Tag: Miami Rum Festival

2023 Miami Rum Renaissance Festival – November 11-12

Friday, October 27, 2023 / Robert Burr / 0 Comments

The 2023 Miami Rum Renaissance Festival returns to Coral Gables on the weekend of November 11 and 12, with another great selection of rums to savor, discern and taste. http://www.rumrenaissance.com/

Rum Seminars on Saturday

First, an exciting lineup of rum seminars are set for Saturday, November 11 at the Courtyard by Marriott in Coral Gables, starting at noon.

Four 45 minute seminars are scheduled, including:

Team Bacardí Blenders
Legacy and Future Production at Barbancourt – Haiti
National Rums of Jamaica – Long Pond and Clarendon
The Grand Experiment in Terroir – Renegade Rum in Grenada

For complete details on the rum seminars, visit the rum seminars page. The four seminar series is priced at $89 and tickets are available online.

Rum Renaissance Tasting on Sunday

On Sunday, November 12 at 2pm, the public is invited to discover hundreds of fine rums from around the world.

Trade tickets allow early entry for those in the spirits business, as well as VIP admission, at 12:30pm.

The Private Collection

Attendees can also experience the ultimate adventure in rum tasting — the Private Collection Tasting Bar featuring many dozens of luxury, limited edition and rare rums from private collections.

Private Collection Tasting Bar tickets ($5) for the luxury rum collection benefit a local non-profit organization.

A Large Selection of Rums to Sample

Exhibit space is sold out — once again — so attendees can expect a wide variety of fine rums from around the world in the two halls of the historic Woman’s Club in Coral Gables.

As always, new rums will be debuted at the festival grand tasting event, offering the first glimpse of up and coming brands and expressions.

The most popular rums in the world will be onsite, offering rum enthusiasts a chance to experience each brand’s latest new offerings.

Last Call for Discount Tickets

Before November 1, Miami Rum Festival General admission tickets are $49, while early entry VIP admission is $59. The four seminar series is priced at $89. Tickets purchased online in November, as well as at the door, are slightly higher.

Details are available on the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival web site. http://www.rumrenaissance.com/

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International Rum Expert Panel - RumXP Awards - Consumer Rum Jury

2017 RumXP Awards announced at Miami Rum Festival

Thursday, April 27, 2017 / Robert Burr / 0 Comments

The International Rum Expert Panel today announced the list of outstanding rums from their 2017 RumXP Awards competition and Consumer Rum Jury trials held at the annual Miami Rum Renaissance Festival and Trade Expo. Continue reading

Cannabis Cocktails Seminar by Warren Bobrow

Cannabis Cocktails Seminar coming to Miami Rum Fest

Thursday, April 6, 2017 / Robert Burr / 0 Comments

Attendees of the Miami Rum Festival and Trade Expo might be sampling some cocktails of a different ilk at the Cannabis Cocktails Seminar.

Warren Bobrow, mixologist, chef, and writer known as the Cocktail Whisperer is a freelance mixologist specializing in Craft Spirits and the implementation of specialty bar, cocktail and ice programs. Among his most popular books is “Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails and Tonics.” Continue reading

New Yolo Rum Clear expression launches in Miami

Friday, March 24, 2017 / Robert Burr / 0 Comments

You Only Live Once – so when it’s time to celebrate life, enjoy the best rum with friends. That’s the message behind the big launch of Yolo Rum Clear at the Miami Rum Festival, April 22-23.

Introducing Yolo Rum Clear

Joining Yolo Rum Gold and Yolo Rum Silver, the new Yolo Rum Clear expression is a boutique-quality rum that isn’t priced like it. Continue reading

2016 RumXP Award Winners Announced at Miami Rum Festival

Wednesday, April 20, 2016 / Robert Burr / 0 Comments

The International Rum Expert Panel today announced the 2016 RumXP Awards from their blind tasting competition held at the annual Miami Rum Renaissance Festival and Trade Expo.

A wide variety of rums from more than 30 countries came to the annual Miami Rum Renaissance Festival and Trade Expo to compete for top honors in the International Rum Expert Panel blind tasting competition.

Miami Rum Festival is once again host to the 2016 RumXP Awards international tasting competition with several dozen esteemed rum judges precipitating in the premiere rum competition, presenting prestigious rum awards to the best scoring products.

The event brought together a vast selection of rums from Sweden and Denmark, India, Reunion Island, Madagascar, Puerto Rico, Peru, Barbados, Mexico, Florida, Colorado, Louisiana, Texas, Hawaii, Trinidad, Guyana, Jamaica, Belize, Panama, St. Lucia, Guatemala, Venezuela, Colombia, Antigua, St. Kitts, Haiti, Dominican Republic, The Bahamas and many more rum making countries, as well as Rhums Agricoles from Martinique and Cachaças from Brazil.

The distinguished panel of RumXP judges were sequestered for three days of blind tasting sessions carefully organized by the experienced competition staff before being analyzed and compiled by a veteran team of statisticians.

In addition to the professional RumXP judges, the Consumer Rum Jury, consisting of serious rum enthusiasts from across America and around the world, convened to sample and evaluate many fine rums for their own awards based on consumer preferences.

2016 RumXP Awards By Category

The results of these two international rum blind tasting competitions based on the categories and styles of rum are as follows.

• White Rum
Best In Class: Bayou Silver
Gold: Blue Chair Bay, Pito Rico Elite, Don Q Cristal, Ron Cartavio Silver

• Premium White Rum
Best In Class: Puerto Angel
Gold: Caliche, Fwaygo, Plantation 3 Star, Skotlander Rum VI, Koloa White

• Gold Rum
Best In Class: Siesta Key Gold
Gold: Wicked Dolphin, Puerto Angel Amber, Don Q Gold, Koloa Gold

• Spiced Rum
Best In Class: Siesta Key Spiced
Gold: Siesta Key Distillers Solara, Bayou Spiced, Siesta Key Limited Edition Spiced, Koloa Spiced

• Flavored Rum
Best In Class: Koloa Coffee
Gold: Plantation Stiggin’s Fancy Pineapple Rum, Don Q Pasion, Blue Chair Bay Banana, Koloa Coconut

• Overproof Rum
Best In Class: Pusser’s Gunpowder Proof
Gold: Pito Rico 106, Don Q 151, Gunroom 130 Proof, Skotlander V

• Black Rum
Best In Class: Wicked Dolphin Black
Gold: Koloa Black

• Aged Rum
Best In Class: Bayou Select
Gold: Don Q Anejo, Marauda Steel Pan, Plantation Original Dark, Tiburon

• Aged Rum 5-8 Years
Best In Class: Ron Duran 7
Gold: Plantation 5, Cartavio 5

• Aged Rum 9-12 Years
Best In Class: Yolo Gold
Gold: Cartavio Solera 12, Ron Duran 12, Panama Pacific 9

• Aged Rum 15+
Best In Class: Pusser’s 15yr
Gold: Panama Pacific 23

• Premium Aged Rum
Best In Class: Plantation 20th Anniversary
Gold: Plantation Gran Anejo, Santeria Rum, Don Q Gran Anejo, Fwaygo Single Barrel

• Vintage Aged Rum
Best In Class: Mezan Jamaica 2000
Gold: Plantation Jamaica 2001, Plantation St. Lucia 2004, Mezan Panama 2006, Don Q 2005, Mezan Guyana 2005

• Agricole Unaged Rhum
Best In Class: Maison La Mauny Ter Rouj
Gold: Trois Rivières Cuvee du Moulin, Isautier Blanc, Maison La Mauny Blanc

• Agricole Aged Rhum
Best In Class: Trois Rivières VSOP
Gold: Isautier Vieux Louis & Charles, Isautier Vieux 7yr, Maison La Mauny XO

• Cachaça Unaged
Best In Class: Weber Haus
Gold: Germana Ultra Premium, Germana Palha, Novo Fogo Silver, Lundu Silver

• Cachaça Aged
Best In Class: Sebastiana Single barrel
Gold: Novo Fogo 2yr Oak, Sebastiana 3yr Double Barrel, Middas Carvalho, Germana Caetano’s

– – –

• The 2016 Consumer Rum Jury Awards

Best In Class: Siesta Key Toasted Coconut

Gold: Koloa Coffee, Plantation Pineapple, Pussers 15, YOLO Gold, Koloa Coconut, Duran 12

Silver: Mezan Panama 2005, La Mauny Spiced, Koloa Dark, Tiburon, Don Q Signature Release 2005

Bronze: Dzama Rhum Nosy Be 104, Balcones Texas Rum, Panama Pacific 9, Puerto Angel Blanco, Fwaygo White, Trois Rivières Cuvee Du Moulin, Blue Chair Bay White

Brugal wins three Gold Medals at Miami Rum Renaissance Festival

Thursday, May 21, 2015 / Robert Burr / 0 Comments

On Tuesday, May 19, the Brugal brand of rum, an iconic spirit of the Dominican Republic, announced Brugal wins three Gold Medals from the RumXP International Tasting Competition held at the annual Miami Rum Renaissance Festival.

Brugal wins three Gold Medals - With three new RumXP gold medals, Brugal's fine line of rums from the Dominican Republic are gaining more respect and appreciation among professionals and consumers worldwide.

Brugal rum, the leading brand from the Dominican Republic, was awarded three new gold medals from the RumXP competition held at the recent Miami Rum Renaissance Festival.

RumXP Gold Awards went to Brugal White Extra Dry in the white rum category, to Brugal Añejo in the gold rum category and to Brugal 1888 in the premium aged rum category. Brugal XV was also awarded a bronze medal from the Consumer Rum Jury at the same time.

The annual RumXP Tasting Competition forms part of the Rum Renaissance festival and is among the most prestigious events of its type in the world, bringing together an experienced panel of 12 rum judges who conducted blind taste tests to evaluate the finest cane spirits from every region, every style and every category of the rum world.

Assistant brand manager Sarah Knowles said: “Last year, at Rum Renaissance 2014, Brugal won the Ultra Premium Reserve Rum ‘Best In Class’ RumXP award for Brugal Papa Andres Family Reserve, starting an award trend.

“This year’s RumXP awards continue to add prestigious accolades for our other expressions, which are more readily accessible to a larger consumer base. Brugal has produced a family of high quality rums distilled, aged and bottled in the Dominican Republic since 1888. We are very excited to receive these RumXP acknowledgments and honoured to garner this respect from the rum community.”

With a current ad campaign promoting “Respeto!” Brugal certainly is gaining the respect of rum professionals and consumer worldwide. The company has been making fine rums in the Dominican Republic for more than 135 years. In 1920, the company’s first warehouses were built for the ageing of rum in oak barrels.

The company sells more than 80% of all rum in the Dominican Republic, is a leading brand in the Caribbean region and ranks one of the top selling rum brands in the United States. The Edrington Group took a majority stake in the brand in February, 2008.

Other notable Brugal luxury expressions include Siglo de Oro family reserve and Papa Andres Ultra Premium aged rum.

Plantation Rums score big at Miami Rum Festival

Monday, May 18, 2015 / Robert Burr / 0 Comments

It has been another banner year for Plantation Rums, based in Cognac, France. The company announced today that their products were awarded four Gold and four Best In Category awards from the International Rum Expert Panel judges at the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival.

Plantation Rums - Plantation Award Winning Rums

Master Blender Alexandre Gabriel announced his Plantation Rum expressions recently won the most RumXP awards at the international tasting competition held at the Miami Rum Festival.

This is the third year in a row that Plantation Rums have received the most awards in this prestigious international RumXP blind tasting competition.

Receiving RumXP Best In Category awards were Plantation Original Dark, Plantation Original Dark Overproof, Plantation Jamaica 2001 and Plantation Pineapple. RumXP Gold awards went to Plantation 3 Stars White, Plantation 20th Anniversary XO, Plantation 5 Year Old Grande Reserve and Plantation Guyana 2005.

Consumer Rum Jury Impressed

The Plantation 20th Anniversary XO aged rum also won a Gold award from the new Consumer Rum Jury in their premiere tasting competition, comprised of 20 well qualified rum enthusiast consumers, collectors and experienced rum travelers, offering the perspective of the active and engaged rum buyer in their evaluations.

Plantation Rums have a unique identity

This unique brand of rums is produced in France, headed by Alexandre Gabriel, Proprietor of Maison Ferrand and Master Blender for Plantation Rum. For the past two decades, Alexandre has been traveling to the Caribbean’s best distilleries to acquire rums that he believes will benefit from further aging in Cognac barrels at his facility in France.

Each rum in the Plantation Rum portfolio is made according to its country’s traditional technique and expresses the rum characteristics and flavor of its country of origin. While the rums are born in the traditional fashion, produced in rum distilleries and aged in barrels in the tropical sun, they undergo a unique aging process not used by any other rum producer in the industry — the rums are plucked from their country of origin at just the right moment and brought to the Ferrand estate in France where they are refined for several more months in small French oak Ferrand barrels. These special Plantation Rums that make up the portfolio are either blends or vintages and come from Barbados, Guadeloupe, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama and Trinidad.

Some of these special vintage bottles are considered by rum enthusiasts around the world to be highly collectable items.

“It’s such an honor that our rums would be considered among the very best in the world by this esteemed group of RumXP judges,” said Alexandre Gabriel. “The Plantation brand is enjoying steady growth in North America thanks to our team of seasoned professionals, a growing appreciation of our expanding range of unique aged rums and this type of consistent recognition by leading rum experts of the world.”