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The Rum & Cachaça Masters 2025 results
By Melita KielyAs rum producers fight for customers enduring the cost-of-living crisis, this year’s blind-tasting event shows brands are creating a whole host of excellent drops with which to entice consumers.

In its Annual Economic Briefing, trade association the Distilled Spirits Council of the US shared insights into how the spirits industry fared in 2024. The sector was up in volume terms (1.1%) but down in value (also 1.1%), when comparing 2024 data against 2023. When it comes to the biggest-selling spirits in the US by volume, rum sits in fifth place.
In 2024, rum sold 20.7 million nine-litre cases in the US. However, this showed an 8.9% decline compared with 2023, when volume sales stood at 22.7m cases. Euromonitor data predicts year-on-year growth for rum, with forecast volume sales of 164.7m nine-litre cases in 2024 to 170.2m by the end of 2025. Brands will be vying for consumer loyalty, which in the midst of cost-of-living challenges is becoming increasingly competitive.
To determine the quality available in the rum category – and cachaça – The Global Spirits Masters Competitions hosted the annual Rum & Cachaça Masters blind tasting last month. Held at Portobello 177, four panels of independent judges assembled to put this year’s entrants through their paces. The first panel comprised Dan Greifer, bar manager at Black Parrot, and Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business, and chair of The Global Spirits Masters Competitions. A second panel was formed by journalist and broadcaster Joe Wadsack, and Anne Jones, owner and director of Limestone & Jones, who chaired the team.
Matt Chambers, co-founder of whiskyforeveryone.com, acted as chair of his team. He was joined by Caroline Roddis, freelance writer, journalist and drinks consultant. The final panel consisted of Clinton Cawood, freelance drinks writer, and Ruchira Neotia, drinks consultant and founder of Ruchira’s Table, who chaired.
The tasting started with White Rum – Standard, where rums priced up to £15 (US$19) were assessed. Bacardí Superior collected a respectable Silver medal in this flight for being “a well-priced, decent mixing rum”. Two more Silver-worthy rums were uncovered in the next price contingent, as the judges moved on to White Rum – Premium (£16-£20). Angostura Reserva and Kakira Silver Rum were the deserving medal winners.
As the tasting moved to super-premium rums (priced between £21 and £30), the judges were delighted to discover the first Master medal of the day: Worthy Park Overproof. Cawood noted: “Classic overproof – very well balanced.” Neotia agreed, adding: “A very complex, delicious white rum. If you were ever induced to make a rum Martini, this is the one you would reach for.”
Five Gold medals were also awarded in this flight. Recipients included Havana Club Original – Añejo 3 Años, liked for its “bright tropical fruit” notes. V Premium White Rum also secured a Gold medal, with “hints of warm caramel, and a floral, verdant nose”.
“A very solid category, and a workhorse one for the rum industry,” said Chambers. “I was impressed with the consistency of the products and this was reflected in the high levels of Golds awarded, despite there being rums taken in different directions. Very positive.”

Top price tiers
At the top end of the price category, White Rum – Ultra-Premium (£31-plus) – two Golds and a Silver were awarded. The Gold winners were “funky, tropical, complex” DropWorks Clear Drop Rum and Kyomi Japanese White Rum, with a “fruity aroma, overripe banana and some green mango”.
In the White Rum – Overproof segment, V Rum added to its medal haul with a Gold medal for its V Overproof White Rum expression. Jones detected notes of “toasted marshmallows” on the nose “complemented by depth of character on the palate – herbal and spicy. Really great alcohol integration at this ABV, both appealing and characterful.”
With white rum wrapped up, attention turned to gold. Starting at the most affordable end of the price table, Gold Rum – Premium (up to £25), Angostura 5 Years Old received a Gold medal. Angostura’s five-year-old impressed with “grassy/cane aromas” leading to “vanilla and muted tropical fruits”. Phraya Rum Elements won a Silver medal.
An even split of Gold and Silver medals were discovered in the following flight: Gold Rum – Super-Premium (£26-£40). The Gold winners included Ron Santiago de Cuba Extra Añejo 11 Years Old, liked for its “light spice, sweet caramel and approachable profile”. Planteray Isle of Fiji was also a Gold winner due to its “sugarcane syrup, caramelised banana and pineapple esters”.
The ultra-premium portion of gold rums proved to be especially strong, delivering six Master-worthy expressions, alongside nine Golds and two Silvers. Island Company Rum proved to be deserving of the Master award with aromas of “salty sea air, pineapple, and bananas”.
Master-winning Founders Release – Islay Pinot Cask delighted the judges with its “fruitiness, berry notes and green hints”. “Very layered, delicious, and the higher ABV works really nicely,” said Kiely.
MacNair’s Boutique House of Spirits secured two Masters, one for “complex and intriguing” Exploration Rum – Jamaican Peated, with “a grippy, savoury and saline profile with fresh cane, juicy tropical fruit and a refreshingly sour finish”. Stablemate Exploration Rum – Jamaica Unpeated was found to be deserving of a Master for being “elegant – but depth increases throughout the palate”. Wadsack noted: “Great poise and balance. Wow.”
Planteray Sealander Rum was also among the Master-winning cohort. Greifer uncovered “rich toffee, vanilla, beautifully delicate spices and some rich stewed fruit. A delicious showcase of the style.” Completing the Master run in this round was Worthy Park Single Estate Reserve, enjoyed for “wonderful caramelised persimmon glaze and banana leading to a warm buttery palate”. “A huge cornucopia of styles,” said Jones and Wadsack, “with some excellent examples showing different sides of the category.”
From there, the judges cast aside price points and focused on quality in relation to the products’ respective age brackets. First up, a flight of Gold Rum – Aged up to 7 Years, which delivered Six Golds and one Silver. Gold medallists included La Hechicera Reserva Familiar, with “tinned peaches, light backing spices and lingering fruity notes”.
One of each medal was awarded in the following round, Gold Rum – Aged 8-12 Years, with the top Master award going to Phraya Rum Elements 8 Years. “Rich and layered. Very smooth palate, luscious and will have a broad appeal,” said Jones, who also detected aromas of “grilled peach, walnuts and spun sugar”.
Moving on, and Exploration Rum – Panama 15 Years Old secured a Silver medal in the Gold Rum – Aged Over 13 Years heat.
A trio of Gold winners and a Silver medallist were celebrated in Gold Rum – No Age Statement (Solera) round. Gold medals went to: “appealing, charming and drinkable” Three Bees Dark Caramel Rum; “easy, clean and very mixable” Island Signature Yellow Snake; and “tasty, sippable, with a long finish” Flor de Caña 12 Years Old.
Dark rum categories were judged next, starting with premium rums priced up to £25. Two Golds were handed to Caribba Reserva, with “hints of dark chocolate and light coffee” and Angostura 7 Years Old, with some “fruity, tropical flavours”.
In the super-premium round (£26 to £40), Planteray Xaymaca Rum took home a Master medal with its “refreshing cane juice-forward palate, with floral, fruity and vegetal notes”. Three Gold medals and one Silver closed the flight.
“An intriguing group of rums with a huge depth of flavour and some good dark horses (no pun intended) in the mix,” said Roddis.
Once again, the ultra-premium segment showed serious quality – resulting in six Master medals. The first of these was awarded to House of Rum Single Cask Dominican 2000, found to have “nice depth of character with fruitiness, caramel, woody spice and tropical fruits”.
Flor de Caña 18 Years Old collected a Master medal for its “dark cocoa, spice, and good level of complexity and balance for the price point”.
Barceló Imperial Premium Blend and Barceló Imperial Mizunara Cask both took home Master medals. The latter was enjoyed for being a “proper spicy dark rum”, according to Wadsack. Jones added: “Deep, rich and satisfying – a proper dark treacle toffee, fireworks, and leather.”
Master-winning Havana Club Tributo 25 impressed the judges with its flavours of “baked plums, polished mahogany and ability to hold enough interest through to the finish”. “Grows through the palate and gets better and better,” said Jones.
And the flight awarded a Master medal to Black Tot Master Blender’s Reserve 2024. The rum was described as tasting like “baking spices, caramel, banana bread, raisins, with great balance overall”.
Four Gold medals and two Silvers completed the flight. “This is a great selection for rum lovers, particularly people who already know the category,” said Greifer. Jones was also extremely impressed by this round. “What a category,” she said. “Expressing the modern face of modern premium rums while harking back to more traditional styles with character and flair.”
The age-statement dark rum segments also delivered positive flights. Dark Rum – Aged up to 7 Years ended with three Golds and two solid Silver medals. Gold winners included Havana Club 7 Años, which Cawood said was “all you’d want from this category”, after detecting notes of “deep toffee, orange pith and cashew nut”.

Tropical notes
Campari Group’s Trois Rivières X.O delighted the judges in the Dark Rum – Aged 8-12 Years heat, where it collected a Master medal. “A great dark rum,” Kiely said. “Sugarcane juice, tropical notes, green banana, bold esters – a great example of how to make a non-sugary dark rum.” Three Gold medals and two Silvers were also enjoyed in the flight.
The Master streak continued into the Aged Over 13 Years round, where House of Rum Single Cask Panama 2004 won the top accolade. With its “vibrant colour, complex nose of oak, dried fruit and more, leading to deep, spicy, ripe fruit” flavours, this rum left a lasting impression on the judges.
Moving to no-age-statement dark rums and Havana Club Añejo Especial secured a Gold medal. Ruchira found hints of “pineapple” and deemed it suitable for “rummy cocktails by the fireplace, or in an Old Fashioned avatar”.
Two Masters were of interest in the following Dark Rum – Overproof segment. The first was awarded to House of Rum Single Cask Trinidad 2012, enjoyed for offering strong “influences from the barrel and fermentation – hints of funk, yet you get a nice amount of peppery hotness from the barrel and vanilla influences. Very nice,” said Greifer.
Master-winning Inner Circle Green Navy Strength Rum received its award for showcasing “so much character. Delicious, fruit-forward (particularly pineapple).”
A Silver medal was presented to Millonario Numero 15 Reserva Especial in the Rum Spirit Drink heat.
When it came to the Agricole Rum flights, Saint James Blanc 55° led the way with a Master medal. The rum was described as “grassy with delicious notes of overripe fruit, olive brine, satsuma, banana – yum”.
In the Agricole Aged Rum round, Eekh Agricultural Rum received the Master accolade for its aromas of “orange blossom, light elderflower and gentle tropical notes” leading to “sugarcane juice, a touch of grassiness – overall, lovely flavour profile. Very approachable.” Among the four Gold medals in this heat were Saint James VSOP and Depaz Rhum Vieux Agricole Plantation VO, which were also joined by one Silver.
A host of medals were awarded in the Spiced segment of the tasting, including four Gold medals to: “funky, characterful” DropWorks Spice Drop Rum; “crowd-pleasing” Anne Bonny Spiced Rum; Bacardí Caribbean Spiced with “Rubicon mango juice, and warm spice”; and “herbal, green, spicy” The Father of the Fleet. Six Silver awards made for a solid flight.
The Cane Spirit/Cachaça round that followed excited the panels, resulting in five Gold medals and five Silvers. Among the Gold scorers was Pacific Drifter Spiced Cane Spirit, which was praised for having “plenty of fondant candied orange on the palate with cinnamon spice, bottle sweets and tangy sherbet at the end”.
The remaining Golds were give to Dom Tápparo products, including “warming and peppery, but sweet” Cachaça Cabaré Extra Premium 15 Anos.
“An intriguing and interesting round of products that show the incredible breadth of the cane spirit category,” said Chambers.

As the competition headed into the last few flights, the Flavoured Rum round delivered six Gold medallists and four Silvers.
Planteray Cut & Dry Rum secured one of the six Golds, given for its “Piña Colada aromas, with some toast and caramel”. Fortitude Spirits Group gained three Gold wins in this heat, including a medal for Hawksbill Mango Peel Spiced Rum. The judges said it was “super tropical, plenty of rum character underpinning the fruit, with well-integrated alcohol”.
In the final flight of the day, Rum Liqueurs, three entrants secured Silver medals. However, there was one more tasting challenge left for the judges, as the Master medallists were resampled to award the Rum & Cachaça Taste Master 2025 title.
This year’s champion
With a plethora of rums to choose from, it was not an easy decision. Nevertheless, the judges left confident in their choice – thrilled to crown House of Rum Single Cask Dominican 2000 as this year’s champion.
It is evident that progress is being made throughout the rum industry, to leave behind its outdated persona of a sweet, caramelised spirit. Instead, this year’s tasting proved producers are embracing authentic, natural flavours, and are more aligned than ever in their aim of bringing quality rums from around the world to curious consumers. While there may be challenges ahead for the global spirits trade in 2025, if the quality of rums on the market remains high, the category’s popularity will surely continue to grow.
White Rum – Standard | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
Bacardi Rum | Bacardí Superior | Silver |
White Rum – Premium | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
Angostura | Angostura Reserva | Silver |
Kakira Sugar | Kakira Silver Rum | Silver |
White Rum – Super-Premium | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
Worthy Park Estate | Worthy Park Overproof | Master |
Merser & Co | Merser White | Gold |
Havana Club International | Havana Club Original – Añejo 3 Años | Gold |
Maison Ferrand | Planteray 3 Stars | Gold |
V Spirits Company | V Premium White Rum | Gold |
Campari Group | Trois Rivières Cuvée de l’Océan | Gold |
White Rum – Ultra-Premium | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
DropWorks Rum Distillery | DropWorks Clear Drop Rum | Gold |
BBC Spirits | Kiyomi Japanese White Rum | Gold |
Hama Spirits Limited | Hama Signature White Rum | Silver |
White Rum – Overproof | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
V Spirits Company | V Overproof White Rum | Gold |
Gold Rum – Premium | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
Angostura | Angostura 5 Years Old | Gold |
ThaiBev Marketing Co | Phraya Rum Elements | Silver |
Gold Rum – Super-Premium | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
Ron Santiago de Cuba | Ron Santiago de Cuba Extra Añejo 11 Years Old | Gold |
Diageo | Don Papa Rum | Gold |
Young Spirits | Uhuru XO Golden Rum | Gold |
Maison Ferrand | Planteray Isle of Fiji | Gold |
Maison Ferrand | Planteray Barbados 5 Years Rum | Silver |
Angostura | Angostura 1919 | Silver |
Worthy Park Estate | Worthy Park Select | Silver |
Merser & Co | Merser Reserve | Silver |
Gold Rum – Ultra-Premium | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
Island Company Rum | Island Company Rum | Master |
The Outlaw Rum Company | Founders release – Islay Pinot Cask | Master |
MacNair’s Boutique House of Spirits | Exploration Rum – Jamaica Peated | Master |
MacNair’s Boutique House of Spirits | Exploration Rum – Jamaica Unpeated | Master |
Maison Ferrand | Planteray Sealander Rum | Master |
Worthy Park Estate | Worthy Park Single Estate Reserve | Master |
ThaiBev Marketing Co | Phraya Deep Matured Gold Rum | Gold |
Banqero | Banqero Brut Jamaica | Gold |
Beenleigh Rum Distillery | Beenleigh Tawny Barrel Rum | Gold |
Beenleigh Rum Distillery | Beenleigh XO Rare Rum | Gold |
Matugga Distillers | Matugga Rum Mavuno 2024 | Gold |
BBC Spirits | Bocatheva Venezuela 10 Years Old | Gold |
BBC Spirits | Bocatheva Venezuela 15YO | Gold |
BBC Spirits | Bocatheva Master Distiller Selection | Gold |
BBC Spirits | Bocatheva 100% Pot Still | Gold |
The Outlaw Rum Company | Outlaw Rum | Silver |
The Outlaw Rum Company | Special release – Double Cask | Silver |
Gold Rum – Aged up to 7 Years | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
DropWorks Rum Distillery | DropWorks Barrel Drop Rum | Gold |
Westerhall Estate | Westerhall Estate Rum No3 | Gold |
La Martiniquaise-Bardinet | Rivière Du Mât XO | Gold |
Piccadily Agro Industries | Camikara Cask Aged Rum 3 Years Old | Gold |
La Hechicera Company | La Hechicera Reserva Familiar | Gold |
MacNair’s Boutique House of Spirits | Exploration Rum – Panama 7 Years Old Peated | Gold |
MacNair’s Boutique House of Spirits | Exploration Rum – Panama 7 Years Old Unpeated | Silver |
Gold Rum – Aged 8-12 Years | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
ThaiBev Marketing Co. | Phraya Rum Elements 8 Years | Master |
Westerhall Estate | Westerhall Estate 10 XO | Gold |
Ron Santiago de Cuba | Ron Santiago de Cuba Añejo 8 Years Old | Silver |
Gold Rum – Aged over 13 Years | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
MacNair’s Boutique House of Spirits | Exploration Rum – Panama 15 Years Old | Silver |
Gold Rum – No Age Statement (Solera) | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
Market Harborough Honey Co. | Three Bees Dark Caramel Rum | Gold |
La Martiniquaise-Bardinet | Island Signature Yellow Snake | Gold |
Flor de Caña | Flor de Caña 12 Years Old | Gold |
Below The Salt Distillery | Rhumbline | Silver |
Dark Rum – Premium | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
Liviko | Caribba Reserva | Gold |
Angostura | Angostura 7 Years Old | Gold |
Dark Rum – Super-Premium | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
Maison Ferrand | Planteray Xaymaca Rum | Master |
Ron Carúpano | Ron Carúpano 18 Reserva Limitada | Gold |
Angostura | Angostura 1824 | Gold |
Ron Santa Teresa | Santa Teresa 1796 | Gold |
Diageo | Gayuma | Silver |
Worthy Park Estate | Worthy Park 109 | Silver |
Dark Rum – Ultra-Premium | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
House of Rum | House of Rum Single Cask Dominican 2000 | Master & Taste Master |
Flor de Caña | Flor de Caña 18 Years Old | Master |
Ron Barceló | Barcelo Imperial Premium Blend | Master |
Ron Barceló | Barcelo Imperial Mizunara Cask | Master |
Havana Club International | Havana Club Tributo 25 | Master |
Elixir Distillers | Black Tot Master Blender’s Reserve 2024 | Master |
Elixir Distillers | Black Tot Historic Solera | Gold |
Island Rum Brands | La Progresiva Mezcla 13 | Gold |
Les Bienheureux | Pura Vida XO | Gold |
Westerhall Estate | Westerhall Estate XXO | Gold |
Maison Ferrand | Planteray XO 20th Anniversary Rum | Gold |
Havana Club International | Havana Club Gran Reserva 15 Anos | Silver |
Ron Carúpano | Ron Carúpano 21 Reserva Privada | Silver |
Dark Rum – Aged up to 7 Years | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
Beenleigh Rum Distillery | Beenleigh Double Cask Rum | Gold |
Havana Club International | Havana Club 7 Anos | Gold |
Agitator | Agitator Chestnut Reserve | Gold |
House of Lords Beverages | Port Louiis Premium Dark rum | Silver |
Kakira Sugar | Kakira Dark Rum | Silver |
Dark Rum – Aged 8-14 Years | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
Campari Group | Trois Rivières X.O | Master |
Destileria de Madrid | Mentidero Rum 12 Years | Gold |
Ron Santiago de Cuba | Ron Santiago de Cuba Extra Añejo 12 Years Old | Gold |
Those Good Distillerss | IdaayaHimalayan Sipping Rum | Gold |
Ron Carúpano | Ron Carúpano 12 Reserva Exclusiva | Silver |
Bacardi Rum | Bacardí Ocho | Silver |
Dark Rum – Aged over 13 Years | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
House of Rum | House of Rum Single Cask Panama 2004 | Master |
Flor de Caña | Flor de Caña 25 Years Old | Gold |
Dark Rum – No Age Statement | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
Havana Club International | Havana Club Añejo Especial | Gold |
Dark Rum – Overproof | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
House of Rum | House of Rum Single Cask Trinidad 2012 | Master |
Inner Circle | Inner Circle Green Navy Strength Rum | Master |
Inner Circle | Inner Circle Black Cask Strength Rum | Gold |
Rum28 Co. | Extra Cask Strength | Gold |
Rum Spirit Drink | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
Ron Millonario | Millonario Numero 15 Reserva Especial | Silver |
Agricole Rum | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
La Martiniquaise-Bardinet | Saint James Blanc 55° | Master |
Agricole Aged Rum | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
Madhushala Beverages | Eekh Agricultural Rum | Master |
La Martiniquaise-Bardinet | J. Bally 12 Years Old | Gold |
La Martiniquaise-Bardinet | Saint James VO | Gold |
La Martiniquaise-Bardinet | Saint James VSOP | Gold |
La Martiniquaise-Bardinet | Depaz Rhum Vieux Agricole Plantation VO | Gold |
La Martiniquaise-Bardinet | Dillon Rhum Vieux Agricole VO | Silver |
Spiced | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
DropWorks Rum Distillery | DropWorks Spice Drop Rum | Gold |
Maison Villevert | Anne Bonny Spiced Rum | Gold |
Bacardi Rum | Bacardí Caribbean Spiced | Gold |
Hampton Court Spirits | The Father of the Fleet | Gold |
La Martiniquaise-Bardinet | Old Nick Caribbean Spiced | Silver |
V Spirits Company | V Spiced Rum | Silver |
Eccentric Spirits Co | Black Batch Spiced Rum | Silver |
Aldi UK | Old Hopking Spiced Rum | Silver |
House of Lords Beverages | Port Louiis Premium Spice Rum | Silver |
Kromanti | Kromanti Tamarind Spiced Rum | Silver |
Cane Spirit/Cachaça | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
Pacific Drifter | Pacific Drifter Spiced Cane Spirit | Gold |
Dom Tápparo | Cachaça Extra Premium Carvalho Americano 10 Anos Dom Tápparo | Gold |
Dom Tápparo | Cachaça Extra Premium Carvalho Europeu 12 Anos Dom Tápparo | Gold |
Dom Tápparo | Cachaça Dom Tápparo Extra Premium Jequitiba 6 Anos | Gold |
Dom Tápparo | Cachaça Cabere Extra Premium 15 Anos | Gold |
Dom Tápparo | Cachaça Extra Premium Duas Madeiras Ademilson Tápparo Blend | Silver |
Dom Tápparo | Cachaça Super Premium Ronaldinho Gaucho by Dom Tápparo | Silver |
Dom Tápparo | Cachaça Dom Tápparo Extra Premium Amburana 6 Anos | Silver |
Engenho São Miguel | Vinicus Cachaça Premium | Silver |
Flavoured Rum | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
Fortitude Spirits Group | Hawksbill Mango Peel Spiced Rum | Gold |
Fortitude Spirits Group | Hawksbill Pineapple Core Spiced Rum | Gold |
Fortitude Spirits Group | Hawksbill Banana Skin Spiced Rum | Gold |
La Hechicera Company | La Hechicera Serie Experimental No. 1 The Muscat Experiment | Gold |
La Hechicera Company | La Hechicera Serie Experimental No. 2 – The Banana Experiment | Gold |
Maison Ferrand | Planteray Cut&Dry Rum | Gold |
Maison Ferrand | Planteray Stiggins Pineapple Fancy Rum | Silver |
Kromanti | Kromanti Plantain Golden Rum | Silver |
Les Bienheureux | Pura Vida Pasion | Silver |
House of Lords Beverages | Port Louiis Premium Café Rum | Silver |
Rum Liqueurs | ||
Company | Product | Medal |
Les Rhums de Ced | Les Arrangés Divins – Ananas Passion | Silver |
Les Rhums de Ced | Les Arrangés Divins – Ananas Citron vert Poivre de Timut | Silver |
Worthy Park Estate | Worthy Park Rum Cream | Silver |
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