A panel of experts have listed the best rums in the world, ranging from affordable bottles by Caribbean-inspired brands to ultra-premium Australian creations. At the Rum and Cachaça Masters 2022, over 200 rums and cachaças were ranked in a blind taste test with just a few walking away with Masters medals at the prestigious awards ceremony.
The competition, organized by The Spirits Business, brought together rum bloggers, consultants, journalists and bar managers in London to assess the various expressions.
One entry stood above all else as the ultimate Taste Master of the competition, with the jury highlighting Rum-Bar’s White Overproof Rum – a Jamaican-crafted rum with notes of banana and papaya created at Worthy Park Estate.
While many other white rums walked away with gold medals – including Halewood Artisanal Spirits’ Dead Man’s Fingers white rum and Renegade Rum’s ultra premium Dunfermline expression – Ten To One’s White Rum was the only other rum in the category to win a Masters medal.
Gold rums, which are typically aged for a longer period of time in wooden barrels, saw more success with Masters medals. Venezuelan distiller Pampero, which is owned by Diageo, walked away with a Masters accolade for its Pampero Seleccion, which judges said was “dark and woody” with a “classic rum nose.” Maison Ferrand’s Plantation Gran Añejo entry also received a similar accolade for its notes of “toffee with a hint of orange,” with a “well balanced, fruity finish.”
Moving up to the more expensive, super premium tier, London brand Merser & Co. was similarly recognized for its Merser Rum, which judges declared had a “silky texture” and “butterscotch, raisins and baking spices” notes. In the ultra-premium tier, Ron Añejo Carúpano 21 Private Reserve was celebrated by judges for its “bold character” and “lingering” finish.
Dark rums landed the most Masters medals of the competition, with Edinburgh-based Holyrood Distillery sweeping a staggering five medals for a number of its Elizabeth Yard expressions. Penderyn Distillery’s Siddiqui Brown Rum was tipped with a Masters award in the premium category, while popular brand Havana Club International scooped up the same prize in the super premium category with its Havana Club Selección de Maestros.
Vok Beverages, a south Australian-based distillery, also won three awards for a number of its rums. Its Flood Rum, which was accidentally created in 2017 when its distillery flooded and its team was forced to let it ferment for six months while repairs were ongoing, secured an ultra premium Master award alongside its Cask Strength Rum and Navy Strength Rum in the overproof category.
On the spiced rum front, Destilería Serrallés Don Q Oak Barrel Spiced Rum and Naud Distillery’s Hidden Loot Dark Reserve also walked away with Master nods. Les Rhums De Ced was the only rum liqueur offering to walk away with a Master for its orange-based Ti Arrangés De Ced Graal Citron Passion. A distillery from the Czech Republic,Stock Plze‐Božkov, also walked away with a Master for its coffee-flavoured Božkov Republica Espresso.
Only four cachaças, a fermented sugarcane-based spirit, were judged during the tournament and three of the four walked away with Master accolades. All of them were created by Brazilian distillery Dom Tápparo Engenho Desde 1978.
The Spirits Masters runs a number of Masters competitions annually, with its Tequila and Mezcal Masters and Low and No Masters (focusing on alcohol-free and low alcohol content spirits) held earlier this year. Sierra Milenario Tequila Extra Añejo and Lyre’s Italian Spritz won taste masters for those competitions respectively.
Master medal-winning rums of 2022
Worthy Park Estate Rum-Bar White Overproof Rum
Category: White overproof, Taste Master winner
Available at Master of Malt here.
Ten to One White Rum
Category: White Rum – Standard
Available at Ten To One here.
Pampero Seleccion
Category: Premium Gold Rum
Maison Ferrand Plantation Gran Añejo
Category: Premium Gold Rum
Available at Master of Malt here.
Merser & Co Merser Rum
Category: Super Premium Gold Rum
Available at Merser & Co here.
Penderyn Distillery Siddiqui Brown Rum
Category: Premium Dark Rum
Available at Master of Malt here.
Havana Club International Havana Club Selección de Maestros
Category: Super Premium Dark Rum
Available at Master of Malt here.
Worthy Park Estate Worthy Park 109 Proof
Category: Dark Rum Overproof
Available at Master of Malt here.
Vok Beverages Inner Circle Cask Strength Rum
Category: Dark Rum Overproof
Available at Sippify here.
Vok Beverages Inner Circle Navy Strength Rum
Category: Dark Rum Overproof
Available at Sippify here.
Depaz XO
Category: Agricole Rhum
Available at Master of Malt here.
Depa Vieux Plantation
Category: Agricole Rhum
Available at Master of Malt here.
Destilería Serrallés Don Q Oak Barrel Spiced Rum
Category: Spiced Rum
Available at Master of Malt here.
