The highly expected results of the 2020 International Sugarcane Spirits Awards are in the air. . The unique format of this competition based on a patient tasting (judges have one month to test the samples at home) and a multigeographical panel of judges (40 judges from 17 countries and 4 different continents) is a first.
Here is the verdict, but all comes at those who can wait, prior to them we have exchanged a few words with two of the organizers, Cyr Mald & Louis Marti, to put in perspective the scope of the task accomplished.
Rumporter: The results of the first ISS Awards have fallen! How did the organization go?
Cyr Mald and Louis Marti: We are delighted with this first edition especially if we consider all the innovations of uses that this competition brings. We took advantage of the implementation of everything that had been theorized to adjust the course at each stage. Thus, the registration form was enriched from the first registrants fedd back. The registration and evaluation periods have been extended to respond to calendar and short-term constraints. We have also changed the categorisation and award rules after the registration deadline. A lot of work but always in responsiveness and agility.
– Are you satisfied with the results?
Concerning the results themselves, we do not have to be satisfied, we are not participants! We are, however, concerned about the quality and diversity of the results, about the precision that our innovations bring to the blind tasting process, about the level of overall scoring. Yes, they clearly offer a new dimension, a “refreshing” one, which we hope will shake markets a bit. Indeed, it is important to point out that due to our processes, our scoring is on average 5 to 10 points lower than in other historical competitions.
– What do you think of this top 20?
In reality, isolating a top 20 is more a way of giving the media an extra hook than a real desire to “detach the top 20 scores”. Many products are of a very high quality: this was really neck to neck and this beyond the first 20. But above all, these products must be considered mainly with regard to the category to which they belong. “With more hindsight, this top 20 should more simply highlight the most popular or dynamic categories or those in which the most registered products have been considered exceptional.”
– ‘What do you hope for in the second edition?’
More and more registrations of course! Also, we take advantage of each edition to improve and deepen the approach, reaching more and more markets. Then we will publish, in graphic form, the cumulative results of the aromatic analyses and textures carried out by the jury
ISS Awards 2020: the results
– CANNE D’OR
New Grove Emotion (Oldest Rum Aged Since 1969)– Mauritius – Note : 89.7
– Fresh cane juice rum
White (unaged)
Gold Medal:
Longueteau – Le 62 – Guadeloupe – Note : 87.7
Finalist Medal:
– Longueteau – Parcelle 9 – Guadeloupe – Note : 87
– H.S.E. – Blanc 55° Canne D’or – Martinique – Note : 86.9
– Damoiseau – 50° – Guadeloupe – Note : 86.1
– Saint Aubin – Rhum Blanc Agricole – Île Maurice – Note : 86
– Longueteau – Parcelle 4 – Guadeloupe – Note : 86
– Longueteau – Parcelle 12 – Guadeloupe – Note : 85.7
– Longueteau – Le 50 – Guadeloupe – Note : 85.6
– Tristão Vaz Teixeira – Natural 60% – Portugal – Note : 85.4
– Longueteau – Le 55 – Guadeloupe – Note : 85.3
– Mauricia – Création – Île Maurice – Note : 85.1
– Clément – 50° – Martinique – Note : 84.9
From 3 to 6 years old
Gold Medal:
H.S.E. – VSOP – Martinique – Note : 89
Finalist Medal :
– Manutea Tahiti – VO Single Cask Pur Jus de Canne – Polynésie française – Note : 88.2
– Rhum J.M – Epices créoles – Martinique – Note : 87.6
– Depaz – Plantation Vieux – Martinique – Note : 87.5
– Longueteau – Symphonie (Guadeloupe) Note : 87.3
– Clément – Secrets De Fûts “Intense” (Martinique) 87
– H.S.E. – Black Sheriff – Martinique – Note : 86.8
– Clément VO – Martinique – Note : 86.6
– Depaz VSOP – Martinique – Note : 86
– Manutea Tahiti – VO Pur Jus de Canne – Polynésie française – Note : 85.9
7 years old and up
Gold Medal:
H.S.E. – Extra Vieux Whisky Kilchoman Cask Finish – Martinique – Note : 88.2
Finalist Medal :
– Saint James – 12 ans – Martinique – Note : 88
– Rhum J.M – Millésime 2010 – Martinique – Note : 87.9
– H.S.E. – Whisky Rozelieures Cask Finish – Martinique – Note : 87.4
– H.S.E. – Chateau Marquis De Terme Finish – Martinique – Note : 87.3
– Molasses, syrup, mixed rum
White (unaged)
Gold Medal:
Monymusk – White Overproof Rum – Jamaïque – Note 86.2
Finalist Medal :
– Terre du Sud – Rhum blanc traditionnel – Nouvelle-Calédonie – Note 84.6
– Providence – Haitian Rum Blanc – Haiti – Note : 84.2
– Liv Rum – Navy Strength White Rum – Royaume-Uni – Note : 83.8
From 3 to 6 years old
Gold Medal:
Mount Gay – XO – Barbade – Note : 86.8
Finalist Medal :
Mount Gay – Master Blender Collection: The Port Cask Expression – Barbade – Note : 86.1
Distillery Krauss – Rum – Autriche – Note : 85.9
Mount Gay – Black Barrel – Barbade – Note : 85.2
Distillery Krauss – Rum Sherry Cask Finished – Autriche – Note : 84.2
Distillery Krauss – Rum Port Cask Finished – Autriche – Note : 84.1
Famille Ricci – Influences 1 (Trinidad & Tobago / Jamaïque – Note : 84.1
Chairman’s Reserve – Legacy – St. Lucie – Note : 84
Rivière du Mât – XO – Réunion – Note : 83.6
Rivière du Mât – Grande Réserve – Réunion – Note : 83.6
7 years old and up
Gold Medal:
Savanna – Single Cask Grand Arôme Chai Humide 12 ans – Réunion – Note : 88.8
Finalist Medal :
– Monymusk – Special Reserve Rum – Jamaïque – Note : 88.1
– Plantation Rum – Vintage Jamaica 2003 – Jamaïque – Note : 87.4
– Savanna – Single Cask Traditionnel Finish Muscatel 12 ans (Réunion) 87.3
– Admiral Rodney – HMS Royal Oak – Extra Old Saint Lucia Rum St. Lucie – Note : 87.1
– Mezan – Guyana 2008 – Guyana – Note : 87.1
– Hampden – Estate Hampden 8 Years – Jamaïque – Note : 87
– Velier – Royal Navy Tiger Shark – Jamaïque / Guyana – Note : 86.8
– New Grove – Vintage 2004 Ville Bague – Île Maurice – Note : 86.2
– Appleton Estate – 21 Year Old – Jamaïque – Note : 86.2
– Mount Gay – XO The Peat Smoke Expression – Barbade – Notes : 85.5
– Sweetened rum
White (unaged)
Gold Medal:
Embargo – Añejo Blanco – Guatemala / Cuba / Martinique / Trinidad & Tobago – Note : 79.4
From 3 to 6 years old
Gold Medal:
Bocatheva – Barbados & Jamaica – 3 Years – Barbados / Jamaica – Note : 83.1
Finalist Medal :
– Plantation Rum – Isle of Fidji – Fiji – Note : 81.8
– Ron Johan – Dark Rum – Autriche – Note : 81.7
– Plantation – Rum Barbados 5 years – Barbade – Note : 81.7
7 years old and up
Gold Medal:
Plantation Rum – Vintage Fiji 2005 – Fiji – Note : 84.1
Finalist Medal :
Ron Johan – Strong Rum – Autriche – Note : 83.3
Boré – Reserva – Mexique – Note : 81.4
– CACHACAS
White (unaged)
Gold Medal:
Arbórea Cachaça – Branca – Brésil – Note : 84.6
Finalist Medal :
Novo Fogo Cachaça – Silver – Brésil – Note : 83.4
Cãna – Cachaça – Brésil – Note : 83.2
Cachaças less than 3 years old
Gold Medal:
Cachaça Seleta – Umburana – Brésil – Note : 87.5
Finalist Medal :
Arbórea Cachaça – Oak and Amburana – Brésil – Note : 87.3
Novo Fogo Cachaça – Barrel-Aged – Brésil – Note : 85.2
Cachaças 3 years and over
Gold Medal:
– Reserva 51 – Cachaça Extra Premium Singular – Brésil – Note : 85.7
Finalist Medal :
– Reserva 51 – Cachaça Extra Premium Carvalho Americano – Brésil – Note : 85.5
– Cachaça Seleta – Cachaça Antônio Rodrigues – Brésil – Note : 85.3
– CRAFT RUMS, CLAIRINS …
Gold Medal:
– Mhoba Rum – French Cask Rum – Afrique du Sud : Note : 86.6
Finalist Medal :
– Clairin Communal – Clairin – Haiti – Note : 86.3
– Clairin Milot – Clairin – Haiti – Note : 85.5
– NAS (Non aged Spirits), SOLERA
Gold Medal:
– Papillon Freespirit – Guadeloupe – Note : 85.7
Finalist Medal :
– Mhoba Rum – American Oak Aged Rum – Afrique du Sud – Note : 84.2
– Neisson – Profil 105 Bio – Martinique – Note : 83.3
– Longueteau – Rhum ESB Agricole Prelude – Guadeloupe – Note : 83
– Rum Explorer – Guyana – Guyana – Note : 82
– Rum Explorer – Caribbean – Trinidad & Tobago / Jamaïque – Note : 82
– New Grove – Bourbon Cask Rum – Île Maurice – 82
– KoHana Rum – KoHo – États-Unis – Note : 82
– SPICED RUMS
Gold Medal:
– Chairman’s Reserve – Spiced – St. Lucie – Note : 82.9
Finalist Medal :
– Rosemont – Épicé – Canada – Note : 82.6
– Maggie’s Farm – Rum Spiced Rum – États-Unis – Note : 82.3
– Majawi – Spiced Rum – Île Maurice / Jamaïque – Note : 81.9
– Ti Original de Ced’ – Ti Spicy – France – Note : 81.7
– Macerated rum, shrubb…
Gold Medal:
– La Fabrique de l’Arrangé – Ananas Fruit de la Passion – France – Note : 85.1
Finalist Medal :
– La Fabrique de l’Arrangé – Vanille Noisette – France – Note : 83.4
– Maggie’s Farm Rum – Falernum – États-Unis – Note : 83
– Ti Arrangés de Ced’ – Litchi Clémentine Hibiscus – France – Note : 82.9
– La Fabrique de l’Arrangé – Ananas Coco – France – Note : 82.9
– Damoiseau – Liqueur Shrubb – Guadeloupe – Note : 82.7
– La Fabrique de l’Arrangé – Mangue Abricot – France – Note : 82.7
– Ti Arrangés de Ced’ Graal – Ananas Framboise – France – Note : 82.6
– Darwinn – Sir Samuel N°83 – France – Note : 82.2
– Ti Arrangés de Ced’ Graal – Citron Passion – France – Note : 82.1
– Damoiseau – Arrangé Mangue Passion – Guadeloupe – Note : 81.5
– Rhum Metiss – Framboise Fruit De La Passion – France – Note : 81.3
– BEST OF REGION AWARDS
Afrique – Mhoba Rum French Cask Rum – Afrique du Sud – Note : 86.6
Asie – Sampan Overproof – Vietnam – Note : 84.3
Caraïbes – H.S.E. Très Vieux Rhum Agricole VSOP – Martinique – Note : 89
Amérique Centrale – Flor de Caña Rhum 14 years – Nicaragua – Note : 82.5
Europe – Distillery Krauss Rum – Autriche – Note : 85.9
Océan Indien – New Grove Emotion – Île Maurice – Note : 89.7
Amérique du Nord – Maggie’s Farm Rum Falernum – États-Unis – Note : 83
Océanie – Pacific Manutea Tahiti Rhum Vieux VO Single Cask Pur Jus de Canne – Polynésie française – Note : 88.2
Amérique du sud – Cachaça Seleta Umburana – Brésil – Note : 87.5
– SPECIAL AWARDS
Best Independent Bottling – Mezan Guyana 2008
Best Initiative – Renaissance Distillery – Full range – comprehensive back labels
Best Multiregion Blend – Velier Royal Navy Tiger Shark
Best New Design – Matusalem Insolito
Best Organic – Novo Fogo Cachaça Barrel-Aged
Best Single Cask – Savanna Single Cask Grand Arôme Chai Humide 12 ans
Best Stillproof – Savanna Créol Straight
Best Value For Money – Velho Barreiro Cachaça