Distillery renames rum to reflect ‘evolved’ brand name; launches new product

West Indies Rum Distillery (WIRD) and Maison Ferrand on Tuesday unveiled the new name of Plantation Rum, Planteray Rum, as they launched the first product released under the “evolved” brand name.

Planteray Rum will first appear on bottles of Cut & Dry Coconut Rum, a 100 per cent Barbadian artisanal rum infused with locally sourced coconut, which will be available for the first time outside of the Caribbean.

“From today forward, the evolution from Plantation to Planteray begins,” said owner and master blender of Maison Ferrand and WIRD Alexandre Gabriel. “It was a long journey of trademarking a name that reflects our brand ethos in 120 countries. Naturally, the rum we have proudly produced for more than 25 years remains exactly the same and will still be produced with the same expertise, attention and care but now as Planteray Rum. We remain wholeheartedly committed to making the same exceptional rum from Barbados and some of the greatest rum terroirs in the world.”

According to a release from WIRD, the new name embodies the brand’s identity and core symbols that have adorned bottles for more than 25 years.

“This name pays homage to sugarcane, the plant that gives birth to the rum, and the sun’s rays that are essential for sugarcane growth and ripening,” it said.

Bottles with the Planteray Rum name will roll out globally this month.

WIRD said the first product under the new name, Cut & Dry Coconut Rum, was “a labour of love and the result of four years of experimentation to find the perfect balance of natural coconut infusion for our delicious Barbadian rum”.

To capture the essence of Barbados, the birthplace of rum, WIRD said it partnered with local coconut farmers.

“Our partnership with our local coconut farmers promotes Barbados as a hub for premium craft products, as well as celebrates our rich heritage,” said Andrew Hassell, WIRD’s managing director.

“The distillery has been the backbone of the local rum industry for more than 130 years and we invest in our community. We are proud to source local molasses and coconuts to produce Planteray Cut & Dry, a true product of Barbados.”

It takes one coconut to make one litre of Cut & Dry.

WIRD said it has joined forces with the Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and the International Trade Centre’s Alliances for Action programme to work with local farmers in Barbados, fostering the growth of the agriculture sector and ensuring a sustainable supply of coconuts for rum production.

“We tried coconut in all its shapes and sizes – juice, jelly, fresh fruit, dried shells – you name it, we distilled it, and tasted it!” said Don Benn, master distiller at WIRD.

Gabriel added: “It took four years of experimentation and 97 recipes to find the winning method and combination of ingredients sourced from our neighbours using natural white coconut flesh infused in our delicious Barbados rum. It took Andrew an extra two years to secure enough coconut for our export markets. We won’t be able to produce very big quantities because Cut & Dry is hand-made and the coconuts need to grow, and you can’t speed that up. Nature needs to do its work.”
(PR/BT)