On December 1, 2020, one hundred years following the prohibition of alcohol & during the 87th anniversary of Repeal week , New York's premier cocktail exhibition and spirit showcase, the New York Cocktail Expo, kicked off the most iconic and historic series of blind tasting events. "The Best Spirits in Cocktails Awards" showcased Top Bar Industry Tasting Panelists who would decide the Best Spirits in The Iconic Cocktails of Time.
The Best Rum in the Daiquiri 2023 Blind Tasting Panel:
The contest...same recipe, only a different Rum in the cocktail each round. The recipe and cocktails for this tasting would be made and hosted by King Tai Bar of Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
The award winning Rums from the competition are listed below.
Cheers!
Gold Medal Winner
“For the first time in history, Probitas is a joint venture between Caribbean distilleries to produce a blended Rum. Coming from two of the most iconic distilleries in two of the most respected islands in the Caribbean for Rum making – Foursquare Rum Distillery in Barbados, and Hampden Estate in Jamaica. Distilled, matured, blended and bottled in the Caribbean. No sugar, flavor, color, nor neutral/multi column spirit added. Probitas brings a new gold standard to White Rum used for Cocktails.”
Flavor / Taste / Palate: The mouthfeel is very rich and thick for such a young Rum with notes of molasses, cola, shortbread, and a dash of banana.
Smell / Nose / Aroma: The aromas are vibrant with cream, grass, and sugarcane.
Finish: The finish is light with fruit and spices.
ABV: 47% to showcase bold character, especially in character
Silver Medal Winner
“Rum Fire was developed with the clear intention of crafting a white rum that remained true to the heavy pot still style of Hampden Estate. Made from molasses that go through extended fermentations conducted by wild yeasts, it acquires the unique and funky aromatic profile that Hampden Estate is world-famous for. The distillation takes places in copper pot stills, yielding an intensely aromatic, high-ester white rum. Unique, bold and full of tropical notes, Rum Fire packs a lot of complexity and brings enough personality to add depth to a large array of cocktails.”
Flavor / Taste / Palate: Intense and spicy. Notes of pepper and overripe tropical fruits.
Smell / Nose / Aroma: Explosive and fruity. Overripe banana, mango, pineapple, full-on spices, green olive and smoke notes.
Finish: Long, balanced and exceptionally distinctive.
ABV: 63%
Bronze Medal Winner
“This single blended rum is 50% estate grown cane juice distilled on a copper pot still, and 50% molasses distilled on a modified french style column still. The sugarcane varietal is Saccharum Officinarum, grown at 4180 feet above sea level in red volcanic soil. This ‘Rum’ is a protected denomination of origin spirit from Mexico known as Charanda. Made in the State of Michoacán in the vicinity of the prominently agricultural City of Uruapan. Named after a hill range in the area called 'Cerro de la Charanda' where the first distillery was built in the region. Charanda is a term in Purépecha language meaning 'red-colored soil'.”
Nose / Aroma / Smell: Full of cane-juice and sweet-savory elements.
Flavor / Taste / Palate: Notes of savory and sweet, with lime basil, green peppercorns, white tea, preserved lemon and mulberries.
Finish: Finish showcases flourishes of goodness.
ABV: 46%
Try These Rums Below for your own Daiquiri Tasting!
A Best Rum in the Daiquiri Nominee!
“A three-year-old rum brings the youth and vibrancy of fresh-cut sugarcane which is rounded out with notes of caramel and butterscotch from a mature five-year-old rum. This blend is delicately charcoal-filtered to remove the color, leaving elegance in its place.”
Nose / Aroma / Smell: Mild and sweet with hints of vanilla and fresh sugarcane
Flavor / Taste / Palate: Vanilla, Key Lime Pie, Citrus, Pineapple
Finish: The finish is clean and lightly sweet
ABV: 40%
A Best Rum in the Daiquiri Nominee!
“Plantation 3 Stars is a tribute to the historic rums produced in the Caribbean, with a suave blend of the region's three primary terroirs: Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad. While Barbados delivers richness and a balanced palate, Trinidad adds finesse and Jamaica provides an emphatic structure.
A perfect rum for Daiquiris.”
Nose / Aroma / Smell: Delicate scents of brown sugar, honey, coffee bean; later whiffs following further aeration encounter baking spices: vanilla, and cloves.
Flavor / Taste / Palate: Entry is biscuity, yet is bittersweet and light-bodied. Midpalate features round, supple flavors of dark chocolate, root beer, egg cream.
Finish: Finishes fast, refined. Serious white rum at its grassy, herbal best.
A Best Rum in the Daiquiri Nominee!
“Mount Gay Black Barrel is crafted from a blend of rums, matured in ex-American Whiskey casks and finished in deeply charred bourbon casks. Woody and buttery notes are balanced with toasted vanilla, toffee and orange zest. A warm, medium body rum with a long finish, Mount Gay Black Barrel is a unique rum perfect for spirit forward cocktails such as the Daiquiri or Old Fashioned.”
Nose / Aroma / Smell: Toasted oak and butter notes balanced with dried fruit and spices.
Flavor / Taste / Palate: Bold and aromatic with notes of orange zest, black pepper, toasted vanilla, and toffee.
Finish: Warm, medium body with a long finish
ABV: 43%
A Best Rum in the Daiquiri Nominee!
“Rich and enticing as the fabled stories recited by old sailors longing for one last voyage.
Red Sky rum boasts flavors of vanilla, warm caramel, with hints of cinnamon and orange all brought together by a pleasant sea salt salinity. Inspired by Gertrude Lythgoe, a head strong woman from NYC who set up shop in the Bahamas during prohibition, importing the good stuff into the states. Known for only buying and selling the best liquor available she used a pistol and a straight blade to maintain her reputation. Wanting to beat the smugglers jinx, she left her one true Love the “Real” Bill McCoy and smuggling partner at sea to sail off into the sunset to live life on her own terms.”
Nose: Roasted vanilla, orange, and fig.
Palate: Full body with flavors of oak, Caribbean Sea, and apple pie.
Finish: Clean and smooth with a pleasant salinity.
ABV: 40%
A Best Rum in the Daiquiri Nominee!
“This silky smooth Silver rum, from our own heritage Asian sugarcane, is only moderately filtered giving it a light straw appearance. With its pure and distinctive taste, Tanduay Asian Rum Silver is for those seeking greater complexity and sophistication. This rum is aged up to 5 years in ex-bourbon barrels, with a taste profile of green ripe fruits with hints of burnt sugar, mandarin and vanilla. Perfect for sipping straight yet well-balanced for mixing.”
Nose / Aroma / Smell: Good intensity of mandarin and grapefruit peel with toasted notes, coconut and vanilla background
Flavor / Taste / Palate: A harmony of cream soda with flavors of citrus fruits
Finish: Dry yet sweet with warm persistence
ABV: 40%
A Best Rum in the Daiquiri Nominee!
“Dunder & Syrup represents the second bottling of Distillerie de Port-au-Prince. The particularity of this rum lies in its elaboration, based on traditional methods: it is produced from syrup and juice of cristalline cane, to which “vinasse” (called “dunder" in English) from previous distillations are added. The sugar cane comes from Michel Sajous, in Saint-Michel de l’Attalaye, 150 kilometers north of the capital. Fermentation is carried out using selected yeasts and dunder from previous distillations, allowing for the development of a particular aromatic complexity. The must obtained after fermentation is distilled in two stages in a copper still, heated in a water bath, designed by the boilermaker Müller. The resulting eau-de-vie leaves the still at 73% ABV before being gradually reduced to 56% ABV.”
Nose / Aroma / Smell: Heady and flattering. Guava, honey, burnt cane.
Flavor / Taste / Palate: Creamy and warm. Red fruits, thyme, smoked meat.
Finish: Soft and long. Almond, vegetal and tertiary notes.
ABV: 56%
A Best Rum in the Daiquiri Nominee!
“Brimstone Hill's cannons protected the beautiful island of St. Kitts and her valuable sugar cane for hundreds of years. Many a ship met her demise off of this Caribbean coastline, including a British troopship during the Battle of Frigate Bay in 1782. Brinley Gold Shipwreck Rum is blended to match the old rums 'spiked' with exotic spices and flavors that drifted ashore from distant lands. Handcrafted on the beautiful yet treacherous island of St. Kitts, our mission is simple - to make the best tasting flavored rum in the world.
We use only the finest ingredients in our award-winning rums. Enjoy!”
Flavor / Taste / Palate: The rum is medium-bodied, with a palate of tropical fruit and notes of dark brown sugar.
Finish: The finish is long, with smooth vanilla and subtle oak.
ABV: 40%
A Best Rum in the Daiquiri Nominee!
“Denizen Aged White Rum is a rebellious blend of three different styles of rum from Trinidad and Jamaica meticulously selected by master blenders, E. & A. Scheer in Amsterdam, who have been handcrafting small-batch Caribbean style rums dating back to the early 1700s, when The Netherlands colonized much of the Caribbean. The rums included in the final blend primarily include charcoal filtered aged rum from the famed Angostura distillery in Trinidad that has been distilled in continuous column stills and aged up to 5 years in small American oak barrels to impart a rich and refined flavor. A small component of fresh unaged Trinidadian rum has been combined with trace amounts of an intermediate blend of
Jamaican pot still rums consisting of 15 different high ester rums, providing a firm
backbone where the filtered aged rum can lay upon.”
Nose / Aroma / Smell: Aromas of fresh cane, cooked parsley, yellow fleshed fruits, banana, pineapple and mango.
Flavor / Taste / Palate: Creamy texture on the palate, with honeydew/melon
Finish: the youth comes on the finish, long with herbaceous grassy tone, and a hint of pepper
ABV: 40%
Misguided Spirits
Caribbean Queen Red Sky Silver Rum
A Best Rum in the Daiquiri Nominee!
Caribbean Queen’s Red Sky Rum is blended using the finest rums in Venezuela, from the Tiuna, Yaracuy, and Cife distilleries, expertly blended to achieve the optimal balance of flavor, depth, and smoothness. Our silver rum is this blend in its purest form, for our aged rum, we use the same blend but age it for 4 years in fresh white oak barrels and retired bourbon barrels. We finish both Rums by bringing them to proof with soft water and Caribbean sea salt to enhance the rich, bold flavors developed in the aging process.
Nose / Aroma / Smell: subtle notes of roasted molasses with hints of vanilla.
Flavor / Taste / Palate: a soft body with light flavors of vanilla, caramel, and hints of sea salt.
Finish: a dry finish with hints of vanilla and molasses.
Won people's choice
“Aged in used Bourbon barrels for 7 years. Silky smooth with elegant flavors of almonds, dried dark fruits, and island spices. The richness of vanilla and notes of oak effortlessly lingers on the finish.
Recipient of 7 Monde Selection International Medals.”
Flavor / Taste / Palate: Good balance of alcohol level & sweetness. Expressive flavors of vanilla, tropical fruit, coconut and nutmeg.
Smell / Nose / Aroma: Refined and elegant. Presence of mature honey, almond, caramel, toasted oak, orange peels and vanilla
Finish: Persistent in harmony. Caramel flavor persist on the finish, with vanilla and wooden notes.
ABV: 40%
A Best Rum in the Daiquiri Nominee!
“We wanted to break the mold of flavored rums and create something that could hold its own alongside the finest brown spirits. Chocolate and rum have been combined for centuries and sensibly so. They often grow in the same climate and complement each other perfectly. Rather than use a neutral base spirit like most flavored products, we select a delicious five-year-old rum whose inherent richness is enhanced by the infusion of natural chocolate. SelvaRey Chocolate has quickly become the most awarded flavored spirit ever.”
Flavor / Taste / Palate: chocolate-covered espresso beans, toffee, cardamom
Smell / Nose / Aroma: Smooth, aromatic notes of hazelnut and chocolate
Finish: Surprisingly dry without an overt sweetness, lending refinement and sophistication to a decadent experience.
ABV: 35%
"Daiquiri" Cocktail Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
2 oz rum
1 oz lime juice
.75 oz simple syrup
Method: Shake, strain. Coupe. No garnish.
Check out a Video of New York Cocktail Expo!
Video Credit: Bleu Fox Productions
Spirit Brands can register to participate in the Best Spirits in Cocktails Awards by sending info to nycocktailexpo@gmail.com
Bars should register to participate at the New York Cocktail Expo by clicking here.
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