The Golden Rum Barrel Awards 2010

The Golden Rum Barrel Awards will be a new and revolutionary way to determine not only a worthy rum, but a modern classic. Even more ground breaking, is that the competition will be the most definitive of its kind in the world, as well as being one of the only tasting events that does not charge brands to enter. In fact, if a brand makes and sells rum worldwide, then you are in the competition.

Until now, there has been no internationally recognised award for the efforts of the many rum brands that have been first fermented, distilled, aged and blended to a level where even the angels themselves declared that their share of sugar-cane spirit must be more than they take from a fine Cognac or single malt scotch.

This award will be given to rums from various rum categories as nominated by an academy of rum experts and journalists from all over the world. Each rum aficionado will nominate their favourite or the most exciting rum within a chosen category. Once the voting period is over all of the judges results will be compiled and put together. The top FIVE rums from each category will then be announced to the world media as nominees for a Golden Rum Barrel Award. They will then be judged by an international panel of Rum Experts in London. The winners from each category will be announced at The Golden Rum Barrel Awards and Dinner this October.

There will also be recognition for those who work tirelessly within the rum industry spreading the gospel of according to rum such as The UK Rum Ambassador of the year and Global Rum Ambassador of the year awards.

And for the very first time there will be the Champions of Champions Rum Cocktail competition which will pit all of the UK’s rum cocktails winners against each other in a consumer tasting competition.
http://www.goldenrumbarrel.co.uk/

German Rumfest Berlin

Enough talking, now it's serious!
Next year, on 8th and 9th October 2011 starts the German Rumfest in Berlin.
The venue is the 'station' http://station-berlin.com/.
Takes place directly after the BCB http://www.barconvent.de/!
Berlin as the center of the bar culture is strengthened so much!

The SCARLET IBIS Rum

This rum, which is not available in Germany, was originally bottled for Death & Co in NY, with 29 cases ordered. It’s named after a bird, more specifically, the national bird of Trinidad – a great story, by the way. It’s a blend of 3 and 5 year old rums that has been distilled by Caroni. Caroni, however, doesn’t produce anymore, and so the remainders (surely to include some treasures) are being sold. The label was designed by Tim Tomkinson, a friend of Dave Kaplan, the owner of Death & Co.
http://news.timtomkinson.com/2008/05/scarlet-ibis-rum-label.html
Lastly, the bottles were reduced to 49% in Austria, bottled, and brought back to the US!
This rum is a vibrant yellow with a beautiful hint of copper. The nose is surprisingly reserved, with pleasant notes of sugar and dried fruit, and, at 49%, fairly mild. The taste is pleasantly sweet, a little nutty, a bit of caramel, strikingly smooth with a mellow spice and a medium-long finish. For a Trinidad rum, and a Caroni in particular, this is a very round, pleasing rum!
Death & Co’s menu features two drinks made with Scarlet:

Kerala Cocktail
Scarlet Ibis Rum, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Muddled Cardamom Pods, Fresh Pineapple and Lemon Juice, Sugar Cane Syrup, Angostura and Pyechaud’s Bitters

DRUNKEN DODO
Scarlet Ibis Rum, Carpano Antica Vermouth, Allspice Dram, Angostura Bitters, Orange Twist

This sounds interesting, too: Rum & Port – stir equal measures of rum and port on ice http://trinklaune.de/2010/05/07/rum-port/

I plan to offer both of these drinks – as well as two of my own creations – during the next few days at the Rumclub (while supplies last).

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