A special rum has struck gold after impressing tasters at an international competition.

The Rum Story museum's RH Jefferson's Very Rare 24- Year-Old Rum was given the gold award at the International Spirits Challenge 2016.

Victory tasted even sweeter for the Whitehaven museum as the rum was successful after blind testing.

"It's a real accolade for the town, which has close links with the Jefferson family," said Wendy Black, of the Rum Story.

"We knew it was always a good rum but it was a lovely surprise that it won gold. We hope it might make people look at Whitehaven a bit more closely."

The museum, which allows visitors to learn about the rum trade, is in the original 1785 shop, courtyards, cellars and bonded warehouses of the Jefferson family.

Its winning rum was aged in bourbon casks and the barrels were stored in a Liverpool Bonded Warehouse.

Limited to only a few hundred bottles and exclusive to the Rum Story, it is available for £95.

"This year's judging was tougher than ever before with consistent quality found across each category," said awards organiser Justin Smith.

"It made for a series of fascinating blind tasting sessions, with our experts coming to their final conclusions led by the experience of the chairmen."

Now in its 21st year, the Spirtis Challenge is the premier event in promoting quality spirits across the globe.

The competition is founded on a rigorous and independent judging process, receiving more than 1,400 entries from nearly 70 countries worldwide.