Takamaka: keepin’ it Kreol
Takamaka’s new Kreol Cask blends island roots with Caribbean depth, introducing a refined taste of the Seychelles to Europe and beyond.
This autumn, Takamaka Kreol Cask makes its debut across Europe, the Nordics, and beyond – a premium new expression from the only distillery in the Seychelles, and one that redefines what relaxed luxury tastes like.
Master blender Steve Rioux (pictured right) spent 18 months creating Kreol Cask, which blends molasses-distilled rum from Seychelles with a small dash (less than 10%) of eight-year-old Bajan rum aged in American oak.
The result is a flavour journey that begins with fruit-forward brown sugar and treacle on the nose, delivers roasted coffee, cacao, and oak spice on the palate, and lingers with a gentle whisper of salinity.
“We wanted to build around our drier island-style character,” Rioux explains. “But this time, we also layered in the richness that rum can express so beautifully.”
Kreol Cask is the latest addition to the St André Series, which experiments with new methods and techniques. The range includes Extra Noir, Grankaz, Pti Lakaz and Zepis Kreol.
The Seychelles-based distillery recently welcomed Swedish photographer and drinks enthusiast Robin Bruhn back to the island to document the distillery and its new creation.
“We’re just about to release Kreol Cask, and we wanted to capture who we are at this point in time,” says Bernard d’Offay, who co-founded Takamaka with his brother, Richard d’Offay, in 2002. “This journey has meant so much to us – we wanted something we could look back on and remember this pivotal moment.”
Bernard says Bruhn was the perfect choice to snap the release. “I love Robin’s style of photography – his work has an intrinsic honesty to it,” Bernard enthuses. “He captures not just the product, but the people and the place behind it. That’s exactly what we wanted for Kreol Cask: a sense of where it comes from and who we are.”
Bruhn, who first visited the Seychelles in 2024, jumped at the chance to return. “Getting to come back less than a year later to collaborate on Kreol Cask was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” he adds. “I spent a week with the Takamaka team and master blender Steven Rioux, diving deep into how this rum came to life.”
The 40.3% ABV Kreol Cask made its debut at Whisky Live Paris (27-29 September) and will be rolled out across Europe in October.
Rioux scooped the Blender of the Year title at The Spirits Business Awards 2024. He was praised by the judges for being a “master of his craft”, and they noted the high quality of Takamaka’s rums under his guidance.
Takamaka also offers the Seychelles Series, which includes versatile expressions like Rum Blanc, Dark Spiced, and the pineapple-infused Zannannan. For connoisseurs, the Le Clos Series delivers rare, cask-strength bottlings in runs often limited to fewer than 800 bottles.
Global reach
Takamaka has been building its presence worldwide, entering new markets including Hong Kong, Singapore and China with Drinks99, Luxembourg with Wengler, and Ireland with Anzac.
The distillery also completed a major step in its sustainability journey by converting to solar power and becoming a Bonsucro member – all while introducing its classic Rum Blanc in three-litre eco-pouches.
Over the past year, Takamaka has also launched the Island Cooperage, a cask-repair and fabrication facility that extends barrel lifecycles, creates skilled jobs, and trains local students in traditional cooperage skills.
On the social side, Takamaka continues to source sugarcane from 30 local farmers, providing both income and resilience to the island’s agricultural community. As a new Bonsucro member, the brand is working towards full certification, embedding global sustainability standards into its supply chain.
Partnering with sustainability specialists Avallen Solutions, Takamaka is preparing for a full Life Cycle Assessment and is working towards securing B Corp certification.
The brand also drives change across the wider drinks industry, supporting Seychelles’ hospitality sector through its Islands Bar Sustainability programme.
Takamaka remains the only rum distilled in the Seychelles, where the d’Offay family’s roots stretch back to 1778. Their home, La Plaine St André, is a restored 18th-century estate where history, culture and innovation meet. Visitors today find not only a working distillery but also a rum museum, botanical gardens, and even two resident Aldabra tortoises, called Taka and Maka. For rum fans, it’s an experience not to be missed.
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