Learning from Ybor City

A number of surprises cropped up in last week's Cane Spirits competition in Ybor City.

Tortuga five-year-old and twelve-year old rums swept two of the three best-in-category honors among the aged rums. (It tied with the statesmanlike Diplomatica Resesrve Exclusiva in the nine to fifteen year rums.) Who knew? Tortuga's appearance in both categories was not predicted by me, nor by anyone else, and it provoked a general murmuring among the judges. I was especially surprised that Tortuga soundly beat the Santa Teresa Gran Reserva from Venezuela, and both Appleton Estate entries, including the much touted new Estate Reserve, which garnered only a bronze medal. (And was very woody tasting, I thought, and some of the judges I spoke with concurred.)

In the no surprise department: Prichard's Crystal rum winning best in the white rum category. I've been talking this up for some time, and was pleased to see others agreeing with me. It's good straight up, and it's good mixed in cocktails.

Also no surprise: the sweep of the agricole rums by Clement and J.M. That was in large part because they were the only ones (other than Depaz Blue Amber) entered from Martinique. Some of the other great Martinique rums are imported by Ed Hamilton, who was instrumental in arranging last year's competition. But he and Dori Bryant, who organized the fest this year, are communicating only through very low-tech means: lawyers. So Ed's rums – Niesson and La Favourite – weren't represented in the competition.

Another non-surprise surprise: Zacapa 23-year-old shared the best in the older-than-15-year category with another rum: Santa Teresa 1796. Zacapa usually takes its category in a walk, and it was slightly startling to see it sharing the honors. Santa Teresa is certainly a worthy co-winner, although I'd still give the edge to Zacapa.

And speaking of Zacapa, I chatted one evening with a rum distiller whose company has a sophisticated lab to analyze their own products as well as that of the competition. How about Zacapa? I asked. It's often a source of speculation that they doctor it with various somethings to make it so good, since it's often so far ahead of the others. They put it through the paces, he reported. "And nope," he added. "Nothing unusual."

What they did find in analyzing Zacapa, he said, were heavy alcohols – the kind produced from pot stills, which are blended in with the lighter column-still alcohols. This isn't a big secret – Jamaican rums often perform this trick, and Mount Gay is likewise a blend. Since Zacapa is made from sugar cane syrup and not molasses, the distiller can probably get away with a lower proof off the still, bringing across flavors without the off-taste of low-proof molasses-based rum. Anyway, I'm always looking for clues as to what makes Zacapa Zacapa, and this offered small insight.

Another pleasant surprise: the Ron Barcelo Imperial. I hadn't had it before, and I found it full and complex, with pleasing cherry and chocolate notes. It seemed to be not too far off the flavor profile of Zacapa, but with a less cloying aftertaste. It's been.... well, never, since I tasted something I thought might give Zacapa a run for the money. This was a first. Not quite pulling ahead, but damned close.

Cane Spirits Competition results

Here are the result of the Cane Spirits Competition in Ybor City last week. I'm still awaiting a list of the rums by number (all were tasted blind), so I can check my notes against the group results. Some interesting results here. I'll post a bit of commentary when I get a chance.

DARK RUM
BEST OF CATEGORY: ONE BARREL RUM
GOLD
Khukri XXX
One Barrel
Vizcaya VXOP Cask 21
SILVER
Pirate’s Choice Molasses Reef
BRONZE
Jack Tar Superior Dark Rum
Rogue Dark

RUM, AGED UP TO & INCLUDING 8 YEARS
BEST OF CATEGORY: TORTUGA 5 YEAR OLD
GOLD
Goslings Black Seal
Mount Gay Sugar Cane
Prichard’s Fine Rum
Ron Barcelo Imperial
Tortuga 5 Year Old
SILVER
Bacardi 8
Cockspur Fine Rum
Diplomatico Reserva
Goslings Gold
New Grove Oak
Santa Teresa Gran Reserva
BRONZE
Appleton Estate Reserve
Appleton Estate V/X
Bacardi Select
Centenario Anejo Reserva Especial
Mount Gay Eclipse
Ron Botran Anejo 8 Year Old
Ron Botran Oro (Gold)

RUM, AGED 9-15 YEARS
BEST OF CATEGORY: (TIE) DIPLOMATICO RESERVA EXCLUSIVA
& TORTUGA 12 YEAR OLD
GOLD
Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva
Tortuga 12 Year Old
SILVER
Mount Gay Extra Old
Ron Botran 12 Year Old
Ron Zacapa 15 Centenario Year Old
Santa Teresa Selecto

RUM, AGED +15 YEARS
BEST OF CATEGORY: (TIE) RON ZACAPA CENTENARIO 23 YEAR OLD & SANTA TERESA 1796
GOLD
Pyrat XO Reserve
Pyrat Cask 1623
Ron Macuro Anejo Ultra Premium
Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 Year Old
Santa Teresa 1796
SILVER
Centenario Fundacion
Goslings Old
Ron Botran Solera

WHITE RUM
BEST OF CATEGORY: PRICHARD’S CRYSTAL
GOLD
Mount Gay Special Reserve
Prichard’s Crystal
SILVER
Bacardi Ruby Rey Reserve
Ron Botran White
Santa Teresa Blanco
BRONZE
Havana Club (Bacardi)
New Grove Oak Plantation
Mainstay Cane

RHUM AGRICOLE, UNAGED
BEST OF CATEGORY: CLEMENT PREMIER CANNE
GOLD
Clement Premiere Canne
SILVER
J.M. Rhum White

RHUM AGRICOLE, AGED
BEST OF CATEGORY: (TIE) J.M. VSOP & J.M. 1997
GOLD
J.M. Rhum Vieux X.O.
J.M. Gold
J.M. VSOP
J.M. 1997
SILVER
Clement Cuvee Homere
Clement V.S.O.P.
Depaz Blue Amber Rhum

CACHACA, UNAGED
BEST OF CATEGORY: AGUA LUCA
GOLD
Agua Luca
Leblon
SILVER
Beleza Pura
Fazenda Mae De Ouro
BRONZE
Cabana
Cuca Fresca

CACHACA, AGED
BEST OF CATEGORY: YPIOCA 160
GOLD
Fazenda Mae De Ouro Single Barrel 5 Year Old
GRM ‘Small Batch’ 2 Year Old
Ypioca 160
SILVER
Cuca Fresca Gold
Rochinha ‘Single Barrel’ 12 Year Old
Ypioca Ouro
BRONZE
Armazem Vieira ‘Onix’ Solera 16 Year Old
Ypioca Prata

LIQUEURS/FLAVORS/CORDIALS
BEST OF CATEGORY: SANTA TERESA ARAKU RON Y COFFEE LIQUEUR
GOLD
Clement Creole Shrub
Santa Teresa Rhum Orange Liqueur
Santa Teresa Araku Ron y Coffee Liqueur
SILVER
Castries Peanut Rum Crème
Prichard’s Sweet Georgia Belle Peach Mango Liqueur
BRONZE
Beleza Pura Caipirinha
Pirate’s Choice Lime Rum
Prichard’s Cranberry Rum
Rogue Hazelnut Spiced Rum

Report from Tampa: Cane Spirits Competition

Yesterday afternoon we wrapped up judging at the International Cane Spirits Festival in Tampa – sampling about 80 rums over two days. (I missed out on about 20, since I was laid low with a vile illness, not related to rum consumption, yesterday morning.) The rums were tasted blind by flight, each of which was grouped by category – anywhere from two to twenty at time.

Among the pleasant surprises: the number of aged rums, reflecting their rise in the market. These actually had to be split out into three categories to make sipping manageable: up to eight years, eight to fifteen years, and fifteen years plus. (The three other competitions I've been involved in have split aged rums into just two categories.) The rums remain just numbers to me – I don't know which were which, but that will be revealed tonight at the big bash at the Cuban Club in Ybor City.

The competition was organized by Jack Robertiello (from Adams Media, publishers of Cheers), and Robert Plotkin (of Barmedia), and was very nicely managed. Just over a dozen judges participated. (For a list, see here.) All the samples were served in Riedel rum glasses, specially crafted for Zacapa's 30th anniversary. They're a bit broader of bell and throat than whiskey sampling glasses, and they nicely concentrated the rummy aromas.

Another welcome change from previous competition: flights were served all at once. In the past, I've been frustrated by the process in which one rum is served, then cleared, then another served and cleared, et cetera. I like being able to go back and forth, winnowing and comparing, making sure that the last sampled don't get short shrift from a weary tongue. The eight years or fewer aged rum flight this year, for instance, consisted of seventeen rums. Not being able to directly compare one and seventeen is unfair to both.

My M.O.: I sample the aromas of every one before sipping – this give me an idea of any I might need to give special attention. (Although I found a surprisingly high disjunction here – some that smelled wonderful were uninteresting, and vice versa.) Then a quick sip (and spit) from each without much pausing. I then turn to those I found less interesting and give them scores. This is out of a total of 100, with the bulk of the score (70 points) split between aromatics and flavor. The rest of the points are awarded to appearance, mouth feel, and finish. (My score range was 72 to 97, although other judges dipped lower, and a few higher.)

Once I get the field winnowed down to my top three or four, I can spend more time with each of these – swirling and swilling – and make sure that their scores reflect their relative merits. And with these few, I can afford to start guzzling, since you really do learn more about a spirit when it trickles down your throat.

Which rum is best? I thought it was a toss-up between #4 and #7 in the 15+ category. What were they? I don't know. But I'll post some highlights and commentary after the results are announced tonight.

Postcard from Guatemala (delayed)

I just finished up a week traveling in the Guatemalan Highlands on an assignment – alas, one that did not involve rum, at least not in a professional sense. But I consumed much, and was surprised at the wide availability and popularity of caipirhinas in gringo bars in even the smallest of villages around Lake Atitlan.Of course, limes are cheap, sugar plentiful, and Botran XL white rum – which is the standard pour in gringo bars, it appears – is harsh. The outcome can hardly be a surprise. It's visiting history all over again.

Among the pleasant surprises was the duty free shop at the airport – because of vagaries of Guatemala City traffic, I ended up at the airport nearly four hours before my flight. And that turned out to be OK. The rum selection has improved much in the airport since my last trip two years ago – there's now a pretty decent stock, with the Barbancourt 15-year-old from Haiti, several varieties of Flor de Cana from Nicaragua, and a variety of Zacapa rums that I haven't seen in the states, including the 25-year-old, and a special edition deeply aged rum released for the 30th anniversary of the brand. It's priced at $105, which includes two custom Riedel glasses, crafted on comission from Zacapa. (More on those in a few days.)

I didn't break out my wallet for this, but was nicely surprised when the sales clerk pointed to the bottle and asked if I'd like a sip. Um, well, yes. And it was delicious – slightly more woody, less sweet than the 23-year Zacapa Centenario that I'm so fond of. I fell in to sipping with a surgeon from Portland, Ore. named Brian, and after we finished he was good enough to chase the clerk around and explain in his imperfect Spanish that we hadn't quite made our decision to buy yet, and was muy importante that we have a second sample. Guatemalans are polite and gracious to an extreme, and she was very accommodating. And we felt a little bad about not buying.

We both did end dropping some dollars -- Brian bought two one-liter bottles of the 23-year-old Centenario for $65, including tax. It's usually priced at $35 to $40 in the U.S. for 750 mls, so he got a deal. He also got a Havana Club and, I think, a Flor de Cana.

Me, I went with a cask-strength Havana Club ($27 for a liter), which I had heard about but hadn't yet tasted. (No samples, alas.) I'll report on that in due time.

But now: I'm in Tampa. I just got in an hour ago. Tomorrow is the start of the International Cane Spirits Festival, where I'm judging. So look for more reports and photos on that in the near future. Like, with some luck, tomorrow.