Back to Wine Paris 2025

22 February 2025 | Discover
Back to Wine Paris 2025

The first major wine and spirits event of 2025 took place from February 10 to 12. Rum brands and distributors came out in full force to participate. Notably, Premium Craft Spirit and Spiribam had large and impressive booths. It is also worth mentioning that Spirits Selection, an offshoot of the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, provided globally awarded brands under its banner with representation through small stands. Thus, the Rhums de Chantal Comte, Rhums Bologne, and the rums from Île Maurice each had small stands. Among the brands that chose to go their own way, we can mention Savanna, which featured a long booth complemented by a small lounge area.

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We begin with Mauritian rums, almost all represented through New Grove, Saint-Aubin, Oaks and Ames, and Bougainville. While all of them deserve attention, we highlight the Oaks and Ames Soul Series Finish Oloroso 9 Years with its spicy notes, as well as the Bougainville XO Single Cask 13 Years at 50%, which delivers bold notes of wood, fruit, and nuts. We also add the Saint-Aubin Single Malt Cask Finish 2024, pot still distilled, with its smooth notes of brown sugar.

In the category of "a long-standing cuvée that remains excellent", we must mention the Clément Chauffe Extrême, aged in new American oak. At 46.9%, this rum is spicy, smoky, and exceptionally smooth. Let’s not forget the Bologne Dark Sail with its fruity and slightly toasted notes.

Spiribam is innovating with ready-to-shake cocktails. The brand’s name is simple: "Shak’r". It’s straightforward, effective, and delicious. The cans are filled to two-thirds, allowing room for shaking before serving.

In the “That Intrigues Me” category, we have the brand Squadron 303, named after the 303rd Polish Fighter Squadron, which served in the Royal Air Force during World War II. This squadron holds the record for the most German aircraft shot down during the Battle of Britain in 1940—quite the feat! The brand, featuring flat aviator-style bottles, first bottled a vodka, then a whisky, and finally a rum, making for an interesting surprise. Here, we highlight the vodka, with its sweet potato notes, as well as the rum (55%), a blend of several rums, offering gourmet, toasted notes and remarkable complexity.

But the standout favorite across all categories goes to the Chairman’s Reserve 2011. This is a blend of four distillates, aged in three different types of casks: ex-red wine, white wine, and brandy casks. This Saint Lucian rum, bottled at 46.8%, showcases magnificent notes of fruity tobacco. It will soon be available on our website.

Feedback of Florent

We were accustomed to events such as Rhum Fest and Whisky Live to celebrate rum, but today, Wine Paris & Vinexpo Paris is emerging as an essential meeting point dedicated to the discovery of rums and spirits. Initially focused on wine, this professional trade show is increasingly showcasing spirits, whether French or international. This year, Baijiu, Chinese white spirits made from cereals and sorghum, are particularly highlighted. In the future, these products could enter the European market. Although their flavors may be surprising, fans of high ester rums might appreciate certain styles of Baijiu!

This spirit comes in twelve styles, according to the fermentation methods and raw materials used, thus offering powerful and rich aromas. After several tastings, it becomes evident that a connection with rum can be established. Baijiu unveils a universe of flavors that is particularly vast, ranging from exotic fruit notes, tangy touches, fermentative accents to chocolate, caffeinated, and toasted nuances, delivering beautiful sensations that make you want to come back for more!

Le stand Rhum Bologne
The Rhum Bologne stand
The Saint-Aubin Decanter
The Saint-Aubin Decanter
Le Chairman's Reserve 2011
Le Chairman's Reserve 2011
The jewel, Damoiseau 1953 in a new setting
The jewel, Damoiseau 1953 in a new setting

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Written by
Florent Lenziani
and
Matthieu Lange