NEW ORLEANS, La. (KLFY) -- An Acadiana distillery has won a prestigious award at the New Orleans Spirits Competition.

Jean Baptiste Spirits and its Rested Rum Reposée has received a Gold Medal at the competition, which took place this week as part of the world-renowned Tales of the Cocktail event.

According to the distillery's website, Jean Baptiste Spirits is a family-owned distillery in St. Martin Parish between St. Martinville and Broussard.

The New Orleans Spirits Competition is known for its strict blind tasting process and expert judges who hail from various sectors of the industry, according to Tim Westcott, president of Jean Baptiste Spirits.

"The New Orleans Spirits Competition Gold Medal for our Rested Rum Reposée is an incredible honor," Westcott said.

Westcott said the rum is deeply rooted in the centuries-old Cajun and Creole distilling practices using locally sourced Acadiana sugarcane.

Rested Rum Reposée is made by taking the company's Silver Rum Select and aging it in second-fill charred White Oak barrels repurposed to age molasses, according to the company website.

"Though the molasses has been thoroughly drained from the barrels, it permeates the wood's fibers with unique flavors that reawaken when the rum enters it to rest and age," the website reads. "After resting for 5-7 months in the molasses barrels, the rum is then finished for at least an additional month in our specially-made Louisiana Bald Cypress casks."

For more information, go to the Jean Baptiste Spirits website.

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