THE TRINIDAD DISTILLERS LIMITED

Female: Trinidad and Tobago is a country of superlatives, offering at the same time beautiful beaches and dynamic urban life, pristine rainforests coexisting with large-scale industry. We're a melting pot of ethnicities and cultures, all contradictions that culminate at Carnival when we play mass and enjoy ourselves for two days in the sun. But that heat, that proximity to the Equator also creates balance, making Trinidad and Tobago the ideal location for producing world-class Rum.

Angostura, now a public company, began its story in Venezuela in 1824 when Johann Seigert first made the iconic product, Angostura Aromatic Bitters. Today, Angostura, based in Laventille, Trinidad, has been producing Rum for more than 60 years and is now one of the most respected Rum producers in the world. Angostura Rums have gained the accolade of having the world's most awarded Rum range. Our Rum blends are exquisite, high-quality blends made from recipes carefully guarded, secrets gleaned from both our Seigert and Fernandes Rum-making legacies. Today, the House of Angostura stands proud alongside the world's finest. Come journey with us to see how we make this liquid gold.

John: All Angostura Rums begin with the sweetest, cleanest molasses, the rich dark byproduct of the cane sugar manufacturing process. We choose molasses as our raw material because its robust aroma and flavors contribute vitally to the sensory palate of our Rums. Other than the museum, the laboratory is the area that shows how important history is to Angostura's Rum-making tradition.

Angostura produces its own yeast every day, starting from a slide of the original yeast we used when we first began distilling in 1947. It's a more expensive approach, but we believe well worth it. Our yeast ferments, producing a Beer or Wine with a composition that's unique to us. Fermentation, when done properly with careful attention to detail, yields more than just Alcohol. Many organic byproducts are also formed, which, as a group, are known as conjoiners. These are the true genesis of the flavor and taste of Rum. Our yeast produces unique proportions of these compounds, which are the start of what makes Angostura Rums unique. The fermentation process is complete after about 48 hours, but we sometimes allow the mixture to stand for up to 72 hours to permit the further development of the conjoiners.

Our distillation is designed to strip away the water and concentrate the Alcohol and conjoiners created during the fermentation. At Angostura, we use continuous distillation in column stills to create Rums with Alcohol content between 80 and 95%, each with its own bouquet and flavor characteristic and potential. Angostura ages its Rum to enhance its flavor and aromatic qualities. We're very particular about our cast selection. All our Rums are aged in once-used American white oak barrels, which infuse the liquid and help to create the rich character of all our Rums.

The barrel plays a critical role in the creation of a great Rum. Aging in oak casks does four things: it mellows the Rum, purifies it by removing off-smells, enhances the flavor and aroma, and allows the Rum to generate new components that add complexity. Some of the spirit disappears during aging, the angel's share, so we need good coopers to keep our barrels tight in order to minimize losses.

This is our cooperage where coopers carefully select and prepare the barrels for filling. Hi, Nigel. How's it going?

Nigel:...I've just finished this barrel here, ready for filling.

John: Excellent. It looks to be in good shape to me. Rums of different strengths, conjoineric[SP] content are aged. We also age complete blends. Angostura has over 80,000 barrels. Finally, blending is the way we create the range of Rums that we have.

When the Rum in these casks reaches the required level of maturity, they're brought together according to our recipes to achieve wonderful harmonies of aroma and flavor. The blender must be highly skilled, one part artisan, one part scientist, in order to ensure the finest quality and consistency. Hi, Malika. How do you like this batch of Rum?

Malika: The color is rich, the aroma is wonderful. I like it, it will work well in the blend.

John: Our Rums are 100% Trinidadian, made in one distillery on one island, much like the single-malt, only better. After the blending stage is over, the official taste testers give each blended batch the Angostura seal of approval and our Rums are bottled and packaged for the world to enjoy.