Bold New Moves!
The House of Angostura is extremely pleased and proud to
introduce our Bold new line of packaging. This is an exciting and
unique achievement for us. For the first time in more than 50 years,
Angostura has completely re-imagined the packaging for five of our
leading rums.
Angostura CEO & Managing Director
Wayne Yip Choy
e’re very proud of the result. From top to
bottom, every aspect of our new packaging is
elegant, sophisticated and classy - New caps, new
labels, and, of course, an entirely ergonomic
reengineering of the bottles themselves.
When you pick up one of Angostura’s new rum bottles
you’ll find that it is perfectly balanced. The nipped
waist of our bottles ensures a perfect fit to your hand,
what we in the business call the ideal handfeel, vital for
ease of use.
Now, you may ask yourself… all of this just for a bottle?
Think of it this way: A bottle is a tribute to what lies
within. A craftsman who takes true pride in his work wants to
present it in the finest packaging possible.
Our new packaging reflects our belief in the quality and worth of
our rums. When you pick up a bottle of Angostura rum, we want
it to be the very first step in a unique drinking experience.
The guarantee of the very finest drinking experience is a promise
Angostura has kept to our customers since we produced our first
rums. Angostura’s rums are held in the highest esteem not just
here at home, but all around the world. We have won gold
medals at every major international celebration of fine spirits for
the past decade.
More than this, our rums are a symbol of national pride.
Recently, when Trinidad and Tobago’s newest Coast Guard
vessels were launched in the United Kingdom, they were
christened, not with champagne, but with bottles of Angostura
rum.
W
Angostura’s rums are now at the forefront of a new
international trend, where rums have begun to replace
whisky as the drink of choice. Indeed, many international
connoisseurs rate Angostura rums as smoother and more
enjoyable in their complexity than scotch.
The secret is out globally, and, at the House of Angostura, we
believe it’s time to bring rum back to centre stage where it
belongs!
I urge you to begin to enjoy rum in a new way. Experiment a little:
try Angostura rum neat, on the rocks, mix it with your chaser of
choice, or try it in one of the many, many classic rum cocktails.
Let every one of your senses be awakened by Angostura’s rums.
Appreciate the aroma of our rums, enjoy their smooth texture,
and then savour the complex, sophisticated taste of the finest
rums in the world — made right here in Trinidad and Tobago.
White Oak
Those who dare to romance Angostura White Oak rum are risk-takers and
entrepreneurs who break all the rules. There are no boundaries with this
wonderful rum, it’s far too enticing! Its lusciousness can only enhance your
wildest dreams, its smoothness will delight you like no other.
Angostura White Oak is a three-year-old light bodied rum, specifically blended for the
Trinidad market. The aged rum is specially carbon filtered to remove the dark oak
colour and then blended to produce a unique crisp taste. It is clean and light
with hints of fruit in its aroma.
White Oak is the spirit of Trinidad and Tobago redefined for a more
adventurous generation that seeks to go beyond the limits.
This rum is a perfect mixer, with the clout to make the most mundane drink
a riveting experience. Enjoy with cola, on the rocks, or in a Cocktail. It’s the
perfect complement to the energy and excitement you feel when a dream is
just a step away from pleasurable realisation!
Forres Park
Puncheon Rum
Once a favourite with seafarers and estate workers,
Forres Park Puncheon Rum traditionally provided
comfort and warmth against the elements to Trinidad
and Tobago’s cane workers. But the secret of this rum
was too delicious to be kept from the world!
Over time its popularity spread like wildfire and today Forres Park
Puncheon Rum is T&T’s favourite over-proof rum. At 75% alcohol
by volume, this is rum that packs a strong punch!
Forres Park was an old sugar estate acquired by the Fernandes family
in the early 1930’s. Forres Park Puncheon Rum derives its name from
the large casks known as “puncheons” in which over-proof rum was
once stored. This rum was once reserved for use by the Fernandes
family and their estate workers who enjoyed its robust strength.
The smooth taste of Forres Park Puncheon Rum makes it a
favourite to enjoy alone, but this clear, light rum is also ideal as a
high-proof mixer in exotic cocktails and rum punches.
Take a nip of Forres Park in the evening, when the cool
Caribbean breeze makes you remember times of old!
Fernandes Black Label
Black Label Rum is the pride of the sages who did it their way and succeeded! This
rum will set your mind rejoicing with sheer satisfaction. Distilled with
exquisite patience, Black Label Rum is made from stern stuff, mellowed
over years. Reserved for those with discerning taste, this is the rum for
those who have earned respect!
Angostura Limited acquired the Fernandes Brands in 1973. Black Label is
renowned as a great rum, a brand that symbolises more than 100 years of
tradition, meticulousness and well-earned respect.
The House of Angostura stays true to the Fernandes tradition, and skilfully
blends aged rums to make the golden Black Label rum, known to all as rum
of expert proportions.
With its complex aroma encompassing the wooded notes of coconut,
cloves, lemon and even a hint of vanilla, this is a rum made to be savoured,
unhurriedly. Enjoy it in the evening as you reflect on the day’s victories
with pride!
Royal Oak
Like the sweetest kiss of a lover from the isle of
calypso, Angostura Royal Oak will thrill you! This rum
is the perfect blend of the rich heritage and passion of
the people of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the prince of
Angostura rums — svelte, royal and remarkably
unforgettable. It will delight your palate and leave an
indelible impression etched into your soul!
Royal Oak rum is a premium blend of the finest aged rums — light,
medium and heavy. This meticulous blend is further refined by time:
it is re-casked for a couple of years to further marry all the favorable
top notes during aging, then removed from its oak casks and filtered.
Exceptionally mellow and perfectly balanced, Royal Oak's aroma
reveals the sweet, caramel notes favored by West Indians and the
smoky, dry vanilla notes enjoyed internationally.
Royal Oak has a rich, bright golden hue. Its full flavour is best
enjoyed neat or over the rocks with club soda or coconut water. It's
also delicious with tonic or cola, or in fine cocktails.
This is a rum for special occasions. Enjoy its exquisite aroma and
flavour as you celebrate a momentous event. Raise a toast to your new
job, a graduation or a new relationship!
Angostura®
Single Barrel Reserve
Angostura Single Barrel Reserve is made for those who crave
perfection. It is the embodiment of true Trinidadian rum, the
spirit of the people who dance in a kaleidoscope of love and
energy. This is the brandy of Angostura rums. Its aroma is
delicately woody, befitting of its dark golden colour.
The combined skills of Angostura’s master blenders come together to create the
sheer perfection of this premium mature rum. A labour of love, Single Barrel
Reserve is first blended by the master blender and then aged in carefully
selected oak barrels that have been charred to add more colour during the aging
process.
Smoother than scotch, Angostura Single Barrel Reserve is aged for a minimum
of five years. With its rich-medium body and deep mahogany hue, Single Barrel
Reserve exudes an enticing, luxurious and complex bouquet, with hints of
caramel, spice, chocolate, and banana with a smooth lingering taste of apples,
and hints of vanilla.
Angostura Single Barrel Rum is the quintessential sipping rum, best enjoyed
neat or on the rocks by the discerning connoisseur.
T
Rum Fest
he Wonderful World of Angostura
Rum was on show at the first
Angostura Rum Festival held September 9th to 11th
at the House of Angostura. This unique event
offered citizens of Trinidad and Tobago the
opportunity to visit the home of the country’s
finest rums and learn about the products produced
there, to taste Angostura’s rums, and to enjoy them
in rum cocktails and food.
Speaking at the grand opening of RumFest,
Angostura CEO and Managing Director, Wayne Yip
Choy noted: “Rum is experiencing a global
renaissance. Rum is a remarkable spirit with a
diversity no other can match. And today rum is the
global drink of a worldwide audience. We in the
Caribbean are the home of this international
phenomenon – we are the centre of the rum world.”
The dying art of Coopering was also on show, and
patrons learned how casks are made by the skilled
workers at Angostura. Many were happy to browse
through exhibits than included a mock-up of the
company’s distillery.
Mr. Yip Choy urged participants to “celebrate with
us this true indigenous product of your country!”
Thousands heeded his call, braving the weather to
line up around the building for a chance to enjoy
the exciting event. The lines never ceased and the
fortunate who were able to enter the glass facade
were truly amazed by the displays presenting
information on the history of rum in the Caribbean
and at Angostura.
Those who were interested in the process of making
rum were excited to see the mounted images and
information about each aspect of the process, from
fermentation to ageing. Tours to the company’s
factory were also a popular attraction, as were the
cooking and cocktail demonstrations and the
interesting lectures by the Master Distiller.
The Rum Festival sought to educate the people of
Trinidad and Tobago about the products that are the
pride and joy of this country. These products are made
here, by people who were born and bred here, making
them truly, of the nation, a fact that should make us all
proud. The Festival also offered the opportunity for
people to appreciate the variety of ways in which rum
can be used — in exotic Cocktails and in various foods
and desserts provided by the Trinidad and Tobago
Hospitality and Tourism Institute and Dune Ali. The
calypsonian strumming his guitar and the cart of
coconuts added to the overall atmosphere, much to the
delight of attendees.
This was a unique experience for many who had not
been exposed to Angostura’s rums and their versatility
before, and it was eagerly accepted by the droves of
people who attended over the three days. The event was
a huge success, and people were very happy with the
initiative, many suggesting that it should become an
annual event!
Angostura's
BOLD
Event
Enjoying Rum
Trinbago Style!
Angostura® aromatic bitters
Back and Better than Ever!
The headlines say it all. “Acute Angostura shortage
"Manhattan cocktail faces bitter end," trumpeted the
Europe. When Ernest Hemingway left Cuba to report on the
war, he filled a suitcase with “innumerable two-ounce bottles of
Angostura bitters” to address the situation, a humanitarian
mission for which Hemingway has not been adequately
recognised.”
New York Post.
The Iconic, Irreplaceable Bitters Brand
shakes cocktail trade,” said the UK Guardian.
Let’s face it, for the cocktail community, it was a crisis of
immense proportions. There were stories of bars hoarding
Bitters, of a lively trade in Angostura® aromatic bitters on e-Bay,
of rationing, and even of a nascent black market in Angostura®
aromatic bitters. The Angostura shortage of 2009 was the topic
of alarmed conversation among local bartenders around the
world. Speculation ran amok — was this the end of the
mixologist’s best-loved product?
Of course not! In just eight months the crisis was at an end, and
everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Today we all know the origins
of the problem: An acute shortage of the unique bottles that
house this equally unique product. Angostura Limited moved
quickly to identify a new bottle supplier, and the delicate process
of restarting production lines was back on track. Bitters were
once again available!
“
Angostura Bitters has a tremendous
global tradition .... The last thing
we’re going to do is rest on our
laurels. We’re reinforcing our
”
partnerships while we explore new
horizons, and taking the brand to a
whole new level!
Once again, the international press was on the story. The New
York Post celebrated the fact that “the catastrophic shortage of
the cocktail staple is near an end,” and quoted legendary
Manhattan barman, Tracy Westmoreland: “I believe it is the end
of civilization as we know it if we can't have Bitters. It's like
when the saber-tooth tiger went extinct. It's a terrible thing.
There is no replacement. Trying to replace Bitters is like trying
to replace mother's milk.” Meanwhile, the Huffington Post
published a special list of cocktail recipes “in honor of the
imminent return of Angostura Bitters to our shores, and all
shores.”
An interesting side note: The crisis brought new historical
information about this amazing product to light. Wayne Curtis,
author of “And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World
in 10 Cocktails”, and drinks writer for The Atlantic Monthly
noted in his blog: “This is not the first time an Angostura
shortage has threatened civilization as we know it. In 1944,
German U-boats targeting cargo ships in the Caribbean and on
trans-Atlantic routes led to an Angostura drought throughout
If all of this tells us anything it is this: Angostura® aromatic
bitters is a product that has become an institution in its own
right. It is, quite simply, the iconic and only global brand of
bitters. For mixologists, it is the essential ingredient that gives
cocktails their aromatic je ne sais quoi. Bartenders everywhere
agree that there is no way to replicate its distinct flavor.
It all began in 1824, when German doctor Johann Siegert
invented Angostura® aromatic bitters to ease stomach ailments
in soldiers fighting in Simon Bolivar’s army in Venezuela. He
named his elixir, which he called Amargo Aromatico (aromatic
bitters) after the town of Angostura. Years later his son, Don
Carlos Siegert took the secret of bitters to the island of Trinidad,
where the family settled in the mid-19th Century.
Angostura® aromatic bitters has been made by Trinidad and
Tobago’s House of Angostura for almost 190 years, during
which the product’s reputation has travelled the world. The
recipe for this top-secret combination of herbs, barks, roots,
spices and rum is still top-secret, known only to a few. Today,
Angostura Bitters is the industry staple. Cocktails and mixology
would not be the same without it. And wherever there is a bar
of any repute — no matter the corner of the globe — you’ll find
this iconic brand. Mixologists will tell you: Any bar that's trying
to do cocktails seriously will feel it's wrong not to use
Angostura® aromatic bitters. And to the discerning drinker,
nothing can replace Angostura.
Angostura provides a pivotal, herbaceous touch. Tony
Conigliaro, an award-winning cocktail inventor and owner of 69
Colebrooke Row, a bar in Islington, north London, admits to
stockpiling Angostura® aromatic bitters after learning of the
shortage, describing bitters as a crucial finishing agent in wellmixed drinks. “What bitters will do is stretch the rest of the
flavours across the palate,” says Conigliaro.
Angostura Bitters & Mixology
As is fitting for this bar staple, the House of Angostura has
traditionally played a pivotal role in the professionalisation of
mixology. The year 2010 has seen a revitalisation of this role,
something the company says will continue well into the future.
“Angostura now has an extremely strong team of distributors
worldwide,” says Wayne Yip Choy, Chief Executive Officer and
Managing Director. “That gives us the latitude we need to
embark on a series of strategic initiatives that will broaden and
deepen the positioning of the Angostura® aromatic bitters
brand globally.”
Chief among these initiatives is an ongoing effort to reconnect
the brand with bartenders and those in the mixology profession.
To this end, Angostura and its distributors are entering into a
range of partnerships with bartending guilds, associations and
schools, targeting those new to the industry. Each partnership is
accompanied by an education drive on classic and new uses of
the product that will bring the next generation of mixologists
into the Angostura® aromatic bitters fold.
And then there’s Angostura® aromatic bitters’ city-by-city
training courses in the art of mixology, facilitated by
internationally renowned master mixologists. The 2010
world tour has already started and will include Glasgow,
London, New York, and Miami. The first of these events
took place in Bridgetown Barbados last July — to rave
reviews from participants. There, one of the world’s
premier mixologists, Dale DeGroff, conducted hands-on
training sessions for bartenders across the country,
who were taught new, innovative techniques and
reacquainted with some of the old
established ones.
Angostura’s master mixology
classes will be taught in 10 cities
in 2010, and in 20 cities in
2011.
The Challenge prizes
have
been
expanded.
Besides
competing
in the Global
Final in Trinidad in
2011, finalists will all
tour
the
House
of
Angostura’s distillery, and will
have the unique opportunity to
blend their own rum with the help of
Angostura’s master blender.
In a fitting move for this iconic brand, Angostura will host the
finals on the Sunday before Trinidad and Tobago’s iconic
festival Carnival takes to the streets. It promises to be an
intoxicating and heady mix of culture and competition. Best of
all, every finalist will receive costumes to play ’mas — all the
better to enjoy the genuine Carnival experience!
The
Angostura
International
Cocktail
Challenge
Angostura aromatic bitters Goes Gourmet
Perhaps one of the strongest signals that Angostura® aromatic
bitters is back in the mix is the return in 2010/2011 of one of
the company’s best loved events: the Angostura International
Cocktail Challenge. Angostura is, of course, the only bitters
manufacturer in the world to host a global event on this scale.
Launched in 2005, the Challenge will see bartenders from
around the world send in recipes for two original (and uniquely
named) cocktails, one using Angostura® aromatic bitters and
one using Angostura Rum. Judges make a shortlist of entries and
participants compete by region in heats that are already
underway.
Angostura® aromatic bitters is good for more than cocktails. Its
use in cooking has been a well kept secret that’s distinguished
Caribbean cuisine for generations. Now, if the House of
Angostura has its way, its Bitters will be the secret ingredient in
good food on a global scale. The company is beginning a
massive education campaign to expand the use of Bitters in the
kitchen. First stop, the USA, which is already the largest
consumer of Angostura® aromatic bitters in the world, and the
UK, where Bitters in the kitchen is already a rising trend. The
House of Angostura has set itself a new goal: Not only will there
be a bottle of bitters in every bar, but one in every pantry too!
This year, according to CEO Wayne Yip Choy, the Challenge
offers participants a chance to win a trip to the home of
Angostura, Trinidad and Tobago during the country’s signature
festival, Carnival. “We have the bitters, we have the rum, and we
have one of the most vibrant cultures in the world. Now we’re
offering the world’s bartenders the opportunity to pull that all
together in two world-beating cocktails at the Global Final of
the Angostura International Cocktail Challenge 2010,” he says.
To achieve this challenging goal, Angostura® aromatic bitters is
taking the Caribbean cooking experience (which itself is drawing
increasing attention from food spotters around the world) to the
rest of the world. From 2011 into 2012, The House of Angostura
will roll out a series of partnerships with leading international
chefs geared to increase awareness of the many ways in which
Angostura® aromatic bitters can please the palate and enhance
foods. Look out for more information on this unique initiative!
Angostura® 1919
Only one rum gives you the experience of an entire island. Only one
taste can make you feel part of a magical tapestry comprising of the
rhythms of a splendidly diverse people united in a spirit of celebration.
Angostura 1919 is the rum that captures the spirit of Trinidad and
Tobago.
Angostura 1919 is world renowned as a marvelous añejo, made from a
blend of light and heavy molasses-based rums aged for a minimum
of eight years in charred American oak bourbon barrels. The ratio
of different flavours in Angostura 1919 is skilfully balanced by the
Master Blender to ensure a consistent taste and aroma.
This is a rum with a proud history. In 1932 a great fire destroyed
the Trinidad and Tobago Government Rum Bond. Master
blender JB Fernandes seized the opportunity to buy the charred
casks of rum salvaged from the fire. To his delight, the casks of
1919 rum had aged magnificently, inspiring him to create a much
sought after blend, which he called “1919.”
In 2001, after years of careful research and development,
Angostura’s Master Blender reinstated the 1919 super-premium
rum blend. Using production principals originally conceived in
1932, Angostura created this internationally acclaimed rum.
Angostura 1919 possesses a rich, golden-amber hue with excellent
clarity. It exudes a complex bouquet, brimming over with aromas
of cocoa, molasses, caramel and vanilla. It is remarkably soft and
well rounded, gliding over the palate without a hint of harshness
or biting edge, and ultimately revealing a generous and longlasting array of toasty flavours. The finish is warm and very
relaxing.
Angotura 1919 appeals to the true rum aficionado. In markets all
over the world, when 1919 touches the palate of the uninitiated,
they are absorbed with wonder at the smoothness and the
intensity of the flavour. 1919 is a superb introduction to quality
rum and a treat for connoisseurs.
Sip Angostura 1919 neat, or with a single ice cube you deem
worthy. Or enjoy its versatility and flavour in a mixed drink.
Angostura 1919 symbolises the beauty of Trindad and Tobago, its people and their one-of- a
kind spirit. It is no wonder that “dix-neuf, dix-neuf” as it is called in France, has received
medals and highly sought after international awards as one of the finest rums in the world for
taste, aroma and package.
• Gold Medal Winner, American Beverage Institute, July 2002
• 95 Rating, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, June 2002
• Highly Recommended four star ****, US Spirits Journal 2002
• Bronze Medal Winner, Outstanding Packaging, Wine and Spirit International Design Awards 2002
• Gold Medal Winner, Wine and Spirit International Competition 2005
• Gold Medal Winner and Rum of the Year Award, Mundus Vini Competition, Germany 2005
• Gold Medal Winner, Mundus Vini Comptetion, Germany 2006
• Gold Medal Winner, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2009
Angostura® 1824
The House of Angostura was established in 1824 when the world famous Angostura
Aromatic Bitters was developed. In 1947, Angostura established its
own distillery and became synonomous with producing the
finest rums on the market. Those 63 years of experience in
fermenting, distilling, ageing, and blending, come together to
deliver truly smooth rum, quite different from any other rum
produced in the Caribbean: Angostura 1824.
Angostura 1824 was launched in 1999 to commemorate the year the
company was founded. This wonderful rich rum is steeped as much in
history as in flavour. It is skilfully blended and hand casked in charred
American oak bourbon barrels for a minimum of 12 years and upon
optimum maturity it is hand-drawn, filtered and hand bottled.
Angostura 1824 is a premium blend that celebrates a tradition in
excellence. Each step in creating 1824 receives the personal attention
of the Angostura master craftsmen who make it their mission to
ensure that every sip lives up to its unmatched reputation.
Often referred to as the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of rums, 1824 is
appropriately packaged in an individually stamped thick,
heavy, broad shouldered bottle with a wax sealed cork
top. Rum lovers everywhere go out of their way to
get their hands on a bottle and praise its quality
and premium taste.
Dark gold in colour, Angostura 1824 offers a
seamlessly smooth texture and well-rounded,
medium to full body. The bouquet is
seductively rich with aromas of sweet molasses,
vanilla, honey, spice and cognac notes.
Angostura 1824 has been recognised by
international judges with the world’s top spirit
awards. In 2009 it was awarded the top honour
of Best In Show for Rum at The San Francisco
World Spirits Competition. It has won the
coveted Gold Award for Best Rum in its
Category at the International Wine and Spirit
Championships and a Gold Award at the Rum
Masters.
Most recently, 1824 hit the headlines at the
launch of The San Fernando, one of three hitech patrol ships commissioned by The
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. In an
exciting break with tradition, a bottle of
Angostura 1824 replaced the customery
champagne when the ship was launched as it left
the famous Glasgow Clyde shipbuilders in
Scotland.
Forget the champagne and sip and savour
velvety smooth 1824 neat or on the rocks as you
celebrate a very special occasion!
Angostura's
BOLD
Event