WIRD to bring back Rockley Still

The West Indies Rum Distillery (WIRD) will be reviving the Rockley Still in November – the first time the equipment will be used since the 1950s.

The Rockley Still dates back to the late 18th century or early 19th century, according to WIRD owner Alexandre Gabriel, who also founded Maison Ferrand.

Coppersmith David Pym, owner and president of John Dore Coppersmith, studied the still and believes it could be the oldest functioning pot still in the world.

“I know these four guys in Cognac who restore stills,” said Gabriel. “We shipped the still to France to see if we could make it sing again. I was in heaven when they said they could make it work again.

“We shipped it back to Barbados and we will make rum again using this still in November – I can’t wait to taste it.”

It took a total of 500 hours to knock the still back into working condition, Gabriel explained. The Rockley Still has a 2,000-litre capacity and will be able to produce around a barrel of spirit per day.

Gabriel said the rum would be “full-bodied”.

“It will be a ‘take no prisoners’ kind of rum,” he added. “This isn’t a swan’s neck; it’s an elephant trunk, so very, very full-bodied for sure, and it will not be for everyone.

“We will be doing a fresh white rum and we will age some spirit. We will go down memory lane.”

Sealander Rum

Furthermore, Gabriel will launch a rum to celebrate a number of rum-producing islands, Barbados, Mauritius and Fiji.

Sealander rum will launch next month on 25 September. The rums are shipped individually by sea to France, where they are married and put back into a Ferrand barrel.

The rum took four years to put together, Gabriel explained. Further details about the rum, including the RRP and ABV will be shared in due course.

“Rum is an incredible journey rooted in such technical skill,” noted Gabriel. “You don’t have one truth, you have many. Rum can offer you a journey, and that is really what we try to do with our rums.

“We want to take consumers on a journey through flavour, through showcasing the islands where the rum is produced. When you do that, it’s easy to see how people get hooked.”

Last month, SB reported how Gabriel created a gin in “rebellion” against an influx of products made with artificial flavours and colours, which are “a danger for the category”.