Ybor "Rum" City, Tampa, Florida USA Plays Host to the 2nd Annual International Cane Spirits Festival & Tasting Competition

Tampa, FL (PRWeb) February 7, 2007 -- Bienvenue! Bonvenon! Bem-vindos! G'Day! Swagatam! Mabuhay! Welkom! All ways of welcoming our judges, Master Distillers, Brand Ambassadors & honored guests from the world over!

The private Tasting Competition takes place prior to the Cane Spirits Festival, to be held at the Cuban Club on Saturday night, March 24. Judges are aficionados from spirits & consumer media & authors from the US & across the pond. We welcome 'Florida's Own' ABC Fine Wines & Spirits, Bahama Breeze, Gifted Rums, Southern Wine & Spirits & Gaspar's Grotto to this prestigious group. The team will 'take a few for us' sitting through two grueling days, tasting dozens of Rum, Rhum & cachaca entries. What fortitude!

Get ready to rumble at the International Cane Spirits Festival and find out why this international group descends upon 'a most welcoming' Tampa each year. More than 60 cane spirits--flavors, ageings, liqueurs, creams--await your sipping pleasure. Meet Author Wayne Curtis, 'and a bottle of rum'; Author Ian Williams, 'rum: a social and sociable history of the real spirit of 1776'; Ian Burrell, Rum Ambassador; Rene van Hoven, owner of Rum Pages, Robert Burr of Gifted Rums & Master Distillers.

And, there's more. Creative Loafing, Tampa's 3rd largest newspaper, hosts their stylish and unique Sensory Overload event concurrently. A feast for all six senses, your tastebuds will samba and salsa at the Int'l Cane Spirits Festival in the Cuban Club's Ballroom. All admissions include entry to Sensory Overload.

Here Come The Cachacas...According to Wikpedia, the average Brazilian consumes about 3 Gallons of Cachaca (Ka Shah Sa) each year. In the most simplistic, cachaca is said to differ from rum in that it is made from the sugarcane juice while rum is made from molasses. Cachaca, the 3rd largest distilled spirit in the world, has a long rich history dating back +400 years, offering both hand-crafted artisanal productions and the more affordable versions.

As little as 2 years ago, artisanal cachacas were a virtual rarity in the US. Thanks to the pioneering efforts of Olie Berlic of Beleza Pura, Jay Tramonte of Agua Luca, 'Cachaca Dave' Catania of Cachaca Fazenda Mae de Ouro, Matti Anttila of Cabana, Phoenix Kelly-Rappa of Cuca Fresca, Jaime Keller of Leblon and the good folk at Sazerac for P51, cachacas are red hot red!

Beleza Pura Super Premium Cachaca took home the Gold Medal at the 2007 World Beverage Competition. Olie Berlik, President of the importing company, was the first to introduce artisanal brands such as Armazem Vieira Solera Aged, Rochinha Single Barrel & GRM Small Batch cachacas, all award-winning.

Agua Luca Cachaca employs artisanal techniques and traditions which have been refined over 450 years. It is then filtered 12 x to produce a smooth and lively finish. ICS Gold Medal Winner 2006

Cabana Cachaca is double-distilled from fresh natural cane in pot stills and mellowed for 2 months in French oak, creating a truly ultra-premium cachaca.

Cuca Fresca Cachaca makes their introduction & Cachaca Mae De Ouro & Leblon Cachaca will be judged.

Here Come the Rums...
Both Ron Zacapa Centenario 15 & 23 Year Olds won Gold Medals at the ICS 2006. Many experts consider this rum to be the best in the world. This rum has earned its place in the history books as a benchmark for super-premiums. First place winner in the premium rums category in the 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 International Rum Festival (IRF), in 2003 it was honored by the IRF as the first rum ever to be inducted into its Hall of Fame.

Ron Botran Oro (Gold) "with gobs of fruitiness & spicy flavor", Anejo 8 & 12 Year Old Rums earned Silver Medals last year while the White and Solera Reserve "with a racy entry...& voluptuous palate of citrus & caramilzed fruit..." earned Golds at the ICS 2006. Both quotes are from the Beverage Testing Institute (BTI).

Ron Barcelo Imperial Premiuim Blend, "a very hedonistic aged Caribbean rum" per the BTI (awarded a 91 rating) and Ron Barcelo Gran Anejo "with hints of toffee, spice, roasted nuts and coffee bean" took home Silver Medals.

Diplomatico, "with tons of raisin puree, toffee, molasses, brown spice and pepper" took home a Gold Medal last year.

Khukri Rum from Nepal, as noted by Luis Ayala of Got Rum? "This is an outstanding rum from a distillery which has been at it since 1959. Without a doubt one of Nepal's last secrets. 'Khukris', the curved dagger in a leather sheath, are synonymous with Nepal and were popularized when villains in several James Bond movies were seen wielding it. Khukri took home the Gold in '06

Using only Tennessee's crystal clear spring water, Prichards uses only 'Grade A Fancy' molasses from the plantations of Louisiana. Much more expensive than regular molasses, its mild flavor and pleasant aroma are passed through the still imparting a smooth and tasteful character to the finished spirit. Three Gold Medals were awarded to Prichards Rums in 2006.

From Belize comes One Barrel Rum, Gold Medal winner at last year's competition. Get the pancakes, hold the syrup. IWe want One Barrel on ours! This striking rum has hints of butterscotch too!

Here Come the Rums...
From the French Island of Martinique come Rhums Clement And Rhums J.M. Rhum J.M. White and Clement Premiere Canne both won Platinum 'Best of Category' awards at the recent World Beverage Competition. F. Paul Pacult's Spirit Journal gave Highest Recommendation for Clement Cuvee Homere and Clement Rhum XO. Robert Plotkin noted Clement VSOP's 'voluminous bouquet', which the Wall Street Journal called 'one of the best aged rums'.

Sip these and other world class cane spirits including Goslings Black Seal, Goslings Gold, Goslings Old Rum, Jack Tar Dark, Mount Gay Eclipse, Mount Gay Extra Old, Mount Gay Special Reserve, Mount Gay Sugar Cane, Pirate's Choice Molasses Reef, Pirate's Choice Key Lime, Rogue Dark Rum, Rogue Hazelnut Spiced Rum, Vizcaya VXOP Cask 21 and more to come. (Some brands are for the competition only)

Events In The News
The Gasparilla Film Festival takes place in Tampa from February 28 through March 4. For information and tickets, visit gasparillafilmfestival.com

The 6th Annual Cigar City Celebration benefiting Achieve Tampa Bay, the local affiliate of United Cerebral Palsy, takes place at the Cuban Club on Saturday evening, March 3. This signature event originated in 2002 as a way for Achieve Tampa Bay to recognize more than 50 years of service to the community and to celebrate the local cigar industry's rich and colorful history. Visit achievetampabay.org

The Polished Palate hosts Silent Auctions at all events, benefiting the Sky Ranch Foundation. If you're headed out to the Nightclub & Bar Show in Las Vegas, please attend the annual Sky Ranch Hall of Fame dinner on Sunday March 4. Visit nightclub.com We congratulate this year's winners Christine Soviero Heller, Sr. Channel Marketing Manager, Bacardi U.S.A.; Fred Cooper, Vice Chairman, Judge & Dolph; Robert Sprenger, Owner, Bubba's and Director of Tavern League of Wisconsin and Timothy S. Condron, VP, Future Brands LLC.

To purchase admissions to the International Cane Spirits Festival, visit the Official Site at polishedpalate.com. Must be 21 or older to attend

Please Polish Your Palate Responsibly

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