The Rum & Cachaça Masters 2024 results

This year’s competition showed there was a lot to be excited about, with particular enthusiasm for cachaça.

As one of the biggest spirits categories in the world, rum is a popular and accessible drink, known for its versatility in cocktails and diverse flavour profile. Despite increasing competition from segments such as whisky and agave spirits, rum brands are keeping drinkers excited with innovations in flavours and high-quality sipping expressions. Aged rum is tipped to be among the next categories (alongside mezcal and no-alcohol) to explode, according to Bacardi’s Cocktail Trends Report 2024. Furthermore, Bacardi has noticed an appetite for rum in the UK: research by the brand published last June showed a quarter of British consumers favoured rum-based drinks during the summer, with only 15% ordering beer.

With an abundance of rum styles and price segments, The Rum & Cachaça Masters sought to shine a light on the products that are worth buying, from agricole to spiced and different cachaça varieties.

The judges gather

For this year’s blind tasting, five panels of judges gathered at London restaurant 42 Holborn last month to taste a variety of rums and cachaças. Panel one was formed of: freelance spirits writer Clinton Cawood; Angelo Sparvoli, bartender at TT Liquor; and David T Smith, spirits writer, consultant, and co-founder of the Craft Distilling Expo, who chaired the team. The second panel comprised Evan Prousaefs, bar manager at Sexy Fish in London, who chaired a team that included: Dan Greifer, Black Parrot Bar supervisor; and Ruchira Neotia, founder of Neo Margarita.

Chairing the third panel was Anne Jones, director of Limestone and Jones, who sat with: Herchelle Perez Terrado, founder and director of Drinks Partnership; and spirits judge and consultant Antony Moss. Matt Chambers, spirits writer and co-founder of the Whisky For Everyone blog, chaired the next panel, which included: Marie Cheong-Thong of The Larder at 36; and freelancer writer Caroline Roddis.

The fifth and final group of judges included Melita Kiely, editor of The Spirits Business and chair of The Global Spirits Masters Competitions (GSMC). She was joined by: Luke Williams, assistant buyer at Harrods; and Vicky Ilankovan, executive director at Equal Measures UK.

First up was a flight of standard white rums (£15/US$19 and under), with two Golds and a trio of Silvers dished out. Gold-winning Ariki White Rum was praised by Prousaefs who said: “Vegetal and freshly cut grass on the nose. Full-bodied with lots of character on the palate and a zesty element to it.” Dillon White took home Gold after impressing with its “good level of fruit and complexity” and “elegant sugarcane on the nose”.

On moving up the price bracket to premium white rums priced up to £20, three Golds were discovered. The first went to Planteray 3 Stars, lauded for its “soft vanilla sweetness – a good mixing rum”, while fellow Gold winner Ron Santiago de Cuba Carta Blanca was called “super refreshing” with “elegant sugary sweetness”. Completing the line-up was Empotrador, which offered tropical fruit flavours such as pineapple and a “grassy characterful nose”. Two Silver medals were also awarded.

A tasting of White Rum – Super Premium (£21-£30) saw eight Golds and one Silver awarded. Among the Gold winners were Eminente Ámbar Claro, with hints of “mango and vanilla oak”, Angostura Reserva with “caramel and brown sugar on nose, hint of honeycomb and milk chocolate”, Worthy Park Overproof, enjoyed for its “banana and toffee, caramelised sugar and orchard fruit”. Other Golds went to Tricorne, described as having “appealing sweetness and citrus pith notes” and Cuvée: Aura, which had a “lovely mouth-coating quality”.

The next segment, ultra-premium white rum, saw a Gold go to DropWorks Clear Drop Rum, which was described as “nicely balanced, soft, smooth and well integrated”. DropWorks Funk Drop took home a Silver in the following flight – White Overproof.

Gold rums were sipped next, with a pair of Golds awarded in the premium price tier (up to £25). Judges enjoyed Angostura 5 Years Old’s “elegant honeyed and butterscotch nose”, while Havana Club Añejo Especial was praised for being a “solid product for a low price point” and good for mixing.

The Gold Rum – Super Premium segment followed with judges awarding the first Master of the day to Star & Key VSOP Single Cask Rum. Greifer said: “Overripe fruits on the nose, and there is a beautiful banana and smoothness, balance is exceptional.”

Six Golds were also found, including one for Angostura 1919, which had “some nice woody notes and classic rum sugar notes”, Planteray Xaymaca Special Dry Rum, described as being “bold with funky esters and tropical fruits”, and the “very sippable” Signature Blend #2, with hints of “fresh pineapple and mango”. Two Silvers concluded the flight.

Gold rums in the ultra-premium bracket (£41 and above) were put to the test next, with a hat trick of Gold wins for Planteray XO 20th Anniversary Rum, Worthy Park Single Estate Reserve and Havana Club Selección de Maestros. Planteray XO offered “lots of chocolate, nuts and was very expressive on the palate” while Worthy Park Single Estate Reserve was enjoyed for its “buttery creaminess” and likened to “dulce de leche”. Havana Club’s Selección de Maestros was lauded for being “sippable and complex” with “stonefruit notes”.

Star & Key VSOP Single Cask Rum won its second Master of the day in a round of gold rums aged up to seven years. Prousaefs said: “Fresh fruit, pineapple and peanuts on the nose. Some spiciness and ground pepper on the palate, with a lasting fruity finish. Great representative of the category and a plethora of complexity. It captures the essence of what a rum should be.”

Incognito Golden Rum also took the top award. Chambers particularly liked this expression: “Elegant sugary nose with floral and citrussy aromas, hint of caramel, lovely mouthfeel with plenty of toffee and butterscotch, hint of orange fondant and a pinch of cocoa.”

The flight also produced seven Golds and four Silvers. Highlights of the round were the “clean and fruity” Banqero XO Guatemala, La Hechicera Reserva Familiar, which provided “complexity, nuts and lots of depth on the nose”, and Samai Gold Rum, with “overripe tropical notes and hints of vegetal aromas”.

Four Gold winners were found in the next flight of gold rums aged between eight and 12 years. The Gold winners were: Cab-Ron Caribbean and Barbados Ron, “with honey, vanilla and tropical notes”; Wagemut PX Cask, described as “juicy, honey-like on the palate, and with complex wood notes”; Naud Ron Venezuela 12 Years Old with “tropical fruits, plantain, and hints of fruity spice”; and Rhum Vieux 10 Ans, with “orchard fruits and green apples on the nose”.

Old J Tiki Fire Spiced Rum won a Gold in the Gold Rum – Overproof round, described as having notes of “cooked pineapple and tropical fruits with a caramel sweetness”.

Gold rums ended on a high note with a Master in the Aged over 13 Years tier for The Royal Cane Single Cask Jamaica 2006. Jones noted: “There’s an elegance and lightness of touch here, despite the ABV [53%]. Well-handled sweet oak influence.”

The judges progressed to the Dark Rum – Premium flight, where a Gold was given to Echter Übersee Rum Silverstone.

Warming spice

A flight of dark rums in the super-premium segment got off to a good start with a Master for Pampero Aniversario. Sparvoli was impressed: “Honeycomb on the nose, quite floral and warm. Creamy palate with lots of tropical notes.”

Five products take home Gold medals, including two for La Martiniquaise-Bardinet. The firm’s Rivière du Mât VSOP offered a “lovely fruity aroma and warming spice”, while stablemate Island Signature Yellow Snake carried flavours of “caramelised banana and pineapple”. Takamaka Extra Noir won Gold for its notes of “dark chocolate and coffee, and a touch of smoke”.

The highest-priced dark rum segment, Ultra-Premium (£41 and above), pulled out all the stops, with four Masters being awarded. Barceló Imperial Premium Blend 40th Anniversary was the first to take home the top prize. Smith praised the rum for its “rich thick texture, a touch of strawberry, coconut and stone fruit with good complexity and good alcohol integration”.

Ilankovan was particularly impressed by Master-winning Black Tot Master Blender’s Reserve 2023: “Lotus Biscoff doughnut, banana blossom, gingercake, melon, banana, cooked pineapple, plantain, baking spices. Great texture and mouthfeel – both coating and with structural integrity, boosting salivation and bringing out heaps of flavour.”

Jamaica Navy Strength also took home the Master accolade, praised by Roddis for its “spiced baked banana, acetone, green leaf. Silky palate that counteracts the ABV, bringing more banana, spice, crunchy green and sugarcane notes.”

Ron Santiago de Cuba 20 Years Old Extra Añejo Gran Reserva completed the quartet. Prousaefs detected: “Complex, nutty and vanilla elements. Dried fruits, very woody and dry on the finish. Some lingering sweetness on the aftertaste and a Sherryness.”

Among the six Golds in this flight were Ron Carúpano 21 Reserva Privada, with notes of “baked ginger, nutmeg and fruitcake”, and Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva, in which judges found notes of “overly ripe plantain, small Asian bananas, chocolate and toffee”.

Meanwhile, the no-age-statement dark rum round saw a Silver go to Merchant Navy Rum.

The Dark Rum – Aged up to 7 Years flight saw another four Golds awarded, to Beenleigh Artisan Distillers Double Cask Rum, Kraken 94 Proof Black Spiced Rum, El Supremo 5 Year Old, and Eminente Reserva. The latter expression was enjoyed for its “warm wood and hardened toffee sauce with a touch of nutmeg and redcurrants”.

Moving onto Dark Rums aged between seven and 12 years, and a Master was bestowed upon Bacardí Reserva Ocho Rye Cask. Neotia said: “Very fresh fruit, leafy character. Remarkably delicate for an aged style.” Bacardí also took home a Gold for its Reserva Ocho expression, and Eminente Gran Reserva Edition N°1 was also a Gold winner.

Plenty of fruit

A duo of Golds was found in the Dark Rum – Aged over 13 Years flight: El Supremo Rum 18 Years Old, and Ron Izalco 15 Years Old, which had “plenty of fruit and baking spice character on the nose”. Meanwhile, the Dark Rum Overproof round led to a Gold for Planteray OFTD Rum.

The next style of rum to be assessed was agricole. The Agricole Rhum flight saw a Gold go to Depaz Cuvée de la Montagne, with “great grassy notes and a gentle sweetness”. The judges were in for a treat as five Masters were unearthed in the Agricole Aged Rhum round. Bardinet took home two of these, one for its Dillon VSOP, with a “beautiful pepperiness, a light sweetness, and grassy tones”, and one for Dillon XO, described as “really beautifully balanced, plenty of soft ripe fruit, cinnamon spice, spun sugar and characterful concentration”.

Bally 12 Years Old was also a worthy recipient of a Master. Kiely highlighted its “silky texture”, and said the higher ABV added a “great depth of flavour to this rum: sweeter notes like dates, raisins, sweet baking spices build, leading to a hint of chocolate, oak influence adding dryness, lingering gentle spice”.

Master winner Single Farm Cuvée: Lake Antoine impressed Prousaefs: “Punchy agricole rum on the nose with tomato and fresh cut grass. Light on the wood notes, letting the base rum shine through. Woody notes are more prominent towards the aftertaste, with some distinct dryness.”

Tropical juice

Meanwhile, La Délivrande delivered a “rich and rounded nose, banana and pineapples, tropical juice (mango), soft palate with richness from wood: cocoa and coffee beans great balance and depth for 48.8% ABV”, said Perez Terrado about the Master winner.

The judges also awarded 11 Golds, including one for Pomarae VI, two for La Martiniquaise-Bardinet’s Saint James brand and two for Camikara’s cask-aged expressions, an eight-year-old and a 12-year-old.

A tasting of overproof bottlings led to a Master for La Perle Fine, described by Perez Terrado as “highly vegetal and savoury nose yet vibrant” and praised its nose for not being “overpowering” at its ABV of 67.5%. She added: “Well made, as it was very smooth – a sweetened front palate, leading to the peppered heat and elegantly vegetal finish.” Saint James White 55° also won a gold.

The Spiced segment was scrutinised next, resulting in one product coming out on top: Cut Away Rum. Cheong-Thong said: “Clove, cardamom, sandalwood, woody spices. Highly aromatic toasted sweet spice. Slightly medicinal on the palate with some resinous notes. Well-made and well thought through with good integration, and probably great over a scoop of ice cream.”

Seven Golds were also discovered, including Pacific Drifter Spiced Cane Spirit, Honey Spiced Rum, and Nomad Oscuro. Sixteen Silver medals marked the end of the flight.

The panels moved on to the Cane Spirit/Cachaça segment of the competition, which culminated in seven Golds and five Silvers. Among the Gold winners were Camazotz Oaxacan Rum, said to have an “elegant vegetal nose balanced with spice and citrus ­– a great example of a classic non-aged cachaça”. Dom Tápparo went home with Golds for four of its expressions.

A new category to this year’s competition was Cachaça de Alambique, which was added after the segment was recognised as its own category in the industry. The new denomination stands for ‘pot still cachaça’, differing from products made in column stills. In this segment, two Masters were found, for Magnífica de Faria’s Bica do Alambique and Réserva Soleira expressions. Jones said of the former: “Plenty of vegetal and pot still cane character with banana and green fruit. Palate is really well-structured and has some light grip that holds the spice through the finish. Well integrated alcohol.” She also praised Réserva Soleira, which offered “sweet spice on the nose and well integrated alcohol”.

The Master standard continued in the penultimate flight of the competition, Flavoured Rum. Discarded Banana Peel Rum was celebrated for “great banana flavour” while maintaining its rum character, taking home the top award.

Among the six Gold winners were Three Wrens Rum, with its “woody spices and light sweetness” and Planteray Stiggins’ Fancy Pineapple Rum, praised for being “fruity and not overly sweet”.

The judges progressed to Rum Liqueurs, which proved to be a Master success for two brands. Arrangé Océanique – Coconut Vanilla was lauded by Kiely: “Fresh coconut and vanilla shine on the nose harmoniously. The palate balances sweetness nicely, coconut and vanilla both come through.

“Some rum character also shines once the vanilla and coconut fade slightly, sugarcane juice is light and sweet.”

Les Rhums de Ced’s Les Arrangés Divins Adrenaline Ananas Citron Vert Poivre de Timut also won a Master.

Neotia particularly liked the expression, noting that it “smells exactly like fresh lime and ripe and dried pineapples, and green peppercorn. A zesty floral appeal. Very refreshingly and delightfully balanced, especially for sweetness.”

A pair of Golds marked the end of the competition, with only the top Taste Master accolade left to be determined.

Following a retasting of all 22 Master winners, it was decided Barceló Imperial Premium Blend 40th Anniversary from the Dominican Republic was most deserving of the accolade. The 43% ABV rum was created to mark the 40th birthday of Barceló Imperial.

As the day came to an end, the judges emphasised flavoured rum as a category that has developed positively in recent years with well-integrated flavours.

The Agricole segment was also a particular highlight, as evidenced by its six-strong Master run, with the panels noting the exceptional quality and consistency among the samples.