Equiano
The Equiano brand was born in 2019, under the impetus of Ian Burrell, the world's one and only rum ambassador. With partners already working in the whisky world, he decided to showcase African rum, which was still too little known. He drew inspiration from its very identity, creating a rum of Afro-Caribbean heritage. To carry out this project, he enlisted the services of another luminary. This was Richard Seale, owner of the Foursquare distillery in Barbados.
The Olaudah Equiano story
The spirit of this rum is to marry Africa and the Caribbean, by retracing the history and journey of an admirable character: Olaudah Equiano. Born in the 18th century in what is now Nigeria, he was kidnapped at the age of 11 to be enslaved. Taken to Barbados to be sold, he eventually continued his sinister journey to North America. There, he became the property of a ship's captain. The latter was about to embark on a voyage to Great Britain, and took young Olaudah on board.
On board, he learned English, the ropes of navigation and, above all, of trade. The captain promised to emancipate him as soon as he earned enough money to ensure his independence. This was done in no time, and Equiano earned his freedom. In the meantime, he traveled the world and returned to the Caribbean. There, he was devastated by the condition of his fellow human beings. Back in England, he wrote a book recounting his adventures. This work became a bestseller and later contributed to the abolition of slavery.
The brand pays tribute to the character's beneficent inspiration, and to the charities to which he contributed. 5% of the brand's annual profits and $2 from each bottle are donated to associations working for equality and against modern-day slavery.
Equiano rums
The aim of Equiano rums is to offer an accessible, balanced profile. Naturally,Mauritius and Barbados were the obvious choices. In addition to drawing a line between Africa and the Caribbean, these rums are renowned for their tasty yet controlled character. The blend was co-created by Ian Burrell and Richard Seale.
Equiano Original is a blend of rum from Mauritius, more precisely from Gray's distillery, and Barbados rum from Foursquare. The first component of the blend is a column-distilled molasses rum. It is aged for 10 years in new and ex-Cognac French oak barrels. This first rum is then shipped to Barbados, to join another molasses rum. Distilled at Foursquare, this single blended rum matures for 8 years in bourbon casks. The two casks are blended for 2 to 4 weeks and then reduced.
Equiano Light is a lighter version, designed more for cocktails. The distilleries and the journey are the same. But this time, the Mauritian rum is a pure cane juice rum, and the Barbadian molasses rum is aged for at least 3 years.
To find out all you need to know about how Equiano rums are made, check out our blog's long interview with Ian Burrell :