Alden Alayvilla - The Garden Island
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A Kauai-based rum company medaled in multiple categories at a rum festival on the Mainland in April.

Koloa Rum Company, which has a distillery in Kalaheo, competed among rums from 22 countries and six states and territories at the 2016 Miami Rum Renaissance Festival.

“It is exciting and extremely gratifying to receive these awards and have Koloa Rum recognized and appreciated as a producer of world-class products,” said Bob Gunter, Koloa Rum president and CEO. “It is a testament to the experience, skill and hard work brought to bear by the entire Koloa Rum team.”

Koloa Rum’s newest product, Kauai Coffee Rum, won gold in the best in class category for flavored rums.

The company’s Kauai White Rum won a gold medal for premium white rum; the Kauai Gold Rum won a gold Medal for gold rums; Kauai Spice Rum took gold for spiced rums; and Kauai Dark captured the gold for black rums.

Judges from the event were sequestered for three days of blind testings.

Additionally, Koloa Rum medaled in the festival’s 2016 Consumer Jury Awards: It won gold medals for both Kauai Coffee and Kauai Coconut Rums, and a silver medal for Kauai Dark Rum.

Also in April, the rum company won silver medals for its Kauai Coffee Rum and Kauai Coconut Rum at The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In March, the company’s Kauai Coffee Rum won gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Adding to its accolades, later in March, the Kauai Coconut Rum was awarded the Chairman’s Trophy for flavored rums at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge in Hawthorne, New York.

Distilling its rum using Hawaiian sugar cane, Koloa Rum Company established its operation in 2008 and has a tasting room and store on the grounds of Kilohana Plantation.