Foursquare Rum Twitter Tasting 7pm (GMT) 18th August 2015

Bythefatrumpirate

#DoorlysTTWe are pleased to announce that we will be taking part in the Foursquare Rum Twitter Tasting in conjunction with TheFloatingRumShack.com and Foursquare Rum Distillery.

World renowed Master Distiller Richard Seale be on hand to answer questions (please quote @FourSquare_Rum in any tweets) and @floatingrumshac will be on hand to keep things moving along.

As Foursquare’s importer to the UK @euxdevieuk will also be following the action and will also be on hand to answer any queries regarding availability etc.

The all important hashtag to keep an eye on the discussion as it evolves is #DoorlysTT.  I recommend anyone following the discussion uses the TweetDeck app to organise things.

Some familiar faces from the UK will also be on hand to offer their views and opinions on the 3 rums on show.  I am in particular very excited to be trying 2 new expressions from Foursquare.  Doorly’s 12 has been around for a while but in very small quantites and I have not seen it available commercially in the UK before.  It has been on my bucket list for a long time!

Along with the 2 Doorly’s expressions we will also be lucky enough to sample the new limited edition Port Cask Finish 9 Year Old rum.  This tasting promises to be a real treat!

There are also two external live events running alongside the Twitter Tasting.  At The Rum Kitchen in London and The Liars Lounge in Manchester.  Look out for members of euxdevie tweeting from these venues.

Just remember #DoorlysTT.

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  • An Interview with Dave Marsland – Manchester Rum Festival

    Bythefatrumpirate

    An Interview with Dave Marsland Manchester Rum Festival by the fat rum pirateDave Marsland may be better known to many of you as Drinks Enthusiast. To say Dave is involved in the Drinks Industry is a bit of an understatement – as you will see from this interview. He has many differing interests from Pop Up Bars, working as a Brand Ambassador for Chairman’s Reserve/St Lucia Distillers and running his own Spirits & Sundries Emporium – Riddles in Altrincham.

    As a result of all this activity I’ve bumped into Dave a few times over the past few years. So I thought it was about time to let him tell us all about his Manchester Rum Festival and question him a little about the current rum scene.

    1. When did the idea for The MCR Rum Festival begin and what inspired you?

    The realisation that Manchester had never had one before! The city has plenty of rum focused venues such as The Liars Club, Hula and Mahiki, but barring the gin and whisky festivals that have been in place in the city the last few years, no one has ever thought of a rum style festival. I checked with one of the main rum-lovers of the city, Lyndon Higginson, and he himself said he’s surprised it had never come to fruition yet!

    I love rum, always have done since turning legal age and going for Lambs Navy in the local pub! Running bars when i was younger turned me to the likes of Myers, Chairman’s Reserve and Matusalem. Ultimately resulting in adapting St Lucia Distillers and Rhum St Barth into my brand agency. I’ve surrounded myself with rum all my life so it made sense to pass on my enthusiasm to like-minded Mancunians!An Interview with Dave Marsland Manchester Rum Festival UK by the fat rum pirate

    2. Who will be your target audience? Who do you hope to see at these
    events?

    All and anyone. It’s aimed at consumers, whether they are a bartender or lawyer, rum amateur or connoisseur. Last year’s event had such a positive response due to the brands involved and the cocktails available through Revolution de Cuba. You had your classic cocktail base brands, your sippers, your everyday go-to and your ‘under the table’ expressions. I asked the brands to bring everything, don’t leave anything out as you just don’t know who may go away liking it!

    3. How diificult it is organising such an event? Has it been easy to get exhibitors, venues etc on board?

    Last year was the first year and i will give a lot of credit to Revolution de Cuba, they helped me immensely with hosting for the venue. Meaning that the vibe and decor would be exactly how each person would expect upon arriving. I put the feelers out for the rum festival approximately 8 months before the big day to the brands. The majority were more than happy to attend. I kept it as a first-come-first-serve, so no favoritism towards my own brand agency clients, so once i filled the quota, that was it! The same is happening this year, with many new brands coming on board early after realising they missed out in 2017.

    There will be a new venue though in Manchester Cathedral so I can naturally grow the festival, but I’ve kept the relationship with Revolution de Cuba going as they are the official bar partner within the Cathedral and will be showcasing a selection of signature rum serves once again.

    4. Prior to doing this what is/was your day job? How will this experience help with the successful launch of the Rum Festivals?

    I have owned my own brand agency, Drinks Enthusiast, since 2011 and have been involved with a variety of festivals and large events before, including Liverpool Food & Drink Festival, a Liquor Market with Manchester Food & Drink Festival and the trade focused Northern Restaurant and Bar within Manchester Central for the last 6 years. The experience of running high-volume, long-term planning and a variety of brands within has meant that i’ve approached Manchester Rum Festival in a way that pleases hopefully both the attendees, but also the exhibitors too. I also own my own spirit focused shop, Riddles Emporium in Altrincham, South Manchester, that has kept me in touch with consumers attitudes and trends towards not only rum, but spirit categories in general.

    5. When did your own Rum Journey begin?

    2006 at the Moss Trooper pub close to where i lived at the time in South Manchester. Lambs Navy and cola, with probably a classic Bacardi Carta Blanca (or Superior as it was back then) based Mojito for my first foray into cocktails around the same time.

    6. Do you have any favourite rum drinks or special cocktails you
    enjoy?

    Sipping a rum all the way. Doesn’t matter the age or blend, just served up straight, no ice. If i was in a cocktail mood though, my current favourite for the last year is known as the ‘Cause for Concern’ aka the Chairman’s Spiced Negroni. Equal measures Chairman’s Reserve Spiced, Velvet Falernum and Campari, stirred and finished with an orange wedge. I thank Ehren Khoo-Steel of Brass Monkey in Nottingham for coming up with that for me!

    7. Who currently makes up the MCR Rum Festival team and what is their background/experience?

    It’s just me!

    8. Aside from the Manchester Rum Festival, what other Rum related activities are the team involved in?

    I host a variety of rum tastings over the year with venues across the UK that are consumer focused, but the bulk of my rum work is with Chairman’s Reserve and St Lucia Distillers, including the Chairman’s Mai Tai cocktail competition that’s in its 3rd year this year.

    9. What have you learned over the past year or so organising Rum Festivals?

    It’s growing. Consumers are asking questions, intrigued about what they are drinking before they drink it. I’ve noticed a difference in how people who attend my rum tastings react in comparison to 2011 when i first started hosting. They will tell me brands from their travels and if i’ve ever experienced them before, or a cocktail they should be trying at home. It used to be all about gin, but rum is not far nehind at all, and being embraced by so many more people!

    So there we go. Thanks very much Dave for answering those questions. It’s really great to see passionate people setting up Rum Festivals such as this in the UK and helping spread the word.

    There are a few tickets still remaining for the event which is on the Friday 1st June 2018 at Manchester Cathedral. Tickets can be booked here. Tickets are priced at £21.49 and include entry to the event, and samples of all the rums being exhibited. Amongst the brands confirmed so far are Pussers, Atlantico, El Dorado, Old J, Appleton Estate and Mount Gay. We attended last years event and it was excellent so we are expecting an even bigger and better event this year!

    You can also follow all the activity on Facebook and Twitter via the links below

    Twitter

    Facebook

     

     

    Manchester Rum Festival Interview with Dave Marsland by the fat rum pirate

     

     

     

  • 24 Days of Rum – The Original Rum Box

    Bythefatrumpirate

    24 Days of Rum - The Original Rum Box Review by the fat rum pirate24 Days of Rum – The Original Rum Box. Warning! This article contains spoilers. If you have bought this calendar and do not wish to know any of the contents. Stop reading now!

    I would imagine the young child I once was would have given someone a very strange look had they suggested they would one day be writing about a Rum Advent Calendar.

    Indeed, I remember first seeing the 24 Days of Rum and the Rum Advent Calendar from Master of Malt and thinking “Is that for real?” Well indeed they are. Very real in fact. 24 Days of rum comes from our Danish friends at 1423.dk

    For those who are a little slow on the uptake – 24 Days of Rum is a Rum Advent Calendar. It is intended to be used during December on the run up to Christmas Day. That said there is nothing stopping you using it any other month………

    As a child, I was always hopeful of getting a more upmarket Advent Calendar. You know one with real chocolate in it. Something like Thornton’s or even Cadbury’s. Alas invariably, I would be presented with a Transformers or Star Wars calendar (both of whom I had little interest in) from Kinnerton. Yes that’s right Kinnerton. Purveyors of the most repulsive synthetic chocolate you could ever imagine. Heck, I bet if I had left my calendars from the 80’s untouched the “chocolate” would still be as edible as it was back then. The most disturbing thing about Kinnerton advent calendars, is that they were a £1 back in the 80’s and they are still a £1 now………..

    Anyway, it maybe in part to be deprived childhood but the thought of having an Advent Calendar full of rum seems very exciting…….

    24 Days of Rum – The Original Rum Box comes in, well a black cardboard box. Presentation wise it keeps up with the 1423.dk S.B.S and Companero vibe. Thankfully isn’t all Red, White and Green and tacky. It’s quite minimalist with its black and grey colour scheme. Nicely done.

    In the UK it retails at £79.99. Which you may notice is significantly cheaper than other Rum Advent Calendars. As well as the rum you also receive 2 drinking glasses and a little brochure each to write your notes about each rum.

    The small drinking glasses are actually quite nifty and handy. They are a bit of a bonus. I didn’t realise you got them with this calendar. In terms 24 Days of Rum - The Original Rum Box Review by the fat rum pirateof opening everything, it works pretty much like every other advent calendar. Perforated card with a handy little opener for each window. It’s very solid and works very nicely.

    At this stage I will point out the good and the bad about the rum in this box. Firstly, the individual bottles are 2cl or in more familiar “British” terms 20ml. So they just below a standard “shot” measure, here in the UK. I’ve got to say the idea of sharing such a small amount of rum does seem a touch optimistic. Maybe you’d need to buy a calendar each?

    I’ve griped before about the small measures in these advent calendars. However, I appreciate the cost of creating miniatures. Try and assemble 24 miniature rums from Master of Malt for £80. You’ll struggle for sure.

    As well as being 24 Days of Rum you also get rum from 24 different countries/islands. Now, this is the part that really got me interested. As a reviewer and someone who just likes trying new things, I have looked at a number of bottles over the last few years and thought – I’d24 Days of Rum - The Original Rum Box Review by the fat rum pirate like to try that.

    Often though I have baulked at the price of a full bottle. I’ve then ended up frustrated at not being able to buy a little tester. This gives you the option to try satisfy some long running curiosity.

    It also takes the choice out of your hands. Great if you are similar to me and just like trying new things. Even if you know some you might not be too keen on. This box is absolutely ideal. We have rums from Nepal, Phillipines, Indonesia, alongside more familiar favourites such as Guyana, Barbados and St Lucia. It truly is a completely random selection of rum.

    I noticed last years box seemed to have a fair few spiced and flavoured rums in the line up. This year we have 24 “straight” (I dare say one or two might have some special sauce in there somewhere) rums. In the photos, I have shared a few of the rums available in the box but I don’t want to entirely spoil everyone’s fun so I won’t give the full “tracklisting”.

    Quite a few of these rums I have barely heard of. Some are are rarely available in the UK. So it has certainly been a very good investment from my point of view. I’ll get quite a few reviews out of this box. There are are only around 5 rums24 Days of Rum - The Original Rum Box Review by the fat rum pirate I have actually tried in this box. There are some real surprises and some genuine oddities.

    I’m not going to review this box as such in terms of giving it a score. I haven’t tried all the rums yet. I need to be a good boy for Santa so no opening until Advent begins! As a package I think at the price, its pretty hard to beat.

    Attention to detail on the miniatures should also be commended as 1423.dk have shrank and re-created the original labels onto the bottles. This is a really nice touch and particularly useful when trying to track down information on some of the rums in this box.

    If you are willing to go a little outside the box and are looking to try some new rum then this is will be great fun. Sure you aren’t going to like everything in this box but I’m pretty sure you’ll find a couple of gems you hadn’t previously even heard of.

    Should you wish to buy 24 Days of Rum – The Original Rum Box you can find it in the following retailers.

    Amazon, Master of Malt, Drink Supermarket and The Whisky Exchange. It will also be available at various European retailers.

    Give it a whirl you might find a few new favourites!

    24 Days of Rum - The Original Rum Box Review by the fat rum pirate

     

     

  • Rum of the Year 2019 – Shortlist

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Rum of the Year 2019 by the fat rum pirate reviewRum of the Year 2019 – Shortlist

    It doesn’t seem all that long ago since I was sitting down to write last years shortlist. A hectic mix of small children, the day job and keeping this blog going have certainly kept me busy. I even someone managed to make a footballing comeback in the over 40’s 11 a side as well.

    I thought like last year I would compile a shortlist of the rums which I enjoyed the most over the past year. All of the rums were awarded 5 stars in the original review.

    As usual there will be only one overall winner. I find when reviewers or websites similar to mine produce multiple awards it all just gets a bit too much. I think one gong is more than enough when I’ve “only” reviewed around 100 rums/cachacas over the past year.

    All reviews I have conducted during 2019 are eligible for entry for the award. Rums which have been around for years – are unlikely to be noted as the overall winner. That’s my own fault for not getting around to them sooner. I want to try and keep things pretty recent. Also any single cask or very limited rums are usually discounted. Ideally any Rum of the Year should be available for you to buy after reading my thoughts. This might not always be possible as the popularity of certain rums, even when thousands of bottles are released, can lead to them selling out very fast. I think we probably know which Barbados rum brand and Italian Independent bottlers collaborations we are talking about……

    So lets have a look at those 5 star reviews of 2019 and refresh ourselves on some of the exceptional rums we have had available in 2019.

    Please note these are in no particular order other than the date I reviewed them. (That just made the list easier and quicker to compile for me – I’ve currently got a 18 month year old throwing a remote control at me and a 4 year old asking me why Thomas didn’t go to her Birthday Party)

    So lets start at the beginning

    The first 5 star review of the year took place in February. The rum concerned I only had sample of. It was absolutely brilliant to get the chance to try it – huge thanks to Lance Surujbally of The Lone Caner for gifting me it.

    Step forward the legendary Velier Skeldon 1973 Full Proof Old Demerara Rum and Rum of the Year 2019 by the fat rum pirate reviewwow what a rum it was! 32 years of ageing perfection.

    Due to the fact this rum is as rare as hens teeth now it is extremely unlikely it will win ROTY but it’s nice to reminisce over such bottlings.

    So lets move on and see what rum or cachaca was next to get the 5 star treatment.

    It took till the end of April for the next 5 star review to appear. This time we were of to Jamaica (via Scotland where it was aged) for a 35 Year Old Kill Devil release from Hampden Estate. As you can see, this wasn’t your run of the mill Kill DKill Devil Hampden Distillery Jamaica Aged 35 Years Rum review by the fat rum pirateevil release and they really upgraded the presentation. They also upgraded the price and this was only really for those with deep pockets at £700 for a bottle. It is still available to it stays in the running despite only being 198 bottles being available.

    It seems I may have been a touch stingy with my marks during 2019 as there are a lot of 4.5 star reviews but not all that many 5 star ones.

    Still lets move on and see if I gave anything else 5 stars last year. We haven’t as yet heard from some of the usual suspects.

    Next we have a bottling which was part of The Whisky Exchange’s 20th Anniversary Celebrations during 2019. This was a Private Label Bottling from Foursquare Rum Distillery. A blend of pot and column distilled rum which had a double maturation in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. Some people found it a little too heavy on the Sherry but Hereditas Foursquare Rum Distillery rum review by the fat rum pirateI thought/think it’s fantastic! Foursquare Rum Distillery Hereditas.

    The review of Hereditas came at the end of June. So we are halfway through the year and we only have three contender’s for the Rum of the Year crown.

    Did the second half of the year get any better?

    Next up we have a kind of “updated” version of a previous ROTY winner in the shape of Foursquare Rum Distillery 2007. Like the previous winner the 2004, the 2007 is a blend of Pot and Column distilled rum aged in ex-bourbon casks. No secondary maturations or any other fussing around. Just quality Single Blended rum.Foursquare Rum Distillery 2007 Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    So what do we have next? Well Foursquare had a few more releases up there sleeve in 2019. How did I find those – did they also get a 5 star review?

    Let’s keep moving and find out.

    Oddly enough we have only one further entry that got a 5 star review this year. Leaving us with a shortlist of just 5 rums. I think I had 10 last year.

    Step forward Pusser’s Rum Company with their Pusser’s Rum 50th Anniversary Rum Blend. A more aged version of their standard Gunpowder Proof this, almost quite literally blew my socks off. Probably the best example of a Navy Style rum I have tried to date. Excellent stuff and a great way to celebrate the upcoming 50th Anniversary of Black Tot Day on 31st July 2020. Truly Up Spirits!https://www.nauticalia.com/limited-edition-50th-anniversary-pussers-rum/

    So there we have the Rum of the Year 2019 – Shortlist at thefatrumpirate.com.

    I’ve got to say I am quite surprised to note which rums I didn’t give the full 5 stars to. We are missing the likes of Foursquare Rum Distillery Patrimonio, Velier’s Tiger Shark and some pretty epic Independent bottlings from the likes of The Duchess, Kill Devil, That Boutique-y Rum Company and BB&R.

    It’s also interesting to note that last years winner Worthy Park are not included in this list. That may be partly my “fault”. I’ve got their official 12 Year Old release requested for Christmas. So it may just be a timing issue on my part that they haven’t been able to be entered this year. That said I did enjoy their Boutique-y Rum release – even though the distillery wasn’t disclosed……

    So was 2019 not as good a year as 2018? Well it seems I gave less 5 star reviews but I noticed a lot of 4 and 4.5 star reviews. I’ve certainly enjoyed a lot of the rum and cachaca I have tried.

    Result to follow shortly………..please let me know your Rum of the Year 2019.

  • Appleton Estate Twitter Tasting 7pm (GMT) Wednesday 14th October 2015

    Bythefatrumpirate

    AppletonTwitterTastingOnce again we will be taking part in a Twitter Tasting, this time alongside Ian Burrell (Global Rum Ambassador) and David Morrison (Senior Master Blender at Appleton Estate).

    The tasting flight includes three rums from the Appleton Estate line up and a cocktail which highlights the versatility of Appleton Estate’s entry level rum – Signature Blend (formerly the V/X).

    The tasting is partly to coincide with this weeks Rum Experience Week which culminates in the weekend’s London Rumfest and partly to highlight the brands recent re-branding of the Estates rum line up

    Appleton Estate Signature Blend (formerly V/X)

    Appleton Estate Rare Blend Aged 12 Years (formerly Extra Aged 12 Years)

    Appleton Estate 21 Year Old

    Mai Tai Mix

    As well as taking part in the Twitter Tasting we will also be casting our critical eye overAppletonLive the newly packaged rums over the next few weeks to determine if only the packaging has changed.  I have been assured that the rum in these blends is the same as before – its just the packaging that has changed.

    However, you may notice that one of the Appleton Estate rums is missing from the line up the Appleton Estate Reserve 8 Year Old (which has been renamed the Appleton Estate Reserve Blend).  From my understanding this expression has been brought into line with the US variant of the rum, so it will be different to the one I have tasted in the past.  So this too will be on my radar once the newly packaged rum becomes more freely available in the UK.  (Currently it seems the old stock is still largely being sold)

    So there you have it.  If you have your #AppletonLive tasting kit then I look forward to discussing the rums tomorrow, if not but you have some of the rums in the flight or just want to come along and see how it progresses then just follow the hashtag from 7pm tomorrow.

  • Best in Class – The World Rum Awards

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Ron de Jeremy XO Rum review by the fat rum pirateI’m sure we have all seen the gold medals before, either on the actual bottle or for more premium offerings, on the box.

    Indicating success at numerous competitions and award ceremonies.  Proof beyond all proof that what you have just shelled all that money out for is the crème de la crème of the rum world.

    After all there is little more to say about a rum or any other product for that matter if it is an “award winning” product.  The very phrase suggests a quality product which is far better than others in its class.

    However, with so many competitions and award ceremonies there are a number of rums claiming to be the best in the world and hundreds more claiming to be best in class.

    Add to this ever growing number – the runners up, the silver medalists and the bronze medalists.  Thrown in the odd “honourable” mention and before you know it just about every rum on the planet has some kind of gong to be shouting about!

    So here at thefatrumpirate.com we have decided to take a closer look into all these competitions and award ceremonies.  Scratch below the surface to reveal the true meaning of “Best in Class” or even more worrying “The Worlds Best”.

    “Best in Class” will offer an insight into those shiny gold medals that glimmer at you from the bottles and boxes in the liquor store.

    First up in the series is the aptly titled


    World Rum Awards

     

     

     

    (Click on the logo to be taken to the site)

    I’ve been sitting on this article for quite some time waiting for the right time to publish. With the news (and its not an April fool) that Ron de Jeremy XO had won World’s Best Dark Rum Aged 13+ years, I felt it was about the right time.

    The World Rum Awards are in conjunction with The Drinks Report (your first area of concern should be the companies tag line).

    The World Rum Awards have been running since 2007 according to the website, yet they only show the winners for 2014 to 2016.  In 2014 Captain Bligh XO was the overall top choice, in 2015 Pusser’s 15 Year Old walked away with the title and this year the overall winner was the very handsomely title Bundaberg Rum Master Distillers’ Collection – Blenders Edition 2015.  Which must be a hell of a lot better than standard Bundy!

    The first thing that strikes me as a little odd is the presence of Pusser’s.  No not in that they have won an award, as the World’s Best Rum (far worse rums have been given such accolades over the years) but more their presence as Best Overproof rum in 2014 and 2015.  The 15 Year Old has also won two awards in 2015 – Best Rum In the World and Best Dark Rum in the World.

    The thing is the award winning Overproof Pusser’s is the “Super Overproof” 75% version not the 54.5% “Gunpowder” (old blue label in the UK).  Why is this odd? Well for a kick off its only available in Germany………Pussers Super Overproof rum review by the fat rum pirate

    So what about this years awards? Well like previous years it seems that the same companies are winning big in multiple categories.  This years line up sees Bundaberg win the “Best” titles with two different rums.  Winning both the dark and gold title with the same rum!

    Bayou rum walk away with gongs for both their Spiced and White variants.  I’ve little doubt further digging would probably reveal closer ties between some of these rums (producers, distributors, marketing teams etc)

    Something also troubles me about Bundaberg winning the World’s Best Overall,  World’s Best Dark and World’s Best Gold.  How exactly are these rum’s being chosen and by whom?

    Now this is the part where I must give the World Rum Awards some credit.  They are very transparent with regard how rums are selected and come to be in the competition.

    The awards are split into two headings Taste and Design.

    Taste

    TASTE judging is conducted blind and held in three stages:

    Round 1
    Each rum is tasted in its relevant sub-category to identify and select the sub-category winners and award any medals. Judges making up the World Rum Awards panel include leading journalists, specialist drinks retailers, bartenders/mixologists and hoteliers.

    Rounds 2 & 3
    Sub-category winners are tasted against each other to identify the ‘Best’ rum in each category and the ‘Best’ rums in each category are then tasted against each other one last time to select the World’s Best Rum. Judges at this stage include those in Round 1 to whom are added a panel of leading distillers and experts from the international rum industry.

    The Judging Criteria

    Each entry is tasted blind and marked to an agreed and strictly enforced marking system. As well as nose, palate and finish the judges will look for:

    • Balance
    • Character
    • Complexity
    • Quality
    • Functionality

    Design

    All DESIGN judging is conducted by a panel of leading international design experts.

    Round 1
    Each product is reviewed in its relevant category to identify and select the category winners and award any medals.

    Round 2
    Category winners from Round 1 are assessed against one other to identify the ‘World’s Best Rum Design’ and the highest scoring products are then added together to select the ‘World’s Best Rum Design Agency’.

    Design Awards

    Judges will assess entries purely on the quality of the design and innovative use of materials and production techniques. All entries in each category are judged together by all judges and are scored against clearly defined criteria:

    • Breakthrough in category
    • Confidence
    • Craft skills
    • Insight
    • Inspiration

    Now this is all well and good.  Okay I’m not too stuck on the whole “Design Awards” but hey each to their own.

    If you enter the World Rum Awards they promise logo packs and inclusion in the World Rum Awards Boxed Set.  Basically the World Rum Awards will give your brand a real push in the marketing world.  Coverage in the press and a strong presence at trade fairs etc.

    Except all this advertising and help from the World Rum Awards isn’t free.  To enter your rum into the World Rum Awards it will set you back as follows

    1 entry £192

    2 entries £186 each

    3 entries £180 each

    4 entries £174 each

    Now for many distillers and brands this doesn’t represent much of an outlay.  Pusser’s and Bundaberg clearly saw this as an ideal opportunity to put more than one entry into the Competition.

    It also seems that for the 2016 awards more categories have been added. This link takes you into all the categories and winners.  There were certainly more opportunities to “win” an award this year.

    If you analyse each category more closely you will notice that most categories do not have the promised Gold, Silver and Bronze winners.  More often than not there is just the overall winner.  So why might this be?

    imageWell from looking right through all the entries it appears only a few companies have even taken part.

    The Design Category is even worse with El Ron Prohibido getting best Design in 2015.  Clearly the almost photocopy standard of the label had little effect on the judges……..

    Now I appreciate the transparency of the information provided to us by the World Rum Awards – even if you do have to do a little digging to find it all.  The idea that the rum is blind tasted is a good one.  However, there seems little value to running a serious 2 stage competition when you have only one entry for a particular category.

    There is also little information on who the judges actually are…….

    This competition hasn’t really caught the imagination.  If I was however in charge of a smaller distillery or brand trying to get recognised I would certainly pay the entry fee – and hope the number of entrants remains low.Captain Bligh XO Reserve Rum

    I bought a bottle of Captain Bligh XO (not on the basis of winning this award I must add) and it had all the stickers and logos on the box concerning its “victory”.  Captain Bligh XO and Pussers aren’t bad rums by any stretch of the imagination, that’s not what this is about.

    However, being the Best Rum in the World based on being the only entrant isn’t really helping consumers make wise choices.

    If Ron de Jeremy XO is the best Gold rum aged 13+ years then I have no idea what I am talking about and my review is complete b*llocks.

    Just for clarity this isn’t an attack on any of the rum brands involved in the competition or the organisers.  I’ve merely used the information freely available to try and capture exactly how this competition is ran.  If anyone involved in the competition wishes to clarify any of the points I have raised please feel free to contact us.

  • Rum of the Year 2021 – Winner

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Rum of the Year 2021 - Winner rum review by the fat rum pirateRum of the Year 2021 – Winner. I published my shortlist a few days ago. A longer shortlist than usual but bizarrely down to me actually reviewing less rum this year! For an explanation then please read the Shortlist article.

    Much like 2020 the year 2021 didn’t go quite as how many had planned. It was certainly much better than 2020 but unfortunately the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing and peoples lives are still be disrupted.

    I’ve been very fortunate in that I have not been affected financially during this world crisis so I’m not going to spend time complaining about what a horrific year it has been. I have had it considerably better than most. Something I should be thankful for. In fact if you are in still in good health – be thankful for that!

    Anyway, despite not reviewing as many bottles of rum during 2021 I’ve still been left scratching my head over the final running order for the 7 rums selected as part of the shortlist.

    In the end I’ve decided upon a final 3 to make up this article. There really isn’t much to split any of these rums at all and just getting a 5 star review, is an indication of just how good I found each rum.

    So without further ado. In third place we have the brand which took last years gong…….

    3 Black Tot Master Blender’s Reserve Rum 2021Black Tot Master Blender's Reserve Rum 2021 rum review by the fat rum pirate

    Unless something went very badly wrong between this year and last year’s release – Master Blender Oliver Chilton was always going to produce another spectacular rum. This really didn’t disappoint and could easily have won the rum of the year award.

    If you are looking to buy a bottle it is still readily available over as The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt. It does sound expensive for what is essentially a Navy blend but the proof is in the pudding and the rundown of the rums used in this blend more than justify the price tag.

    2 Mezan Diamond Distillery Guyana 2007 PX Cask Finish

    Had I known how good this rum was it could easily have been included in the 2020 rundown. However, whilst I had looked at this on more than one occasion, I hadn’t committed to the purchase.

    In an inspired and completely unprompted choice my wife actually bought this for my birthday last year (January 2020). Hence it being included in this years award.

    Mezan Diamond Distillery Guyana 2007 P.X. Cask Finish Rum review by the fat rum pirateThis is a truly fantastic Demerara Rum from the fabled Diamond Distillery. One of few Demerara rums that have been “partially” aged in Europe yet still can compete with even the best Velier Demerara.

    Due to Mezan often being seen as more of a “budget” Independent bottler this more upmarket (in every way) offering is still available in small quantities online.

    If you fancy a bottle then try Drink Finder who currently have it in stock at £110.

    This is really excellent and certainly pushed the eventual winner all the way…….

    Now this bottling was always going to be something special. It is after all the “older” brother of a bottling which has been held up for its quality (and rarity sadly) for a number of years now. It heralded the new era of co-bottlings between Caribbean Rum Producers and Italian Importers/Indie bottlers Velier.

    That bottling of course was Foursquare Rum Distillery 2006, who would have thought that ageing that same batch of rum for a an extra few years would produce such a great rum?

    Well the 6,000 people that bought this bottling up pretty much straight away. Along with those involved in the VSGB intiative (Velier Small Great Bottlings). As well as Master Distiller Richard Seale of Foursquare.

    1 Sassafras Foursquare Rum DistilleryFoursquare Rum Distillery Sassafras Rum review by the fat rum pirate

    Ideally, when I compile Rum of the Year – I like to award something which you can all go out and buy. Something which is available.

    Sadly due to the “mania” surrounding Foursquare bottlings. Coupled with the growth of the Secondary Market in Rum, that has not been the case with this pick. I could in theory of picked a different bottling.

    The reality is though. This is the best rum I tried in 2021. I was lucky to get the chance to taste and review it. If I had picked another bottling I wouldn’t have been picking my Rum of the Year. So there you go.

    The crown of Rum of the Year returns to Foursquare Rum Distillery, Barbados.

    Very well played.