A Mexican rum made the grade yet again in Europe on Sunday, winning the International Taste Institute’s Superior Taste Award for the sixth year running at ceremonies in Brussels.

Villa Rica 23 Años Gold Edition rum, produced by Licores Veracruz of Córdoba, won the accolade after a panel of the institute’s experts judged it in a blind taste test on five criteria: first impression, visuals, aroma, taste, and aftertaste. The rum also won a prestigious three-star rating for the sixth year in a row, the institute’s highest rating, meaning that the panel gave it a numeric score of over 90%.

The award for the premium rum puts Licores Veracruz in line for winning the institute’s highest recognition, the Diamond Award, in 2021. The award is only given to entrants who win a three-star rating for seven years in a row.

The International Taste Institute’s annual awards ceremony, one of the world’s most well-known and prestigious, recognizes a multitude of packaged and bottled products from all over the world, everything from pastries and high-quality preserves to steaks and charcuterie to alcoholic beverages.

Over 200 chefs, sommeliers, and other taste experts from over 130 countries and recognized by institutions such as the Michelin Guide and Gault & Millau participate as judges.

Licores Veracruz is a 69-year-old family-owned company that makes a variety of premium wines and traditional Mexican spirits but also specializes in non-Mexican ones such as vodka, whisky, schnapps and vermouth.

The company described its award-winning rum as having been aged in Canadian oak casks and featuring notes of vanilla, cacao, tobacco, chocolate, caramel and honey. 

General manager José Villanueva said his company’s victory is one for the Made in Mexico movement.

“This represents an overall triumph in the category of Mexican rum against others around the world,” he said.

Mexico News Daily