RUM IS more than a drink. It is the spirit of the Caribbean. It represents the sweetness of the region; its history; its courage and its romance. And rum is a way to take the Caribbean with you, wherever you go next. We love rum, and we’re happy that the Noble Spirit continues to grow in popularity around the world. This is our third annual Rum Awards, and the booming rum category means the competition gets more and more difficult. All in all, Rum Journal tasted 180 rums this year, and these were the best of the best. Cheers!

Rum of the Year: Angostura No. 1

This was as difficult a choice as we’ve had to make. In 2012, we chose Bermuda’s Gosling’s Old Rum as our ROTY. Last year, it was the Bacardi Facundo Exquisito. So choosing a worthy successor wasn’t easy. The rum we chose, then, had to represent the best of rum — the romance, the vigor, the sweetness of cane. After a dogged competition with rums like Ron Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva, St Lucia Distillers 1931 and Pussers 15 Year Old Rum, we found a winner: the superb Angostura No. 1 from Trinidad. Part of a release of just 9,600 bottles, this is a Trinidadian rum finished exclusively in first-fill American bourbon casks. This rum first wowed us in a tasting earlier this year, and in the Rum of the Year tasting it was even better. This is simply a magnificent rum — floral, sweet, perfectly balanced with an exquisite finish. It somehow dances in the mouth. And, even more importantly, it rates exceedingly highly on the drinkability scale. Some (outside of Trinidad) don’t realize that Angostura isn’t just a maker of Bitters. Here’s hoping that changes. Cheers to our 2014 Rum of the Year, Angostura No. 1.