Tag Archive for: Mauritius

Behold the Equiano! A collaboration between two LEGENDS of the rum world (Richard Seal and Ian Burrell), rum from two LEGENDARY distilleries that combined have more medals than we can list.

Equiano Rum is a blend of molasses-based rums from the African island of Mauritius (Gray’s Distillery) and the Caribbean Barbados (Foursquare) rums. The African component is column distilled and aged for 10 years in French Limosin Oak and ex-cognac casks, and the Caribbean component is 8 years old and matured in ex-bourbon American oak. 100% tropical maturation, bottled in 700ml at 43%.

The Equiano brand is a collaboration between two legends of the rum-game. Richard Seale – Master distiller and blender from Foursquare – needs little introduction. Since 2016, Richard Seale has earned an impressive 11 ‘Rum Producer of the Year’ titles across two of the most prestigious spirits competitions in the world — the IWSC (International Wine and Spirits Competition) and the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) — firmly establishing himself and Foursquare as arguably the finest rum producers on the planet.

Equiano Rum

The second partner-in-crime in the Equiano story – Ian Burrell – is a renowned figure in the spirits industry, celebrated as the world’s only recognized Global Rum Ambassador. With over three decades of experience, he has dedicated his career to promoting rum worldwide. In 2007, he founded the UK RumFest, the world’s first international rum festival, which has inspired similar events globally, including in Miami, Berlin, Paris, and Hong Kong. Burrell’s passion for rum has led him to conduct masterclasses and seminars across all seven continents, including establishing a rum shack in Antarctica in 2013!

Equiano Rum
From the Foursquare premium stable, a sensational rum every rum lover should have in your collection!

Our Tasting Notes:

Nose: The very first thing you notice on the nose is just the immense… richness of this rum! Even before you start to decipher what it’s trying to say, you just get a sense of deep luxuriousness that oozes into your olfactory system. Funky pineapple, apricot jam, leather and biscuit spices and there’s a beguiling sea-salty kick in those aromas too.

Palate: Wow! The nose doesn’t lie – but the sheer wall of flavour that bursts forth on that first sip is almost overwhelming at first. There’s a good hit of pepper almost immediately, but that opens like a curtain as big sweet fruity berry flavours along with new leather, ginger nut biccies (with an extra pinch of allspice just like Nan made).

Finish: Oh wow – I’m a sucker for a big finish in a rum and this is certainly one of those. Big and chewy – the sweet fruity berries of the palate morph into tart blackberry astringency that swings to gingery and fruit-tingle peppery …with the merest hint of smoke there too.  

This is a textbook example of why Foursquare is one of the most acclaimed and awarded distilleries in the world. This is a rum that has more layers than Donkey’s onion, a depth that is apparent from the very first smell from the cork-pop, body and richness by the metric ton and a finish that will have you sucking your teeth until the final fruit-tingle-like sensation on your tongue leaves you simultaneously reminiscing school tuckshops … and reaching for the bottle for another one!

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Equiano Rum Bottle
Equinao Stats

FROM EQUIANO

At The Equiano Rum Co. we’re redefining a four-century- old industry by creating unique blends of rum from around the world.

Equiano Original is a collaboration between two continents and two world renowned distilleries in Mauritius and Barbados: masterfully blended by Richard Seale at the Foursquare Distillery in Barbados.

Rich and deep flavours come from the barrels in which we tropically mature our liquid in. 

Nose: Subtle warmth with rich notes of dried fruits combine with sweet toffee and caramel culminating with a suggestion of orange peel, vanilla and buttered wood.

Palate: Natural sweet notes expected of a well-aged rum from American white oak ex- Bourbon casks. A warm toffee and butterscotch mouth-fell, with chewy raisins and brown sugar flavours.

Finish: A medium to sweet ending with touches of oak, anise, sweet pepper with a hint of bitter orange peel.

Ian Burrell

ABOUT EQUIANO – THE MAN

In 1745, Olaudah Equiano was born. His life began in Africa, but before reaching his teens, he was kidnapped and sold into slavery. Growing as a boy into a man, his experiences shaped him. During his early years he voyaged across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean where he was enslaved for many years. Eventually he crossed the seas once more and landed in the United Kingdom. Tenacious and determined, he traded in rum on the side, selling a puncheon of rum at a time. In just a matter of years he managed to save forty pounds, paving his way to liberation. Equiano was free!

Equiano was a visionary, a freedom fighter, whose work changed history. As a writer and speaker, his powerful memoirs went on to inform the transatlantic slave trade act and impact the freedom of people all over the world. Freedom that many of us enjoy, but that many more are still fighting for, making his story as relevant to global conversation today as he was in the 1700’s.

With the bold statement of being the world’s first African and Caribbean rum, we knew our name needed to respect the journey, provenance and quality of our liquid, marrying the old with the new. We knew it had to mirror our own beliefs, creating positive change through the work that we do.

Between his values, journey and impact, we feel great pride and honour in his name adorning our bottle. Equiano’s values distill our beliefs perfectly and that is why we’re giving 5% of company profits and £2/$2 of every bottle purchased here to ground-level freedom and equality projects annually, and celebrating a man who we all aspire to be more like.

We are hoping we can do our bit for Equiano’s legacy, please see how we are making a difference, by supporting ‘Freedom of Spirit’ through the Equiano Rum Co Foundation grant. Click here to go to our press release.

Equiano Rum

Okay let’s RHUM! For the first time ever in Australia and exclusive to The Rum Tribe we are very excited to present the Saint Aubin VSOP Rum – A single estate rum, matured in ex-bourbon and cognac casks from a distillery in the sunny islands of Mauritius that has been making rum since 1819. Plus each bottle is individually numbered and to make it even more special you can pair it with the Saint Aubin 10 year old Pot Still…RHUM IT IS!

This is the very first time the Saint Aubin brand has made it to our sunny shores, and we’re proud to be able to offer the very first taste in Australia to the Rum Tribe. Saint Aubin specialises in ‘Rhum Agricole’ – or rum made from fermented sugar cane juice rather than molasses. This style of rum has been produced on the Saint Aubin estate for eight generations – since 1819.

In an almost unprecedented development, we’ve actually had an international shipment arrive in time for the actual month we planned it for and what a shipment it is! Direct from the island paradise of Mauritius, we have a simply fantastic ‘double header’ for February. Our Rum of the Month is the Saint Aubin VSOP Rum and our ‘Members Extra’ is the Saint Aubin 10 year old Pot Still.

Saint Aubin VSOP Rum

This month offers us a fantastic opportunity to explore two rums from the same distillery, but produced from differing style stills.  The Saint Aubin VSOP rum is a column distilled spirit, the 10 year old a pot distilled rum. Both stills are 100% copper and the fermentation recipe for the wash is the same. I guess our hope is to demonstrate the viscous oiliness of the pot-still as compared to the crisp-cleanliness of the column distilled VSOP expression. 

Saint Aubin estate, located in the south of Mauritius in the Savanne district, has been ‘under cane’ (cultivating sugar) since 1819.   The distillery has been in production on the estate since 2003 and it’s no wonder they specialise in Agricole style rum. For a start Agricole can only be made very close to where the sugar is crushed, due to the quick-to-spoil nature of the main ingredient – sugar cane juice. Being a centuries old sugar producer, they obviously have easy access to cane. Also Mauritius is the next Island (archipelago, technically – it’s made up of 30 islands) to Reunion – one of the spiritual homes of Rhum Agricole!

VSOP stands for “Very Special Old Pale” rum. This category refers to rum that has been aged in barrels for at least 4 years. The Saint Aubin VSOP rum is a column distilled rum made from the fermentation of sugar cane juice rather than molasses. Unlike most modern column stills, the Saint Aubin column still is made from copper rather than stainless steel.   It is then aged for 4 years in bourbon and cognac barrels. The result is a light spirit (typical of column distillation) with a complex flavour profile stemming from the barrels it has been tropically aged in.

Saint Aubin VSOP Rum

Saint Aubin VSOP Rum Tasting Notes:

Nose: Light floral notes surround a core of vanilla, cherry and mashed banana with just the slightest hint of tropical funk.

Palate: Delicate, light mouthfeel, slightly dry with a peppery edge. Those fruits are still there along with fresh cut grass and a healthy dose of vanilla.

Finish:  The fruity notes persist along with the pepper, but a pleasant leathery note emerges towards the end.

This is a light and clean tasting rum. Not overly sweet at all. Whilst there is plenty of flavour, there is a lack of oiliness, almost a dry palate, thanks to that column distillation.  Crisp, fresh and lively. If there is such a thing as a ‘cleansing rum’ – this is it!

  • PRICE : $149

  • ABV : 42%

  • BOTTLE: 700ml

  • REGION: Mauritius

  • NO Added Sugar/ NO Added Colour / Non-Chill Filtered

Saint Aubin VSOP Rum

FROM SAINT AUBIN

In Mauritius, the Saint Aubin distillery has been smoking since … 1819! This venerable institution now belongs to a large agro-industrial group that has diversified into, among other things, ecological tourism and tea cultivation. 

In this vast area of ​​750 hectares, cane is cultivated with which we will produce tasty rums signed Saint Aubin.  Just like, for example, this very old Saint Aubin VSOP rum.

The result of column distillation of pure cane juice, it has aged for 4 years in Bourbon and Cognac barrels, which gives it it’s aromatic profile.  It exudes delicious scents of candied fruit that are sure to arouse your curiosity, or rather your lust!  No need to buy a ticket for a flight to Mauritius, we take care of bringing this very old Mauritian rum to you!

ABOUT RHUMERIE DE SAINT AUBIN

Located along the undulating slopes of southern Mauritius, the fields of Saint Aubin have been under sugar cane cultivation since 1819. Bountiful rainfall (a product of the island’s microclimate), along with copious tropical sunshine provide the Saint Aubin Estate sugar plantations with the perfect conditions for sugar production. The rich volcanic soil, which the estate lies on, is the 3rd point of the trinity of sugar production. The on-site production of such high-grade cane and subsequent cane juice ensures the very best and freshest ingredients go into making this Rhum Agricole. Knowledge and traditions passed down through 8 generations of family ownership add the rest.

The Saint Aubin estate was established in 1819 (which the company logo pays homage to). It wasn’t long before rum distilling was being carried out on the estate as well. The family has now been distilling for the local market for eight generations. This culminated in 2003 with the building of the ‘Rhummarie De Saint Aubin’ and the emergence of the Saint Aubin brand into the global market since then. 

The Saint Aubin distillery utilises both column, and pot still distillation. Unusually though, all the stills at Saint Aubin are fully copper. Unusual in that most column stills are stainless steel – especially in the modern rum industry.

The distillery is just one aspect of the Saint Aubin Estate. It is nowadays a multi-faceted business that has expanded and diversified from its sugar-based roots. Now incorporating eco-tourism, tea production, other local products as well as the rum, Saint Aubin Estate is a big player in the Mauritian economy.