The Ultimate Awards held its first blind tasting, “2023 Best Caribbean Rum“, as part of Puerto Rico’s Rum Festival, Taste of Rum. Local and foreign industry experts had to carefully judge the distillates.
The tasting took place at Puerto Rico Convention Center and Javier Berberena, a WSET Caribbean tournament veteran, led the race.
Judges included
Javier Berberena—Diploma WSET, Advanced Level 3 WSET Spirits, Certified Wine Educator, Certified Spirit Educator WSET.
Joe Cabassa—Regional Brand Ambassador & Luxury Hospitality Lead—Caribbean The Macallan, WSET Certified Level 3 Spirits Educator, Edinburgh Whisky Academy Educator.
Bryan Inman—TheRumChampion, North American Influencer of the Year 2022—is a social media influencer.
TheRumLab.com founder Federico J. Hernández.
Puerto Rico celebrity chef Ventura Vivoni.
Miguel Agrait, Rum Historian and TheRumLab Co-Founder.
Travis Miller—Rum lover and Florida Rum Society Ambassador.
Susanna Cortezon-Kaiser – Diploma Level 2 WSET Spirits, spirit aging and raw materials expert, Lafitte Bartop International Sales Manager
Henry Delgado, a Social Media Content Creator & News Photographer
Shane Conrad, @jetsetconrad, a Los Angeles-based social media influencer.
The blind testing featured NEAT Glass company which helped facilitate their glassware for this year’s competition.
During the event the judges are looking for key profiles such as:
Nose (Aroma): Most of the rum’s taste stems from its aroma.
Rum tastes on the tongue. After sniffing, take a sip and let it stay on the mouth. Note any tastes past the initial booze burn. Continue sipping to identify tastes.
Complexity (Layers): The number of flavors and tones noticed. Great rums are multifaceted. “Here you get descriptors of flavor profiles like butterscotch, wood, vanilla, toffee, tobacco, etc. The more of those flavors you can taste, the more complex,” Javier Berberena said.
The finish remains on the palate after a sip. Which tastes last? Is the ending big or short?
Changing spirit competitions
The Ultimate Awards wants to change spirit competitions. Its affordable subscription plan lets all spirit makers compete. Second, the system will introduce a star-point rating system. The current 5-star scheme is replaced by 1–6 stars. Each spirit is graded by points. The score determines the star.
The Ultimate Awards grade and star rating is the following:
The Ultimate Awards – Professional Blind Tasting: Rums Aged 1 – 3 Years
> 5.0 Stars – Ron Pepón Añejo – Ron Agrícola (Puerto Rico)
> 5.0 Stars – Carjaker’s Handcrafted Rum (Puerto Rico)
> 4.5 Stars – Crab Island Rum 3 años (Puerto Rico)
> 4.5 Stars – Plantation 3 Stars (Barbados, Trinidad, Jamaica)
> 4.0 Stars – Crab Island Rum (Puerto Rico)
> 3.5 Stars – Ron Artesano Blanco (Puerto Rico)
The Ultimate Awards – Professional Blind Tasting: Rums Aged 4 – 7 Years
> 5.0 Stars – Don Q Reserva 7 (Puerto Rico)
> 5.0 Stars – Scryer Cask-Seasoned (Barbados & Aged in Puerto Rico)
> 5.0 Stars – Plantation Rum Barbados 6 yr Port Cask (Barbados & Aged in Barbados & France)
> 4.5 Stars – Bonampak Dark Rum – Double Cask Aging (Mexico)
> 4.5 Stars – Deadhead Rum (Mexico)
> 4.0 Stars – Don Q Double Aged Sherry Cask Finish (Puerto Rico)
> 4.0 Stars – Ron Artesano Añejo (Puerto Rico)
The Ultimate Awards – Professional Blind Tasting: Rums Aged 8+ Years
> 5.5 Stars – Plantation Rum Jamaica VRW 2009 Orange Wine Cask (Jamaica & Aged in Jamaica & France)
> 5.5 Stars – Myrtle Bank Jamaican Rum – 10 Year Single Cask Rum – Tiki Blend (Jamaica)
> 5.5 Stars – Plantation Rum Barbados 2011 Maury Wine Cask (Barbados & Aged in Barbados & France)
> 5.0 Stars – Casa BACARDÍ Special Reserve (Puerto Rico)
> 4.5 Stars – Don Q Gran Reserva XO (Puerto Rico)
> 4.5 Stars – BACARDÍ Reserva Ocho Rye Cask Finish (Puerto Rico)
> 4.5 Stars – Plantation Single Cask Trinidad 2008 (Trinidad & Aged in Trinidad & France)
> 4.5 Stars – Flor De Caña 18 (Nicaragua)
> 4.5 Stars – Ron Cofiño Aniversario 18 (Santo Domingo)
> 4.5 Stars – BACARDÍ Reserva Ocho (Puerto Rico)
Taste of Rum — Judges Choice First Place Winners
> Rums Aged 1-3 years: Ron Pepón Añejo and Ron Agrícola.
> Rums Aged 4–7 Years: Don Q Reserva 7
> Rums more than 8 years: Plantation Rum Jamaica VRW 2009.
Winners received a digital STAR image and a two-year license to use it on drinks, official websites, and other marketing tools.
The Ultimate Awards crew is pleased with this first blind tasting and grateful that so many fine brands trusted them to compete. The platform is planning its largest challenge for fall 2023.
