When I first entered into the fascinating and seemingly romantic world of rum, I really paid a lot of attention to competitions and awards. I'd search them out, save them and compare them. I visited the usual websites, read reviews, follow threads.
It was maddening.
But that was long ago. In the interim I finally realized that most of these are faux competitions, and many of the rum sites are merely commercial ventures by promoters who make a living selling whatever altered shit they can convince you to buy.
Thank god there are still some real and pure rums.
For example take the Big Four: the Ministry, the Queen of Rum, the Burr Brothers and the Badassitor. Toss in Ian Williams, and the Artic Wonder. Don't forget the Lower Case Forrest, and there are more, and more. All dependent on good relations with the distillers for participation and product. But for one thing, consider this...
Most feature a bunch of rums: 40, 50 even up to a hundred of them.
The more the merrier, and by far the more profitable. A bunch of insider "judges" and butt buddies are invited, get comped a room or more, and some other freebies and the competition is on. The "judges" get together for a day or two of non-stop tasting and "judging" until they stumble home in a happy stupor. And then the "awards" are reported (with only the promoter counting) and with the losing competitors safely unnamed until one day, they "win" too. What's the problem with this?
Way, way, way too many rums to judge.
This simply can't be done. Don't believe me? Let's listen to the great Ed Hamilton deliver yet another stone tablet:
But Ed, isn't that exactly what happens at your "competitions"? Or any of the others? Sure it is. Bottom line: the "competions", the "awards" you read about are all full of it. Ed says so, and for once...Hamilton:
"Anyone who thinks they can taste rum after spitting it out is kidding themselves. If you're only looking to get the essence of a rum, spit it out. I appreciate that it can be very difficult to swallow a number of rum samples and then make your way home from a large tasting, but I've yet to be able to get duplicable tasting notes when tasting a large number of rums. These events are good for understanding different styles of spirits but not the best for making serious tasting notes.
Only by swallowing the rum sample, can you can access the finish, aftertaste and after effects of the spirit. So I do my most serious tasting in a setting where I know I don't have to drive home. I also don't try to seriously assess a whole cabinet of rums at one sitting.
He got it right.
