By the Caribbean Journal staff

It was a strong star for the first-ever edition of the Martinique Rhum Awards.

The new rum festival, the brainchild of world-famous beach bar proprietor Guy Ferdinand and the Rum Embassy, featured a week of high-level rum events (including a popular bartending competition) and a panel of judges who rated more than 100 rums from around Martinique, Guadeloupe and the world.

The festival, which concluded with a “Rum Village” on the beach in Carbet and a gala dinner at Trois Ilets’ La Suite Villa restaurant, aims to celebrate what is the most famous export of the French Caribbean department.

So what about the winners?

The biggest winner was Martinique’s Rhum HSE, which took home the crown for the Rhum Agricole Extra Vieux category for its HSE XO rum.

Other winners included La Mauny, which took home the crown for the top 55-degree white rum; Rhum Dillon for the top rum of between 3 and 6 years of age; and the celebrated boutique distillery A1710, which won for its A1710 Renaissance white rum in the non-AOC category and the top molasses rum of 3-12 years.

See the full list of winners below:

White Rhum Agricole AOC Martinique 55%

La Mauny 50%, Martinique

White Rhum Agricole AOC Martinique 55+

Rhum Dillon 55, Martinique

White Rhum Agricole non-AOC up to 55%

Rhum A1710 Renaissance, Martinique

White Rhum Agricole non-AOC 55+

Pere Labat 59%, Guadeloupe

Rhum Agricole AOC Martinique from 3 to 6 years

Dillon VSOP, Martinique

Rhum Agricole non-AOC 4 years and up

Rhum Karukera Black Edition Alligator, Guadeloupe

Molasses Rum 3 to 12 Years

A1710 Soleil de Minuit, Martinique

Rhum Agricole AOC Martinique 6 years and up

HSE XO, Martinique

Molasses Rum 12 years and up

Plantation Rum Jamaica 2005

Rhum Agricole AOC Martinique Cask Strength

Trois Rivieres Cask Strength 2006

Rhum Agricole non-AOC cask strength

MHOBA Rum Select Reserve French Cask Rum, South Africa

Molasses Rum Cask Strength

Riviere du Mat 2006 (Cuvee of the Confrerie du Rhum), Reunion