Bacardi Global Travel Retail has partnered with DFS Group to introduce new Facundo Rum Collection exclusively to stores at Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York JFK airports.
Available until 31 August, the Facundo Rum Collection is a limited release of four luxury blends sourced exclusively from the finest and rarest rums in the Bacardí family’s private rum reserve.
According to Bacardi GTR, the new range is core to its strategy to develop a premium take on the rum category.
Each bottle features one-off art deco motifs inspired by Cuba’s Golden Era when the Art Deco Edificio Bacardí in Havana (1929) housed one of the most sought after bars of the time |
“We believe rum is the biggest long-term opportunity in global travel retail spirits,” said Bacardi Global Travel Retail Managing Director Mike Birch. “This is a premium environment and the rum category is yet to maximise that potential. There is massive headroom to grow and as the rum category leader, we have the ability, insights and full range to drive transformational change.”
In creating the collection, Bacardi Maestro de Ron (Master Blender) Manny Oliver crafted more than forty blends from over 200 rums and presented them to Bacardi Chairman Facundo L. Bacardi, a sampling of past Bacardi family master blenders and a panel of world-renowned experts before selecting the final four.
“There was a consensus that now was the time to share the art of rum making and launch a never before released collection,” said Bacardi Limited Chairman Facundo L. Bacardi.
To celebrate the exclusive Facundo Rum Collection launch, DFS ran a Mix-it-Bar sampling promotion at Los Angeles International Airport’s Tom Bradley International Terminal in March and April.
The Mix-it-Bar promotion at Los Angeles International Airport TBIT invited passengers to sample the Facundo Collection |
DFS Group Senior Vice President Spirits, Wine and Tobacco Brooke Supernaw commented: “We’re thrilled to have partnered with Bacardi Global Travel Retail to launch this premium take on rum through the Facundo Rum Collection. The collection’s fantastic sampling of some of the finest sipping rums available as well as the activation at LAX was certainly appreciated by our fans and we look forward to growing our partnership with Bacardi and delivering more of these exciting experiences to our customers.”
Each rum in the Facundo Collection was traditionally aged in the Bahamas, where the sun, sea and charred oak barrels all act in unison to impart a unique character to the liquids, noted Bacardi. According to the company, tropical ageing can accelerate spirits’ evaporation, meaning that in some cases only 5% of the liquid may remain after 23 years. Less than 10,000 bottles of the Facundo Rum Collection will be released.
Each of the four expressions of the Facundo Rum Collection is said to offer its own distinct flavour and style:
Neo is crafted from medium younger to heavy-bodied older rums aged up to eight years in oak barrels. Is is then carefully blended and precision-filtered using specially selected charcoal. Said to be one of the oldest white rums available, Neo is described as “crisp and vibrant”.
Neo is said to have a complex flavour profile with a smooth, delicate finish and pale blonde hue |
Eximo is the only rum in the collection that is fully blended before ageing. The Maestro De Ron tailors the flavour and aroma balance of the blend before it is matured in fine oak barrels for over a decade. The rum has deep notes of vanilla, cocoa, caramel and a hint of smoke, a round full bodied texture and a long, rich finish. Bacardi recommends serving Eximo neat or with a block of ice.
The Maestro De Ron expertly tailors the flavour and aroma balance of the Eximo blend before it is matured in fine oak barrels for over a decade |
Exquisito is a combination of seven to 23-year-old rums aged in oak barrels. Finished in sherry casks for a minimum of one month, the rum claims to deliver a rich, mellow character with notes of raisins, apricots and baking spices, with a hint of butterscotch on the finish.
Exquisito is finished in sherry casks for a minimum of one month |
Paraíso has the highest concentration of the oldest reserve rums in the collection. Finished in French XO casks, some of which are more than 60 years old, the rum imparts sweet fruit, honey and marzipan notes with a silky finish.
All of the collection is hand bottled and sealed and is available in limited release in selected hotels, restaurants and exclusive retailers.
Paraíso imparts sweet fruit, honey and marzipan notes with a silky finish |
