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.