Secret Distillery #8 Australian Rum 14 Year Old - Batch 1 // That Boutique-y Whisky Company

Beenleigh

When most people think of Australian rum, they probably think of Bundaberg. But back in the early 20th century and all the way till the 1960’s, Beenleigh was everyone’s choice of rum! A brand rooted in Australian history, Beenleigh can trace its roots back to 1865 when two brothers arrived in Brisbane from Devon, England and established the Beenleigh plantation. Rum was first produced on the estate in 1884 and grew exponentially throughout the next 80 years. It was only in the 1960’s that Bundaberg overtook Beenleigh in popularity and after a few difficult years, the distillery would close in 1969. However, in 1972 the distillery was purchased and reorganised to include charcoal mellowing from the still to create a typically sweeter rum that the market preferred at the time. From 1981 until 1994 a major renovation took place with the addition of fermentation tanks, warehousing, bottling rooms and office spaces built. 
 
Throughout the early 2000’s Beenleigh picked up a range of awards for its inner circle rum brand and core products. The following few years would see further investment and innovation with the installation of a 15,000 litre copper pot still installed allowing for a unique combination of column and pot still distillation. Between 2007 and 2012 further space was developed for warehousing bigger cask sizes including American oak and ex-brandy barrels, along with a new visitor centre. The company was purchased by Bickfords Australia in 2012 and the new owners have placed a greater emphasis on the experience of visiting Beenleigh. In the past few years a substantial number of single casks and small batch releases have appeared from European and American bottlers including La Maison Du Whisky, Velier, L’espirit and Plantation. This is a part of the brand’s strategy to introduce Australian rum to wider parts of the world and has been largely successful with many of the overseas releases being reviewed exceptionally well.