Burdekin Rum: North Queensland distillery wins international spirits awards
An increasingly internationally respected North Queensland distillery is continuing to collect accolades for its range of rums.
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An increasingly internationally respected North Queensland distillery is continuing to collect accolades for its range of rums.
Burdekin Rum’s Premium Aged Rum had won Best of Category for its bottled and blended pot Still Rum and Best of Class for its bottled and blended Cane Spirit at the American Distilling Institute International Spirits Competition 2024.
The molasses-based rum, aged in wet ex-bourbon American oak barrels, also secured Gold at the TAG Global Spirit Awards, along with two more Silver medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the London Spirits Competition, both also this year.
The awards are the tip of the iceberg for the Majors Creek-based distillery, with its three French-Caribbean style cane-spirit products – Vintage Cane Spirit, Virgin Cane Spirit and distillers’ edition ‘Wild Child’ – also picking up a number of prestigious global gongs.
“It’s a bit like the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs they all come out at the same time, so it’s kind of awards season at the moment,” distillery founder and owner Anthony Duggan said.
“The ADI awards are fantastic, it’s a great recognition for the hard work and liquid we’ve created.”
The boutique North Queensland distillery also secured Double-Gold medals for its cane-spirit products at the TAG Awards in Las Vegas.
It said that in addition, both Virgin Cane Spirit and Wild Child secured ‘Best in Show’ for white rum and white overproof rum respectively, “marking them as the top-performing spirits in their class divisions”.
A further Double-Gold medal was also awarded to Burdekin Distillery’s Virgin Cane Spirit at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for the second year running.
The Vintage Cane Spirit also followed its 2023 Double-Gold at San Francisco with an additional Gold medal in this year’s competition.
“We started this journey five years ago, it seems like an overnight success but it has involved five years of planning,” Mr Duggan said.
“We’ve been doing a lot of planning and work behind the scenes and for it to be accepted and rewarded as much as it has been since we’ve launched has been fantastic – it is really being embraced.”
Head Distiller Jason Chan said each award was a “testament to the dedication and meticulous craftsmanship of our team”.
“We are proud to represent our region on the global stage and share the essence of the Burdekin through our exceptional spirits.”
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Originally published as Burdekin Rum: North Queensland distillery wins international spirits awards
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