Things are happening at St. Lucia Distillers with the recent acquisition by Groupe Bernard Hayot and the overhaul of the Chairman's Reserve rum range. Now with the new Admiral Rodney Rum range being introduced, things are starting to look very interesting indeed. Admiral Rodney Extra Old has been an important element, and part of a classic collection of staple rums on my shelf for a long time, and has stood the test of time.
The new additions of HMS Princessa, HMS Royal Oak and HMS Formidable, however, make me view the brand with newfound excitement. The packaging looks great, it is familiar yet new and I'm really glad they have decided to keep the identity of the brand intact. Full press release below.
Saint Lucia Distillers is releasing two new rums to complement the existing award winning Admiral Rodney Rum. The new range will consist of three offerings with different ages and price points. All rums in the Admiral Rodney range are from Coffey Still distillates and have been aged in American white oak Bourbon casks. Admiral Rodney is Saint Lucia Distillers super premium brand and has grown a reputation as one of the world’s best quality rums. Margaret Monplaisir, Managing Director of Saint Lucia Distillers commented
{xtypo_quote}We are delighted to be able to expand our super premium brand Admiral Rodney to include two new rums. These new additions allow us to showcase our portfolio of handcrafted aged rums and our commitment to quality.{/xtypo_quote}
“Admiral Rodney Extra Old Saint Lucia Rum” was launched in the 1980s. The rum gained a reputation for quality given its blend of the distillery’s oldest rums, and was subsequently exported to Europe, North America and Asia. The brand has amassed over 40 medals in international spirits competitions and this success bears testimony to Saint Lucia Distillers commitment to artisanal rum making and the very highest standards of quality rum.
The new range celebrates the famous naval victory of Admiral George Rodney against the French at the Battle of the Saints in 1782 thus ensuring British domination of the Caribbean. Rodney’s fleet had made their base in the island of Saint Lucia in the Caribbean and awaited Admiral de Grasse’s French fleet to leave Martinique before their pursuit and ultimate victory. The names of the rums in the new range are taken from those ships who distinguished themselves in the battle. HMS Princessa, HMS Royal Oak and Rodney’s flagship HMS Formidable excelled in the fighting and “broke the Line” of the French fleet.
The HMS Princessa blend contains rums aged for 5 to 9 years, HMS Royal Oak has a blend of 7 to 12 years while HMS Formidable contains rums aged between 9 to 12 years. All rums are from the bottom plates of our 45 plate Coffey still as these distillates have the balance of flavours which enable long maturation and result in a rum with balance, intensity and complexity. The price points for these rums will be €45.00 for Princessa, €60.00 for Royal Oak and €75.00 for Formidable. The rums will be available throughout the U.K., Europe, North America, Asia and the Caribbean.
