Revered Makers Of The World’s First African And Caribbean Rum Launch Their Next Expression, Equiano Light
The team behind the multi-award-winning Equiano Rum Co. are delighted to announce their second African & Caribbean blend, Equiano Light, which is available throughout the US today. Equiano continues their mission to redefine a four-century-old industry by offering never-before-seen blends that are inspired by Nigerian-born writer, entrepreneur, abolitionist and freedom fighter Olaudah Equiano.
Their first expression blends two cultures, two distilleries, from two different continents, making it the perfect collaboration between the eastern and western hemispheres. Carrying that same mantra, Equiano Light embodies that same notion whilst masterfully marrying two very different styles of rum.
Equiano Light is refreshingly unique, an exceptional blend of lightly aged molasses rum from the Caribbean, fused with fresh sugar cane juice rum from Africa. Again, challenging the ideas and expectations we have of rum, this exciting offering elevates the category and enriches the taste profile of an often-underrated spirit, silencing any notion that white rums lack the sophistication of their darker counterparts.
The idea behind the blend was to create a lightly aged rum with a flavor profile of days gone by; the subtle notes of ripe sugarcane, hints of natural vanilla and citrus, that were appreciated in classic rum cocktails such as The Daiquiri, or for the new style of long rum highballs that use various premium tonics and sodas.
Equiano Light consists of molasses rum distilled at the award-winning Foursquare Distillery, in copper pot stills that give the rum greater complexity and depth of flavor. It is truly an artisanal small batch process, whilst the column still allows the final blend to have a superior balance both in aroma and on the palate. It is then blended and aged in once used Bourbon barrels for a minimum of 3 tropical years.
The Barbadian rum is then skillfully blended with unaged rum made from fresh sugarcane juice from Africa. This “cane juice” rum is distilled in a single column still to produce a refreshingly light rum that retains all of the natural grassy notes of the raw sugar cane ingredients.
In your glass you’ll see a subtle light golden hue, almost sugarcane beige, which is a result of the careful blending of barrel aged and unaged rums from Barbados & Mauritius. On the nose a harmonious balance of fresh sugarcane with hints of vanilla, dried light oak and touches of earthy, herbal notes normally associated with sugarcane juice rum.
The 43% abv also delivers aromas of light tropical fruits, citrus oils and hints of green apple as it warms and acclimates to your glass. The initial mouthfeel of this light rum is a medium sweet taste of ripe sugarcane, more tropical fruit and citrus peel, layered with green apples, pears and hints of vanilla and light oak on the palate.
The experience is light bodied with the natural, subtle sweetness of exotic fruits. To finish, the aged Barbadian component takes center stage as the tropical aging of the rum, in once used American oak barrels, leaves a light dusting of wood on the finish. The initial sweetness quickly dries off leaving citrus peel, touches of vanilla, white pepper and sweet spices.
Continuing to draw on the legacy of Olaudah Equiano, Equiano Light is inspired by the theme of enlightenment, a period of time where his acclaimed memoirs, The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano, played a pivotal role in shaping positive change. The new coordinates on the back of the bottle signify the beginning of his journey in modern-day Nigeria to his end in London, encompassing his experiences during his extraordinary lifetime. In honor of his name, $2 of every bottle sold through equianorum.com goes towards Equiano Rum Co.’s charitable grant, helping abolish modern slavery in all its forms around the world through their 2021 recipient, Anti-Slavery International.
Equiano Light can be purchased on May 20th at www.equianorum.com for $45.99
Press Contact: Andrew.Matthews@purpplepr.com / Nicole.Lowell@purplepr.com
EDITOR’S NOTES
KEY NOTE: Equiano is the world’s first African & Caribbean rum. We do not say Afro-Caribbean as the term holds different meanings across territories. Instead, we work to celebrate, with no confusion, both the African and Caribbean components of our rums.
THE EQUIANO RUM CO.
Through curiosity, discovery and a commitment to exceptional quality, The Equiano Rum Co. are on a mission to redefine a four-century-old industry by creating unique blends of rum from around the world. The World’s First African & Caribbean rums, each Equiano expression is a never-before-seen blend of two cultures, two distilleries, from two continents, making it a perfect collaboration of east and west.
Celebrating the life of Nigerian-born writer, entrepreneur, abolitionist and freedom fighter Olaudah Equiano, the founders are proud to have Equiano’s name adorn their bottle and thus, placed philanthropy at the heart of their business long before its inception. The Equiano Rum Co. proudly pledges 5% of global company profits and £/$2 of every bottle sold through www.equianorum.com to ground level freedom and equality organizations annually. In 2021, the grant recipient is Anti-Slavery International, an organization that works to eliminate all forms of modern slavery throughout the world.
As a BIPOC-owned, female-led business, the four founders – Aaisha Dadral, Amanda Kakembo, Ian Burrell and Oli Bartlam – wanted to not only create something new for the category but also to reclaim the narrative around the history of rum. As founders and with Ian’s well established and warmly celebrated position in the spirits industry, the four set about to respect rums’ past, craft its future, challenge boundaries and celebrate freedom as they go. With a successful launch year behind them, they appear to be achieving just that.
Equiano Original won gold medals at four of the most prestigious international awards ahead of its 2019 launch: International Spirits Challenge, Spirits Selection, San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and International Wine and Spirits Competition (with over 96 points), making the liquid one of the most highly acclaimed rums in the world today. The second expression, Equiano Light is expected to carry that beacon, laying a bright future for premium lightly aged rums in the years ahead.
OLAUDAH EQUIANO
Born 1745 in Africa, aged 11, Equiano was kidnapped and enslaved through Transatlantic Slave Trade. Aboard naval ships, he journeyed to the Caribbean and Americas, tenacious and determined he taught himself to read, write, count and trade. Equiano saved and paved his way to liberation through selling puncheons of rum. Eventually settling in the UK and not content with changing only his own life, Equiano became a prominent abolitionist. As one of the first African writers to have work published, Equiano’s powerful autobiography – ‘The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano’ – informed the Slave Trade Act of 1807, impacting the freedom of people all over the world. Freedom that many of us enjoy but that many more are still fighting for.
In the decades that followed, Equiano journeyed the world he knew and beyond. From the Americas to the Arctic, he lectured, wrote and petitioned parliaments for his belief that all people should be equal and free. Equiano rums follow the extraordinary and monumental journeys of Olaudah himself – starting life in Africa, travelling to the Caribbean, and exploring Europe as a freed man.
Equiano commanded his own destiny and led the way for us today. Through empowerment and ambition, Equiano was a revolutionary force that we all can draw strength from.
SOURCE Equiano Rum
