Equiano

Named after Olaudah Equiano, a African who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in his teens. An entrepreneurial spirit saw him buy his freedom after reaching the UK, earning money through selling puncheons of rum on the side during his years of captive work. He returned to the seas, writing his autobiography to inspire others to learn, grow and fight for freedom, resulting in him being one of the first published African writers in the UK and US. Considered a visionary and a freedom fighter, the Equiano brand pays homage to his life by creating a blend of African and Caribbean rums, encompassing his life's journey.

The Caribbean element is sourced from the redoubtable Foursquare Distillery in Barbados, considered by many to be the most consistently brilliant rum distillery in the world. The Gray's Distillery in Mauritius provides the African touch - in this case an agricole rum (ie that made with fresh sugar cane juice as opposed to molasses) which has been matured in ex-Cognac casks. Blending and bottling takes place at Foursquare, but the combination of the two styles results in a distinctive, beautifully drinkable rum.

The Light bottling simply contains rums that have not been aged as long as the standard 'Dark' release - in the case of the Foursquare, only 3 years in ex-Bourbon casks, before blending with unaged spirit from Gray's. There's a freshness here, with hints of lemon zest and freshly cut grass. The agricole element is certainly at the fore-front, with just a touch of ester sweetness in the background. It works both as a sipper (slightly chilled will help) but also as the base for rum cocktails - that extra ABV % means it won't get lost with other ingredients.

And that bottle.. beautiful!