Halewood Wines & Spirits has bolstered its rum portfolio by agreeing the import and distribution rights for Barbados’ Rum Sixty Six brand.
Rum Sixty Six Family Reserve 12-year-old is distilled, aged and bottled at the historic Foursquare Rum Distillery in St Philip, Barbados. The brand is distilled in small batches and aged in ex-bourbon American white oak casks, resulting in a complex and balanced spirit with a long finish, Halewood said.
The Foursquare Rum Distillery is based in St Philip, Barbados under the ownership and guidance of master distiller Richard Seale.
HJ Neill, a new craft spirits joint venture backed by Halewood, has purchased a significant stake in the Bajan Trading Company, the brand’s owner, which has a family connection to fourth-generation rum makers Seale family.
Rum Sixty Six takes its name from the year of Barbados’ independence from the UK, and the island’s coat of arms is printed on the bottle, along with the motto ‘pride and industry’.
Halewood plans to grow the Rum Sixty Six offering, adding a six-year-old and a cask strength 12-year-old to the portfolio in 2017.
Halewood Wines & Spirits chief executive Stewart Hainsworth commented: “Rum Sixty Six offers a fantastic platform for Halewood to invest at the premium end of the rum category. In addition to a compelling brand story, Foursquare has the capabilities to create liquids which are unrivalled amongst golden rums.”
And Stephen Wallace, chairman of the Bajan Trading Company, said: “This partnership is a perfect match. We bring unique access to some of the best aged rums in the world, and Halewood brings high-level professional support and a significant distribution network that we need to grow the brand together.”
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