2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition

A complete of 9 rum expressions throughout six completely different classes made the ultimate judging “Sweeps” spherical on the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competitors (SFWSC). An extra 35 scored Double Gold medals.

Rum is produced all around the world, from the South Pacific to Scandinavia. Its international footprint was underscored by the truth that the Double Gold medalists got here from 18 completely different nations.

The class is primed to develop at double-digit charges over the subsequent 5 years. Aged brown rums, particularly, are displaying explicit client demand.

Based in 2000, the SFWSC is the oldest competitors in North America and the most important spirits judging on this planet. A complete of 70 judges from all over the world evaluated roughly 5,000 spirits over two weeks in April 2022.

The competitors is organized by the Tasting Alliance, a company based by Anthony Dias Blue, and along with the SFWSC contains spirit competitions in New York and Singapore and wine competitions in San Francisco and New York.

One of many finalists for Better of Class: Further-Aged Rum – 5 Years and Older; is the Bacardi, 16 Yr Gran Reserva Especial Rum.

That’s not an enormous shock for a model that has now gained over 1,000 awards in spirit competitions for its superlative vary of rums.

This can be a wealthy, mellow rum that gives unbelievable complexity and nuance with flavors starting from caramel and maple syrup to a broad array of tropical and stone fruits, together with distinctive notes of tropical spices and seasoned, well-integrated wooden.

The expression is a mix, the youngest element being a 16 YO, from barrels which have been chosen by Bacardi’s Grasp Blender. Initially reserved on the market at Journey Retail, it’s now usually out there at US retailers and might normally be present in a one-liter measurement for underneath $100.

The rum is:

Fruity on the nostril with coconut and caramel notes. There are tropical and stone fruit notes on the palate together with coconut and caramel. The end is lengthy, candy and fruity.

The second finalist within the Better of Class: Further-Aged Rum – 5 Years and Older was the Zacapa, XO Solera Gran Reserva Especial Rum.

This can be a Guatemalan rum from a 25-year-old solera that employs the fractional mixing typical of solera growing old. Word that underneath US guidelines, this might not be categorised as a 25 YO rum, though the mix contains parts of 25 YO rum.

The rum reveals:

Vanilla and coconut on the nostril. It’s candy and fruity on the palate with a pronounced caramel word.

That is one other distinctive rum worth and might usually be discovered underneath $90 for a 750 ml bottle.

Within the Better of Class, Darkish/Gold Rum, one of many finalists is Ron Colón Salvadoreño, Darkish Gold Rum. This can be a Salvadorean Rum, though it’s bottled within the Netherlands, that has been a constant winner in worldwide spirit competitions.

That is one other wealthy, complicated rum that, at a median worth of $39, gives unbelievable worth. The rum reveals:

Vanilla and caramel on the nostril with a touch of black pepper. It’s candy on the palate with lingering caramel and molasses notes on the end. It has a noticeable pepperiness.

The second finalist is Rum Firm of Fiji, BATI Darkish Rum. Fiji has a long-standing custom of creating rum from regionally grown sugar cane.

The rum reveals:

Pronounced vanilla and caramel notes on the nostril together with cooked molasses aromas. It’s barely candy on the palate with a particular molasses word. Clean and satiny, the end is lengthy, semi-sweet and barely savory with fruit and lingering molasses notes.

There was just one finalist for Better of Class: Over Proof Rum because the Rum-Bar, White Overproof Rum from Jamaica. At a proof of 126 (63% ABV) the alcohol is remarkably well-integrated and reveals the earthy and vegetative notes usually described by rum fans as “Jamaican funk.”

This rum options:

Earthy aromas, with pronounced vegetative and barely fruity notes. Semi-sweet on the palate with cooked vegetative notes and an extended, candy end with a little bit of pepperiness.

The primary finalist for Better of Class Flavored Rum was Distillerie Mariana Morbleu Rum from Louiseville, Quebec. The Canadian Maritime provinces and Quebec have an extended custom of manufacturing rum –a throwback to the 18th century when salted cod from Canada’s Atlantic provinces was traded for molasses within the West Indies.

This can be a very flavorful rum that reveals:

Pronounced chocolate and spicy notes on the nostril with a touch of espresso. Distinctive chocolate flavors on the palate with hints of nutmeg, clove and cinnamon. An ideal accompaniment to a espresso or sizzling chocolate. Lengthy, candy chocolate end.

The second finalist, additionally a chocolate flavored rum, was Kōloa Kaua’i Cacao Rum from Hawaii.

The rum reveals:

Distinctive milk chocolate on the nostril. It’s candy on the palate with a pronounced chocolate word. An ideal addition to a sizzling chocolate.

The one finalist in Better of Class White Rum was Cotton & Reed, White Rum from Washington DC.

This rum is:

Candy on the nostril with cane sugar notes. Barely candy on the palate with a noticeable molasses word. Lengthy, lingering, cooked molasses notes on the end.

The one finalist in Finest in Class: Rhum Agricole was Clément, Canne Bleue Rhum Blanc Agricole from Martinique. Clément is considered one of Martinique’s oldest and best-known producers. Agricole rhums are typical of the French West Indies and are additionally produced in Reunion.

These rums are constructed from sugar cane juice slightly than molasses. They have an inclination to have pronounced vegetative notes however will also be very fruity. They’re usually unaged however bear a classic date, and aged expressions have gotten extra widespread. The vintage-dated expressions usually present a noticeably completely different aroma and style profile between completely different bottlings.

This rum options:

Pronounced vegetative notes on the nostril with a particular inexperienced bean aroma. It’s semi-sweet on the palate with cooked vegetative notes. Barely drying on the palate with a peppery and cooked vegetable end.

The 2022 SFWSC rum judging produced an impressive set of medalists, a lot of which signify unbelievable rum values. Make sure to try the 35 rums that scored Double Gold medals on the Tasting Alliance web site.

When you’re a rum fanatic, there may be a lot to discover right here.

Cheers