Good news for rum in general and French rhum in particular: following last year’s 7 year old Isauter from Réunion, it is J.M of Martinique who has most recently won the Spirits Selection 2016 Trophy at the awards held in Tequila, Mexico at the end of August. The jury just fell in love with the Armagnac Cask Finish (Tariquet), one of the major innovations in the world of rhum, which I have already spoken about at length, including in the video with la Revue du Vin de France.
The jury comprised numerous international rum experts such as Ian Burrell, Carl Kanto (Demerara Distillers), Vicente Bastos Ribeiro (IBRAC), Emmanuel Becheau (JM), Christian Vergier (Arcane, Beach House, New Grove, Rivière du Mât, La Mauny & Trois Rivières), Jean-Luc Braud (ex Mount Gay) and of course from the Rumporter team, Cyrille Mald and yours truly. The 74 tasters from all four corners of the world placed another rum and two Brazilian eau-de-vies amongst their 18 grand revelations, to then select from these the three which would ultimately earn the sought-after Grand Gold Medal:
• Saint James Fleur de Canne Aged Rum (Martinique)
• Ypioca 160 Commemorative Edition, 6 Year (with malt)
• Cachaça Gouveia Brazil 5 Year
Amongst the rums singled out for a Gold Medal, the majority were rhums agricoles:
• Branca Destilação Especial (agricultural rum from Madeira)
• the new Penny Blue VSOP released in May (Mauritius)
• the recent and still low-key Cliffton Estate Spiced (blended and bottled in Saint Kitts & Nevis)
• Chairman’s Reserve (St Lucia)
• Borgoe 8 years old (Suriname)
• La Hechiceria (Colombia)
• Medellin 12 Year (Colombia)
• Havana Club 7 Year (Cuba)
• Malecon 1979 (Panama)
• La Mauny XO (Martinique)
• HSE 2005 Sauternes finish, VSOP & Black Sheriff (Martinique)
• Trois Rivières : Cuvée du Moulin & White rum 50% (Martinique)
• Neisson White rum 55% (Martinique)
• Clément: Creole copper still white rum, Decanter XO, Single Cask, Canne Bleue & Select Barrel (Martinique)
• Saint James 12 Year (Martinique)
• Bally 7 Year (Martinique)
• JM 1999
• Arrangés Métiss Lime & Spiced (France)
• Longueteau White rum 50% (Guadeloupe)
• Bologne XO (Guadeloupe)
• Charrette Spécial long drink (Réunion)
• Isautier Arrangé Banana Flambé (Réunion)
• Rivière du Mât Opus 5 (Réunion)
• Savanna Single Cask Rhum Agricole Vieux 12 years old Cask no. 820 2001 (Réunion)
The Silver medals included the following brands:
• Martinique: La Favorite
• Guadeloupe: Karukera
• Réunion: Chatel
• France: Breiz Ile, Punch d’home and L’Arôm’Arrangé
• Mauritius: Arcane, Bougainville, Labourdonnais, New Grove
• Sainte Lucia: Admiral Rodney
• Dominican Republic: Kirk & Sweeney 12 years old
• Barbados: St Nicholas Abbey White
• Trinidad: Delhaize
• USA: spiced Gracia Madre from California
• Mexico: Antillano Blanco