THE TRINIDAD DISTILLERS LIMITED
Distillery
Founded in 1949
The Trinidad Distillers Limited (TDL) facility is home to the extensive Angostura and Fernandes range of Rums, Angostura Aromatic Bitters, and Amaro di Angostura.
The multi-column, continuous distillation facility was commissioned by Angostura Limited in the late 1940s, with the distillery initially providing the Rum used in the production of the Aromatic Bitters, which at the time was the sole output of the company.
The ability to produce more Rum than the company needed, allowed the creation of several own-brand labels. In 1973, the company acquired the Fernandes Distillers Limited Rum company to become the sole producer in Trinidad after the Caroni Distillery closed in 2003.
TDL exclusively use sugarcane molasses as the source for their fermentation and cultivate their own yeast strain which adds a distinctive flavor note to the Rums.
The facility also produces a large amount of bulk Rum for other brands around the world.
The multi-column, continuous distillation facility was commissioned by Angostura Limited in the late 1940s, with the distillery initially providing the Rum used in the production of the Aromatic Bitters, which at the time was the sole output of the company.
The ability to produce more Rum than the company needed, allowed the creation of several own-brand labels. In 1973, the company acquired the Fernandes Distillers Limited Rum company to become the sole producer in Trinidad after the Caroni Distillery closed in 2003.
TDL exclusively use sugarcane molasses as the source for their fermentation and cultivate their own yeast strain which adds a distinctive flavor note to the Rums.
The facility also produces a large amount of bulk Rum for other brands around the world.
Flavor Spiral™
About The Flavor Spiral
spicy
vanilla
caramel
butter
smoky
apricot
sweet
molasses
dark chocolate
What does The Trinidad Distillers Limited taste like?
The Flavor Spiral™ shows the most common flavours that you'll taste in The Trinidad Distillers Limited Rum. It's based on all The Trinidad Distillers Limited drinks in our large database and gives you a chance to taste The Trinidad Distillers Limited before actually tasting it.
We invented Flavor Spiral™ here at Flaviar to get all your senses involved in tasting drinks and, frankly, because we think that classic tasting notes are boring.
The Flavor Spiral™ shows the most common flavours that you'll taste in The Trinidad Distillers Limited Rum. It's based on all The Trinidad Distillers Limited drinks in our large database and gives you a chance to taste The Trinidad Distillers Limited before actually tasting it.
We invented Flavor Spiral™ here at Flaviar to get all your senses involved in tasting drinks and, frankly, because we think that classic tasting notes are boring.
Distillery Details
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CountryTrinidad and Tobago
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Established1949
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OwnerCL Financial Group / Angostura Holdings Limited
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Visitor CenterYes
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AddressHouse of Angostura, Eastern Main Road, Laventille, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
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Phone+1 868 623 1841
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Website
Dog Dogson's
Smartass
Corner
Corner
Angostura was the name of a small town in Venezuela. The town is now called Ciudad Bolivar.
Video from The Trinidad Distillers Limited
Video transcription
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.
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.
