15-05-2025
The Top Rum From The 2025 ADI International Spirits Competition
Refreshing, rum-based Tiki Drink Cocktails with Pineapple Cherry Orange Garnishes
Each year, the American Distilling Institute hosts the ADI International Spirits Competition. This prestigious event recognizes excellence in craft spirits and is open to U.S. and international distilleries. Below is a brief background and tasting notes on the "Best of Class" and "Best of Category" American rum winners from the recently completed 2025 competition.
Evolve Distilling is a craft distillery located in Claremont, California. Their Caribbean Dark Rum, made from molasses and cane sugar, is aged in a single maple syrup/bourbon barrel, which imparts unique flavors to the spirit.
The rum features pronounced molasses and tropical fruit notes on the nose, complemented by maple syrup aromas. It's sweet, rich, and flavorful on the palate, exhibiting molasses, tropical fruits, and maple syrup flavors. The finish is long and sweet, with lingering tropical fruit and hard maple candy notes.
Founded in 2013, Kuleana Rum Works, in Kohala, Hawaii, produces rums from estate-grown Hawaiian heirloom sugarcane, using handmade copper pot stills. The base material is a blend of fresh sugarcane juice and molasses. Huihui combines their Hawaiian Rum Agricole and exceptional Agricole Rhum from Martinique, creating a unique and flavorful spirit. Kuleana has been a perennial winner at international spirit competitions.
The nose features a classic Agricole profile of green banana, green olives, green papaya, guava bread pudding, starfruit, and apple. The rum is silky and flavorful, exhibiting tropical fruit flavors and a subtle grassiness. The finish is long, sweet, and fruity, with lingering green peppercorn, pimento, and dill notes.
Established in 2015, Lula Restaurant Distillery is a micro-distillery and restaurant in New Orleans. Their Lula Rum is crafted from locally sourced Louisiana raw cane sugar and molasses, fermented with purpose-bred yeast, and carefully distilled in a combination of copper pot and column stills to capture a fresh, fruity character.
The rum features ripe banana, mango, and pineapple flavors, with a touch of candied chewing gum sweetness. It's fresh and fruity on the palate, with a smooth, creamy texture. The finish is long, sweet, and crisp with lingering tropical fruit notes—a perfect base for a classic Cuban Daiquiri.
Dark and Stormy Rum Cocktail with Lime and Ginger Beer
Swamp Fox Distilling, established in 2019, is South Carolina's only all-rum distillery. Their Pure Corruption Rum is made from Louisiana raw sugar and blackstrap molasses. It is distilled in a custom, handmade Alembic copper pot still and fermented with a proprietary Caribbean rum yeast.
The rum is rich and bold, exhibiting pronounced molasses and caramel aromas. It's smooth and flavorful on the palate with a classic, Caribbean-style profile of tropical fruits, wood spices, caramel, brown sugar, and molasses. The finish is long and sweet with lingering dried fruit and spice notes.
Founded in 2012, South Hollow Spirits is the first legal distillery on Cape Cod since Prohibition. Their Twenty Boat Reserve Rum is handcrafted from American organic sugar cane and molasses, distilled in a 250-gallon copper pot still from Vendome, steeped in locally sourced spices, and aged in Chardonnay-soaked barrels.
The rum is rich and aromatic on the nose, featuring spice notes of cardamom, vanilla bean, cinnamon, rose hip, anise, and allspice with lemon and orange zest. It's bold and full-bodied on the palate, exhibiting assorted spices, seasoned oak, and candied citrus zest. The finish is long and smooth, with lingering spice and subtle fruit notes.
StilL 630 is an award-winning craft distillery located in downtown St. Louis. Their Expedition Rum is a pot-distilled, Jamaican-style American rum with big molasses aromas and flavors.
On the nose, the rum features powerful, sweet molasses aromas with oak hints and subtle tropical fruit notes. It exhibits a pronounced, rich molasses flavor with a clean finish highlighted by vanilla and seasoned oak notes. The finish is long, sweet, and smooth, with lingering notes of vanilla and oak.
The American Distilling Institute (ADI) is a leading trade organization for craft and independent distillers in the United States. Founded in 2003, ADI supports the growth and success of small-scale distillers through education, advocacy, networking, and promotion of best practices in the industry.
ADI's annual spirits competition often highlights up-and-coming brands, many of which have yet to establish national distribution. These craft distillers are not just producing rum; they are pushing the boundaries of traditional rum's aroma and taste, creating some of the most innovative and flavorful rums in America today. For the rum enthusiast, the ADI Competition offers a sneak peek at the exciting future of American rum.
