Brugal creates cacao-inspired rum

Rum brand Brugal has unveiled its Colección Visionaria range in tribute to Dominican ingredients, starting with cacao.

In celebration of National Rum Day (16 August), Brugal has revealed a new series of limited edition rums.

The Colección Visionaria series will spotlight ingredients local to the Dominican Republic, with the first expression, Edición 01 Cacao, released this month.

The rum was crafted using an ‘aromatic’ cask-toasting process, by which, hand-picked Dominican cacao beans are toasted in a virgin European oak before the casks were filled.

The process was developed by the brand’s rum master and fifth-generation descendant from the Brugal family, Jassil Villanueva Quintana.

“One of my most cherished childhood memories is walking amongst the cacao trees surrounding my family home,” said Villanueva Quintana.

“I remember the lush and green cacao fields, the bittersweet scent of the cacao pods, and the rich aromas of roasted beans.

“It’s this memory I wanted to recreate with the first edition of Colección Visionaria.”

Edición 01 Cacao will be released in four batches, with 25,000 bottles available in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Florida and California.

It is bottled at 45% ABV with a suggested retail price of US$100.

In addition to the new series, the Edrington-owned brand will distribute its Brugal 1888 rum in Texas.

In June, Edrington exceeded £1 billion (US$1.26bn) in core revenue for the first time during the year ending 31 March 2023.

Brugal generated ‘outstanding growth’ in the Dominican Republic and Spain during the 2022/2023 full year.

In October last year, Brugal released a limited edition expression in homage of its founder, priced at US$2,800.