and cinnamon in a pan and heat at 375 degrees and bring to a boil.  Add Honey and lemon juice and reduce heat to 230 degrees.   Bring to a slow boil and continue stirring for 5 minutes.  Remove the cinnamon sticks and pour into a dish that will not melt or crack and allow to cool.  Pour into a dispenser and refrigerator for about an hour.   Store in the  refrigerator until ready to use.

Grander 12 Year Old is Coming Soon

Grander 12 Year Old Panamanian Rum

     Dan Dehart has just sent me the newest member of his Grander Rum line, a 12 year old expression that has its origins in Panama and made without additives.  This is released at 45% ABV or 90 proof which means that it will have a big bold flavor that wasn’t lost in the reduction from barrel proof down to bottle proof.   This is the second of the family of Grander Rums, with the original being an eight year old expression.  The new Grander 12 Year old will be on the market in Florida first then Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, and Texas.  If all goes according to plan, you will see it on the Florida market in late spring or early summer.

     From the first look at this new Grander 12 year old expression, you know that you are in for a real special rum expression.   The deep golden color is beautiful and your eyes draw you straight to the to the glass.  There is an attractive, slightly sweet aroma that draws you right into the glass where there is some oak, tobacco, dried fruit, nuts and spices.    On the palate an immediate warmth of the 45% ABV with a sweetness that quickly fades to a dry and slight peppery taste at the finish.  This is a very smooth expression that leaves a lingering finish of wood, subtle fruits and a hint of pepper.

     I found this to be a really nice rum for sipping, either neat or on the rocks.   The warmth and the smoothness makes Grander 12 Year Old a wonderful cocktail time choice.  Upon its release it will become a regular on my shelf.   Watch your favorite liquor store, Grander 12 year old will be making an appearance there in the near future.  Don’t miss this one, it is a true and honest rum with wonderful flavor that has not had anything added to it.

2016 Caribbean Journal Rum Awards

     It’s hard to believe we’re celebrating five years of the landmark Rum Awards, Rum Journal’s annual celebration of the best in rum around the Caribbean and the world. A lot has changed in the rum world since then, with awareness of the diversity and quality of rum at an all-time high and showing no signs of decline.   Rum-makers continue to innovate, as new distilleries emerge and existing ones get more creative, the latter nowhere clearer than Martinique, the Caribbean’s most innovative rum production hub.

     This year’s Rum Awards, our Fifth Edition, celebrate our favorites in 12 categories, from the Rum and Rhum Agricole of the Year to the Rum Bar of the Year, along with a special new category. After tasting almost 300 rums, here are the 2016 Rum Awards, or, as some like to call them, the Rummys.

Congratulations to all the winners.

Rum of the Year: Mount Gay 1703

The rum world continues to expand, but this year the Rum of the Year award heads to one of its birthplaces: Barbados. Mount Gay has taken its legendary rum to a new level in the last few years, trying out new formulas, unveiling new limited editions and taking its existing blends to another level. And that’s precisely what happened with its halo 1703 rum, which is drinking better than ever before. This is a simply exquisite rum, with the robustness one expects from Mount Gay but an exacting, almost impossible smoothness and a remarkably delicate finish.

Runners up:  Ron Santiago de Cuba 11 años (Cuba), Ron Zafra Master Series 

30 Años(Panama)

Rhum Agricole of the Year: Dillon 1998 Édition Limitée

It isn’t the most famous variety from Martinique, but it’s time you heard about Dillon, made on the outskirts of Fort-de-France and one of the globe’s best rhums agricoles. And the company’s 1998 vintage is a superstar, with notes of wood, dried fruit, apricot and a hint of white wine and an oh-so-luxurious texture. It is elegant, sophisticated and, well, out of this world.

Runners Up: Rhum Damoiseau XO (Guadeloupe); Rhum Depaz VSOP (Martinique)

Best New Rum: Pusser’s Gunpowder Proof

The name Pusser’s is a legendary one in the Caribbean (particularly in the British Virgin Islands), so we were rather enthused to see how good the brand’s newest launch was. The rum is a navy-style rum (and a blend of rums from Trinidad and Guyana) at what the brand says is the original Admiralty strength (back when the British Navy used to give out a daily rum ration), at 54.5 percent ABV. It’s powerful, robust and an authentic tribute to the Navy rums of yesteryear. This is what Pusser’s should taste like.

Best New Rhum Agricole: A1710 Nuée Ardente

It isn’t often a new rum brand launches in the Caribbean – and especially in Martinique. But entrepreneur Yves Assier de Pompignan has done just that with A 1710, based at the Habitation du Simon in Martinique. Right now, A 1710 rums are a blend of rums from across the French Caribbean, including Martinique and Guadeloupe (with three varieties of varying blends), and the result is something special, led by our New Rhum Agricole of the Year, the A 1710 Nuée Ardente, an intoxicatingly complex blend of rums between 9 and 17 years of age.

Best White Rum: Santiago de Cuba Carta Blanca

We always like to say that the primary test of a white rum is whether it gives you a headache. But the test of a great white rum is whether it can be enjoyed neat. And right now, there’s no better white rum than that of Cuba’s Santiago de Cuba brand, which is, right now, producing the island’s best rum expressions. It’s light, sweet and remarkably smooth.

Best White Rhum Agricole: Rhum Bologne Black Cane

There are no greater white rums in the world thn the white rhums agricole of the French Caribbean, floral, complex expressions that are sometimes even better than aged molasses-based rums. Our favorite this year? Guadeloupe’s Rhum Bologne Black Cane, made from difficult-to-grow “black” sugarcane and a simply astonishing white rhum, with notes of tropical fruit, mango, cane and anise and a sweet finish. Most importantly, it’s so good you don’t even need to put sugar in your ti’ punch.

Best Gold Rum: Rum-Bar Gold Rum

It’s nice to see a Jamaican rum on this list, thanks to the efforts of the island’s Worthy Park Estate Ltd rum plantation. This year’s winner is Rum-Bar Gold rum, a classic gold rum aged for a minimum of four years with a profile marked by fruit, coconut, vanilla, confectioners’ sugar — it’s a terrific mixing rum and sippable, too, on the rocks.

Best Spiced Rum: Siesta Key Distiller’s Reserve Solera Blend

One rum brand has won more of our Rum Awards than any other, and it’s a boutique distillery in Florida called Drum Circle Distilling. Distiller Troy Roberts’ Siesta Key Rum has won this category every year since the original Rum Awards in 2012, and thanks to creativity and continued, overwhelming qualty it’s hard to see that changing. The latest Distiller’s Reserve is another spiced rum using natural ingredients that is, without a doubt, the world’s best spiced rum.

Best Flavored Rum: Siesta Key Toasted Coconut Rum

The flavored rum category has all kinds of varieties, though too often one finds rums long on artificial ingredients and short on quality. That’s not the case with Siesta Key’s Toasted Coconut rum, a superb expression infusing white rum with real shredded coconut. The result is, well, spectacular.

Best Overproof Rum: Rhum Neisson Esprit Bio

This rum is significant for two reasons: first, it’s the Caribbean’s first-ever certified organic rum, thanks to the work of the always-enterprising Neisson distillery in Martinique’s Le Carbet. Second, at 66 percent ABV, it’s a full-fledged overproof rum with a robust, decidedly vegetal taste that’s unlike any other Overproof you’ll find in the French Caribbean or beyond.

Best Bottle Design: Rhum Clement Canne Bleue 2016

Martinique’s Rhum Clement redefined rum bottle design when it began commissioning high-profile artists to design its now-famous black-hued limited edition, something that led a host of brands to begin doing similar projects. But in this regard, Clement is still king, with another beautiful design for this year’s Blue Cane variety.

Rum Bar of the Year: Rum Bar at the Cooper Island Beach Club

You’re sailing the British Virgin Islands and the rum is getting low, so you find a mooring ball and swim in to the nearest tiny island you can find. Steps from the sand you find something magical: a bar filled with 100 rums from around the Caribbean. But it isn’t a mirage. This is the Rum Bar at the Cooper Island Beach Club and it remains one of the Caribbean’s best, with a great mix of molasses-based and agricole rums and great cocktail creations, too. It’s a Mecca on the Caribbean rum trail. 

Rum Journal Hall of Fame

This year is the fifth edition of the Rum Awards, and to celebrate our five-year anniversary we’ve create the Rum Journal Hall of Fame, which celebrates those doing the most to honor and spread the gospel of rum and contribute to the rum industry. We’ve launched the Rum Journal Hall of Fame, with five inductees, as listed below.

Allen Smith, Master Blender, Mount Gay Rum

Lorena Vazquez, Master Blender, Ron Zacapa

Gregory Vernant, Master Distiller, Rhum Neisson

Benjamin Jones, Regional Director, North America, Rhum Clement/Rhum JM

Robert Burr, Publisher, Rob’s Rum Guide

Read all about this at http://www.caribjournal.com/2016/12/22/rum-awards-2016/