A new rum product is on the market from the Grenada Distillers Limited, formerly known as the Grenada Sugar Factory.
The Woodlands-based brewing company has launched “Black Gold” which brings forth the essence of Grenada and its most popular spice, Nutmeg. Distillers held a ceremony on October 16 to launch the product in the presence of government officials such as Economic Development Minister, Oliver Joseph, as well as business executives.
The Black Gold concept was developed by Chairman of the Board of Directors, Leroy Neckles who impressed upon his staff the need to bring life to the Nutmeg. Production Manager at the company, Devon Date, said that Neckles always spoke about adding value to raw materials citing some of the existing products like Rum Sorrel, Rum Lemon, Passion fruit among others to exemplify how local fruits are infused to make rum based products. Date elaborated at the ceremony the meaning of Black Gold to the company and by extension the country. “Nutmeg or Black Gold as it is commonly called, as we grow as a nation, as we grow as a people, as a manufacturing sector, our Chairman charged us with the responsibility of developing that far end product that adds value to our nutmeg, and ladies and gentlemen the concept by our Chairman gave birth to black gold. “…Black Gold reflects the history, passion and the personality of a family… our years of rum making, Nutmeg has played a significant role in our daily lives and consequently this passion and personality forms the nucleus of the social character and the authenticity of the product you are going to witness today.
Date is optimistic that given the way in which the newest rum product is produced, it will satisfy the taste and desire of every drinker.“This product was produced by our own local fermentation distillation processes. It was aged in carefully selected oak barrels and then blended and fused with our own local spice extracts and then returned to the barrels for a second maturation”, he said. “This process is responsible for its exceptional smoothness, its full body and rich spice flavour you’ll experience, which will of course satisfy the palette of every drinker and also the repertoire of every drinker,” he added.
The Production Manager described “Black Gold” as premium rum that truly represents the vision of the company’s Chairman and the scientific knowledge of a team of technicians, chemist, biologists, food technologist and chemical engineers that represents more than 75 years of blending experience.
Minister Joseph who also holds the portfolio for Planning, Trade and Co-operatives praised the company for moving in the direction of adding value to the Nutmeg product to make rum.
He said: “For years we have been struggling with the idea of sending exported value added (products) instead of the raw materials. (The export of raw materials started way back in slavery and up to the year 2000 we still struggling with the solution - how can we add value to our products instead of selling the raw materials and then buying back from the raw materials the finished product, at a very high cost. “…You have the same technology that is operating here, that is operating in any other industrialized country. So you could get the technology, use the same raw materials that you have here and be very efficient and export,” he added.
Black Gold is now on sold on the local market at $100.00 a bottle.
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