Dutch settlers plant sugar cane
Lured by the promise of exquisite flora and fauna, Dutch settlers arrived and planted a crop that would turn more heads to the Indian Ocean; sugar cane. Flourishing in the rich volcanic soil, the natural course of action was to harvest the sugar cane to produce rum and arak.
Berry Bros. & Rudd shop opens in London
Penny Blue Rums are crafted by master distillers on the island of Mauritius and rum experts at Berry Bros.& Rudd, Wine and Spirits Merchants.
French rule begins on Mauritius
As the island changed hands between the French and British, echoes of stylistic preferences can be found in Mauritian rum. French Cognac barrels add finesse to our naturally dryer style of...
British rule begins in Mauritius
The British influence comes from the ex-Bourbon and Whisky casks, passed on from Scottish distillers add further complexity, creating our unique style.
The Penny Blue stamp is created
The name Penny Blue is derived from a Mauritian legend, the Penny Blue stamp. Created as part of the inaugural postal service, in 1847, under the watchful eye of the Governor of Mauritius, the stamp was to be used to adorn the invitations to a fancy dress ball held by the Governor’s wife.
In his haste, due to the excitement in being entrusted with a task that would go down in history, the engraver rushed to the Post Office to talk with the Postmaster. On arriving at the meeting, he read the sign ‘Post Office’ and took it to be the correct inscription for the postal stamps.
It was only after printing that the engraver’s mistake was discovered. The inscription should have read ‘Post Paid’ as with UK stamps. With only 500 produced, its rarity has made it one of the most expensive stamps in the world. In 1993, at an auction, a Penny Blue Stamp was sold for $1.4 million dollars.
Medine Distillery is established
The oldest distillery on the island, Medine is a Single Estate Distillery, growing, distilling and ageing its own rum.
Indian Ocean Rum Company is created
The new company marks a joint collaboration between Medine Distilery and Berry Bros.
Penny Blue XO Batch #1 is released
5,900 bottles of our inaugural rum, XO #001 was released to critical acclaim.
Penny Blue VSOP is released
Our VSOP rum is released. A younger expression that provides the hallmark of Penny Blue’s style.
Penny Blue Pure Cane is released
Our first rum produced with sugar cane juice, Pure Cane is a true expression of our terroir.
