Date: January 5, 2010
Guyana's prized XM Royal 10-year-old and XM VXO Seven-Year-old rums made an unprecedented clean sweep at the inaugural Spirit Business Rum Masters Awards 2009 in the United Kingdom recently, even as plans are moving apace by local producers Banks DIH Ltd. to make a greater impact on the Caribbean, European and USA markets.
XM VXO Rum secured a Master Award in the Gold Under 7 Years category, while XM Royal 10 Year Old was awarded a Master in the Gold 8-12 years Old class, the highest accolade awarded at the prestigious competition.
The judges included Ms. Patience Gould, Editor of The Spirits Business magazine who said that the contest proved to be a fascinating day of judgment.
She said that there were over 50 rums in 12 classes.
Speciality Drinks, distributors of the Banks DIH Ltd. products in the United Kingdom chalked up three Masters at the event
Mr. George McDonald, Banks DIH Ltd. Marketing Director said XM Royal 10 year-old continues to show remarkable progress in the United Kingdom following its recent high rating at an international tasting event in London.
Mr. McDonald noted that XM VXO Rum possesses similar qualities but this recent honour vindicates its international standing.
Meanwhile, Sales and Marketing Executive Mr. Carlton Joao who recently returned from a sampling and tasting workshop in Barbados said the XM brand was looking to get a bigger share of the Barbadian, European and the United States markets.
He said XM rums have been on sale in Barbados for the past two years but a concerted effort was now being made to take a greater share of the market for spirits on the Caribbean island.
Banks DIH also has its eyes on France and the United States." We are going officially into France in the first quarter of 2010 and we are going into the Eastern Seaboard, which basically gets us into New York in the first quarter of this year too, said Joao.
Also attending the Barbados forum was Banks DIH master blender Mr. Robert Sugdeo who presided over the sampling and mixing exercise attended by leading mixologists from the island.
XM Royal Gold 10-year-old has won several industry awards and has been described as the "cognac of rums".
VXO is a popular Demerara rum famous for its unique smoothness, bouquet and aroma derived from fruits within the formulation which has been a closely guarded secret of the company for decades.
