​By Caribbean Journal Staff
Two years ago in St Barth, a never-before-seen field of the world’s most expensive rums faced off in a rum category for the ages. 
And this week in St Barth, history was made again. 
For the first time ever, the winners of the Uber Premium Rhum Agricole and Uber Premium Molasses Rum category (both comprised exclusively of rums over $400 per bottle) went head to head, a battle of sugarcane juice and molasses, of two of the most exquisite rums on the planet. 
And a world champion was crowned. 
Martinique’s Rhum Neisson Armada 88 bested Nicaragua’s Flor de Caña 30 to take home the title as the Caribbean Rum Awards World Champion for 2021 — making it the defending world’s greatest rum.
The festival was hosted by the world’s leading rum bar, the Rhum Room St Barth and the celebrated Quarter Kitchen and Cocktail Lab and their proprietor, global rum expert Christopher Davis, co-founder of the Caribbean Rum Awards St Barth. 
It was just one highlight of what was another spectacular edition of the Caribbean Rum Awards, from Davidoff rum and cigar pairing nights to three glamorous festival dinners and a marvelous collection of rum distilleries at the Accutron Rum Expo. 
“Our fourth edition of the Caribbean Rum Awards St Barth was our best yet,” said Alexander Britell, editor and publisher of Caribbean Journal and co-founder of the Caribbean Rum Awards St Barth. “The competition field was better than ever, the events were truly memorable, and it’s clear the CRA is now a part of the fabric of St Barth. It’s fitting that our celebration of the world’s finest luxury rums should be set in the Caribbean capital of luxury.” 
In other recognition, Nicaragua’s Flor de Cana won honors as Green Distillery of the Year for its “broad sustainability efforts” and Italy’s Velier won Rum Company of the Year for its “sweeping contribution to the standing of rum worldwide.” 
The final competition field in St Barth included a total of 52 rums from across the region.

The week included a Davidoff Cigar and Rum Pairing evening.“Excellence begets Excellence is about the only way to look at this past week, distillers and blenders from around the Caribbean came to show, explore and teach the participants both connoisseur and amateur alike,” said Christopher Davis, proprietor of the Rhum Room and co-founder of the Caribbean Rum Awards St Barth. “We shared passion for rum and tasted our way around a magnificent field of rums.”
“I was very impressed by how the Molasses category is coming along and growing in different ways that give new life to the category —  starting to push outside of the US rum requisite of 40 degrees (80-proof) rum,” Davis said. “The agricoles as always have such a refined and different presentation allowing them to show their best regardless of their distiller. The overall killer rum this year was the Neisson Armada 88, and wow — what a refined aged agricole rhum she is, if only I could be that way one day, for the moment I will suffice with spending time and savoring her in my glass. The magic of the future rhum experiences keep me excited daily.”

A patron savors Rhum HSE at the Accutron Rum Expo.Other top performers included Martinique’s Rhum HSE, which took home a pair of double gold medals, and the new Ron Eminente from Cuba, which took home Double Gold in its first appearance at the Caribbean Rum Awards. 
Other Double Gold medalists included Neisson’s Rhum Blanc; Guadeloupe’s Rhum Bielle for its Rhum Blanc 59; Martinique’s Rhum HSE VSOP; Martinique’s Rhum JM XO; Rhum HSE 2003 and Cuba’s Ron Eminente. 
Judges of the blind-tasting competition included Christopher Davis; Alexander Britell; Guy Britton, EVP and Managing Editor of Caribbean Journal; Guy Ferdinand, renowned chef and proprietor of Le Petibonum in Martinique; Peter Berntsen, COO of Miami-based Empire Social Lounge; Simons Chase, co-founder of Cuba Journal; Jose Antonio Hernandez-Solaun, Miami-based rum expert, sommelier and international cigar sommelier; and guest judge Bianca Saloum, a Guadeloupe-based rum connoisseur.

The WIMCO VIP Ti’ Punch party hosted by Les Ilets de la Plage.This year also included the annual People’s Choice Awards, which crowned The Bahamas’ One Drop Rum, Neisson Armada 88 and Flor de Caña 30 in their respective categories (The People’s Choice Awards included Steven Miller, Eddy Maddox; Benoit Lavigne and Ted Houseknect.)

The Atelier Ti’ Punch by Marie Galante-based Pere Labat.“We’re thrilled to be a part of the event for the third time now,” said David Zipkin, founding member and vice president of event partner Tradewind Aviation. “It’s a wonderful event for the island and it’s a great kick off for the season in St Barth.” 

WIMCO Villa VLY, one of this year’s festival villas.This year’s event was sponsored by WIMCO Villas, Tradewind Aviation, Martinique Tourism Authority, Accutron, Les Ilets de la Plage, Empire Social Lounge and SC Capital. 
“Staging the Caribbean Rum Awards and associated public tasting events in St Barts is so in synch with the island’s culture, one that celebrates enjoying good food and wine in a relaxed setting,” said Stiles Bennet, president of WIMCO, one of the event’s presenting sponsors. “We are excited to see how the event grows in years to come.”
You can find the full list of medalists below. 
DOUBLE GOLD MEDALISTS
Premium Rum – Ron Eminente, Cuba
Uber-Premium Rum – Flor de Caña 30, Nicaragua
Rhum Blanc 50 Degrees and Below – Rhum Neisson Blanc, Martinique
Rhum Blanc Over 50 Degrees – Rhum Bielle 59
VSOP – Rhum HSE VSOP, Martinique
XO – Rhum JM XO, Martinique
Hors d’Age – Rhum HSE 2003
Uber-Rhum Agricole – Rhum Neisson Armada 88
GOLD MEDALISTS
Premium Rum – One Drop 10 Year Old, The Bahamas
Uber-Premium Rum – Don Q Reserva de la Familia Serralles, Puerto Rico
Rhum Blanc 50 Degrees and Below – Rhum Damoiseau Club, Guadeloupe
Rhum Blanc Over 50 Degrees – Rhum Neisson Bio, Martinique
VSOP – Reimonenq JR Cuvée Spéciale, Guadeloupe
XO – Rhum HSE XO, Martinique
Hors d’Age – Karukera Cuvee Christophe Colomb 1493, Guadeloupe
Uber-Premium Rhum Agricole – Karukera Fut 65 Single Cask, Guadeloupe
SILVER MEDALISTS
Premium Rum – Chairman’s Reserve 2009, Saint Lucia
Uber-Premium Rum – Ron del Barrilito Five Star, Puerto Rico
Rhum Blanc 50 Degrees and Below – Rhum Depaz Blanc, Martinique
Rhum Blanc Over 50 Degrees – Rhum Karukera L’Intense, Guadeloupe
VSOP – Rhum Neisson VSOP 88 Years Martinique
XO – Rhum Bologne XO, Guadeloupe
Hors d’Age – Rhum Damoiseau 2001, Guadeloupe
Uber-Premium Rhum Agricole – Rhum HSE 1960
BRONZE MEDALISTS
Premium Rum – The ImpEx Collection 13 Yr. Long Pond, Jamaica
Uber-Premium Rum – Havana Club Maximo, Cuba
Rhum Blanc 50 Degrees and Below – Reimonenq Rhum Coeur de Chauffe, Guadeloupe
Rhum Blanc Over 50 Degrees – La Favorite Coeur de Canne 55, Martinique
VSOP – Rhum Depaz VSOP, Martinique
XO – Rhum Neisson XO, Martinique
Hors d’Age – Rhum Neisson 19, Martinique
Uber-Rhum Agricole – Rhum Clement 1970, Martinique

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 bielle, caribbean, cuba, guadeloupe, martinique, rum, st barthYOU MAY LIKEAds by Revcontent

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​https://www.famous-smoke.com/cigaradvisor/10-best-cigars-to-pair-with-rum

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Rum Journal: An All-Inclusive Caribbean Rum Shack in Antigua​


By Caribbean Journal Staff
Guyana’s El Dorado 15. Trinidad’s Angostura 1787. Barbados’ Mount Gay 1703. 
They’re the sort of rums you hardly find together in the Caribbean, iconic West Indian rum expressions that seldom appear on a shelf even at the best of Caribbean bars. 
At Antigua’s Galley Bay, however, they’re right there with one another — and when you’re done sipping them, there isn’t even a bill. 
This is the rum shack at Antigua’s legendary Galley Bay Resort and Spa, an all-inclusive that has rather happily created a Caribbean rum bar just steps from one of the island’s greatest beaches. 
The rum shack is a place for travelers to taste their way around the Caribbean through its most famous spirit, sampling the best of the region on a well-managed journey by the lovely rum-steward Elaine. 
Antigua’s signature bottles are here as well, from the terrific English Harbour 10 to the brand’s latest cask-finish expressions: Madeira, Port and Sherry. 

Elaine pours a sample for an eager guest.For the uninitiated, there are classic Caribbean rum cocktails, too: rum and coconut water, the traditional Cuba Libre and rum and pineapple, among others. 
For the curious, there’s a journey around the Caribbean through rum: Wray and Nephew overproof; Havana Club; Gosling’s from the region’s northern neighbors in Bermuda; and even some lovely expressions from the Dominican Republic. 
We’ve long extolled the virtues of traveling the Caribbean through rum, making this a very welcome concept. 
And Galley Bay is right at the forefront in the region, cultivating a destination-within-a-destination, a place not just to enjoy the Caribbean but to discover it anew.
The comfortable cover of palapas, cozy pillowed corners and a setting at the edge of the resort’s signature lagoon only underscore it. 
Because when your ingredients are “all-inclusive” and “rum shack,” well — that’s a hard cocktail to beat. 
For more, visit Galley Bay. 
— CJ

FROM MAXIM MAGAZINE

Exclusive First Look At Dewar's New 'Caribbean Smooth' Rum Cask-Finished ScotchThis scotch blends the spirits of Scotland and the Caribbean for something completely original.
Author:
Steve Huff
Updated:
Sep 9, 2019
Original:
Sep 9, 2019Dewar's
When you think of Scotch, you think of Scotland. But today Dewar's is releasing a new scotch whisky that perfectly infuses highlands history with a tantalizing hint of tropical flavor.
Dewar's Caribbean Smooth is an 8-year-old Scotch that was double-aged and finished in Caribbean rum casks. We had an exclusive preview and can vouch for Dewar's claims—this is a match made in spirits heaven.  
ADVERTISEMENT
Thanks for watching!Visit WebsiteAccording to a release from the distiller, this is also the "first in a new cask-finished series of whisky," so there will be more to come. 
Caribbean Smooth's unique blend of flavors and cultures is the end result of a complex and long-term process. In a statement about the Scotch's release, Dewar's vice president  Brian Cox said they have "blended up to 40 single malts and grain whiskies that have laid in casks for at least 8 years." Then they double-aged that blend in order to "ensure our distinctive extra smooth Dewar’s profile." 
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Thanks for watching!Visit Website
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Thanks for watching!Visit Website

Dewar's
Six months in casks that once held Caribbean rum provided the finishing touch. 
Cox explained that the casks "were sourced straight from the Caribbean and brought to our aging warehouses in Glasgow to be filled with our flavorful 8-year-old blend." 
Cox also said this new product is part of a drive to create "renewed interest in our brand, and thereby the whisky category.”
Master blender Stephanie Macleod said Caribbean Smooth features a "unique flavor profile," one that "features subtle notes of apple, caramel, and biscuity cereal that slips into dark brown sugar and tropical fruit."
The warm hint of sweetness from those brown sugar and fruity notes makes this one hell of a great Scotch for mixing a wide variety of cocktails. Unlike some of the classic, peaty, smoky-flavored whiskies, Caribbean Smooth is easily taken neat and will never overwhelm. 
Should you prefer a cocktail to sipping straight, Dewar's suggests the following as ideal introductions to their latest scotch:
Dewar's Caribbean Smooth Signature Serve: The Coconut Highball 1 ½ parts Caribbean Smooth
½ part Lemon juice
½ part Coconut Syrup
3 parts Soda Water

Glass: Highball

Garnish: Lime wheel and mint sprig

Method: Add whisky, lemon juice and syrup to chilled Highball glass, filled with cubed ice, add soda, stir ingredients from the bottom upwards to mix thoroughly, and garnish with slapped mint sprig and lime wheel.
Cask to Colada50ml Caribbean Smooth
25ml Fresh Pineapple juice
50ml Coconut water
10ml Vanilla sugar

Glass: Highball

Garnish: Pineapple leaf

Method: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker, fill ¾ with cubed ice and shake hard for 5 seconds. Single strain into Highball glass filled with cubed ice and garnish with Pineapple leaf.
Dewar’s Caribbean Smooth 8-year-old rum cask finish comes in a 750mL bottle and retails for $21.99. 

Tags
terms:
whiskyCocktailsspiritsscotchFood & DrinkliquorrumDewar's
By
Steve Huff

Deputy Digital Editor 



Maxim

nc

FROM GO NEXT STORY:

​Know Before You Go: Cigars and Rum in CubaJanuary 04, 2019If purchasing Cuban cigars or rum is a priority for you on your Cuba trip, welcome to the club. Cuban cigars and rum are known the world over for their superior quality—true prestige products and must-buys for many Cuba travelers. And now that citizens of the United States can purchase and bring back cigars and rum for personal consumption with no limit other than the space in their personal luggage, you too can share these delicacies as you recount your travels with friends back home (note: selling your Cuban cigars and rum in the U.S. still is illegal). There are plenty of resources for you to learn the nitty gritty details about these formerly restricted souvenirs, but we’ve assembled some basics to pique your interest.
CUBAN CIGARS

• What makes Cuban cigars so special? The Pinar del Rio region in the far west of Cuba is recognized as the world’s prime tobacco-growing location, with farming methods passed down for generations. The variables that affect the tobacco plant—climate, soil, topography, surrounding plants, and even the human hand—are known as terroir. The terroir can vary quite a bit, even between neighboring tobacco growers, but the island’s climate generally provides the perfect conditions to cultivate, cure, and ferment the highest quality tobacco. You can visit farmers in the Pinar del Rio region’s Viñales Valley to witness firsthand their time-honored methods of growing tobacco and rolling cigars.
  
  Pinar del Rio region
  
• How do I buy them? Although you will no doubt be approached on the street with an irresistible offer, do not buy cigars from a street vendor. Cuba has outlawed selling cigars on the street and counterfeits of the quality Cuban brands are rampant. (And really, what is the point if you don’t get the authentic experience?) If you are a first-time buyer searching for Cuban cigars in Havana, Cigar Aficionado’s cigar shopper’s paradise, you can find your souvenir cigars in official La Casa del Habano (LCDH; The House of Havanas) locations around the city and cigar shops located in reputable hotels. Here are a few recently recommended places to buy Cuban cigars to get you started.
  
  
  
  
• What should I know about smoking Cuban cigars? Although there are many flavors and strengths to choose from, the Cuban cigar’s reputation is built on its characteristic robust and complex flavor. Spicy, earthy, woody, herbal, pepper, honey, cocoa—the descriptors are in fierce competition to engage your taste buds. Aficionados recommend novices begin with a milder product than the signature Cuban cigar, working up to a stronger cigar over time to better understand the experience. A cigar shop presents a unique opportunity to speak with locals for help choosing what to buy. Meanwhile, check out these suggestions for starters.
  
  
  
  

• Other fascinating facts about Havana cigars abound, such as this look into How Cuban Cigars Are Made, and this “let’s get real” approach to your souvenir shopping:  The Truth About Cuban Cigars—Are They Worth The Hype.

CUBAN RUM

• What is the Cuban difference when it comes to rum? Cuba has its own style of rum that is often described as lighter and crisper, with a distinctive low maximum bottling strength of 45 percent ABV. Some claim that Cuban rum’s terroir—Cuba’s fertile earth and sunny skies in a bottle, quite literally—guarantees that there will be no other place that can quite replicate the taste of Cuban rum. Others dispute this, asserting that the distillation process eliminates territorial differences affecting the sugarcane plant’s phenotype (and the taste of the rum). What is known is that all rum in Cuba derives from Cuban sugarcane, by government decree, and so the authenticity of Cuban flavor is in the definition. The production process is also specific to Cuba. Cuba has acquired the Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) or “Protected Designation of Origin” for its rum products, which guarantees that Cuban rum production strictly adheres to Cuba’s regional methods. This means that the type of barrel, the “column” distillation technique, the aging times, the blending of rum bases, and the charcoal filtering process will result in a rum like no other in the world.
  
  Cuba Libre
  
• I can buy Cuban Havana Club rum in the United States, can’t I? You may have seen the iconic Havana Club brand of rum available in the United States, adding to the confusion about the Cuban embargo. In fact, “Havana Club” is the name of two very different brands. The Cuban version of Havana Club rum is produced by the state-owned Cuba Ron Company S.A. The brand name is lifted from the disenfranchised Arechabala family and the spirit is now exported in partnership with the French Pernod Ricard (but not to the United States!). As with all state-run rum production in Cuba, all of the sugarcane used to make this rum is from Cuba. The Bacardi company makes another product branded “Havana Club” that is widely available in the United States. With its headquarters in Bermuda and production in Puerto Rico, Barcardi’s version of the brand has a fascinating history of revolution, betrayal, and international trade disputes, but not much connection to Cuban sugarcane or regulated production methods these days.
  
  
  
  
• Tell me more about Ernest Hemingway and Cuban rum! If you are a fan of Ernest Hemingway, you probably know about his excessive love for his Havana home and his potent drinking habit. These two passions are famously joined in his love for the rum-based daiquiri. How, you ask, was Hemingway a (frequent) daiquiri drinker if he was a diabetic who couldn’t tolerate the sugar in a traditional daiquiri? Answer: a Hemingway daiquiri contains light rum, lime and grapefruit juices, and maraschino liqueur—but no added sugar. In Havana, you can imbibe like Papa at the immensely popular El Floridita bar, where you can order up the Hemingway and perhaps raise a glass next to his life-size bronze statue at the end of the bar.
• So what brand of rum should I buy? If you know you’re ready to purchase, Town & Country has a listing of rums to bring back from your next Cuban adventure.

So grab a glass, a decanter, your cigar cutter, and your cigar lighter and prepare to delight your friends and family with your treasures from your Go Next trip to sunny Cuba!

​Story via Caribbean Journal:

GUSTAVIA — It came down to a rum-off. 
For the first time, the most exclusive rums in the Caribbean went head-to-head in a blind tasting competition at Caribbean Journal’s Caribbean Rum Awards in St Barth, and a team of seven international rum judges finally decided on a winner. 
It was a superstar rum field: Ron Del Barrilito Five-Star; Don Q Reserva de la Familia Serralles; Havana Club Maximo; Brugal Papa Andres; El Dorado 25. 
And after a round of voting, Puerto Rico’s Ron del Barrilito and the Don Q were neck-and neck, with the Don Q Reserva de la Familia Serralles finally emerging victorious in the second round. 
It was the culmination of a week of rum celebration: arrival in style via Tradewind Aviation; a rum expo in Gustavia, a People’s Choice jury; a dinner at Pearl Beach sponsored by WIMCO Villas; a Ti’ Punch seminar and cocktail afternoon; and a seven-course cocktail-and-food pairing VIP dinner at the Quarter Kitchen and Cocktail Lab on Saturday (helmed by top chef Andrew Zarzosa of Yuzu Miami fame). 
2019 marked the arrival of the Caribbean Rum Awards in St Barth, set at the Rhum Room, proprietor Christopher Davis’ rum Mecca that has more fine rums on its menu than any bar in the Western Hemisphere, including the largest selection of rhum agricole of any bar on earth. 
“We are so pleased with the reception of the Caribbean Rum Awards in St Barth,” said Alexander Britell, editor and publisher of Caribbean Journal. “St Barth is one of the most remarkable markets for rum, and our partnership with Christopher Davis and the St Barth Rum Festival is a natural fit. This year’s competition was filled with outstanding rums from across the Caribbean, and a reminder of the wonderful diversity of Caribbean rum.”

The final cocktail-and-food pairing dinner at the Quarter Kitchen and Cocktail Lab was one of the hottest tickets in St Barth.In a field marked by broad excellence, rums from Martinique to Guadeloupe to Puerto Rico took home the double golds in seven different categories. 
The Don Q Reserva de la Familia Serralles took home the Double Gold in the Ultra-Premium Category, while Ron del Barrilito’s Four-Star Rum won Double Gold in the Premium Rum category. On the Rhum Agricole side, Double Gold medalists included Rhum A1710 for its Renaissance rum in the Rhum Blanc – Martinique category, while Rhum Bologne’s La Coulisse took home the Double Gold in the Rhum Blanc Guadeloupe category. 
Martinique’s Rhum HSE won top honors in the XO category, while the Guadeloupe-made R St Barth “Authentique” won for the Hors d’age category. 
“The partnership of the Saint Barth Rum Festival and the Caribbean Rum Awards’ inaugural event in Gustavia this year was incredible,” Christopher Davis said. “The judges, both professional and amateur, experienced some of the finest rhums/rums/rones from the Caribbean, culminating in a seven-course Japanese-inspired tasting menu with rum cocktails during the awards program. As it was our first year, we kept everything intimate, so we could make sure the quality of our event was top notch. We are already having distilleries and other potential partners on island as well as our people’s choice panel enquiring about the second edition next year, which for all of us at the Quarter Kitchen and Cocktail Lab and Rhum Room is the best reward.”
The festival also bestowed a special jury prize on Martinique’s Gregory Vernant of Rhum Neisson, choosing him as the Caribbean Rum Maker of the Year.