Banhez Mezcal, Diablesse Rum and The Salford Rum Company join the Ten Locks portfolio for the companies On-Trade portfolio.
Ten Locks is the company Becky Davies has put her considerable skills and passion behind (you may have previously heard it referred to as New Company from Kingsland Drinks), which we chatted to her about last month.
The company is dedicated to backing brands striving for a positive change as the aforementioned Becky, Head of Commercial at Ten Locks, explained: ‘Our goal is to offer premium spirits of distinction with a clear point of difference to the trade, and that’s precisely what these brands are. Every spirit is an example of incredible innovation – whilst respecting traditional techniques – that we know will excite bartenders and, in turn, discerning consumers seeking great taste, quality and brands that are relentlessly striving for positive change in their own way.’
So let’s have a look at them in a bit more detail shall we:
Banhez Mezcal
Banhez Mezcals are produced in Ejutla, Mexico, by a family and farmer-owned Cooperative whereby the members work together to make sustainable, fair trade Mezcal as their ancestors have done for generations. From sowing agave seeds to bottling each expression, every step in the process is completed by a Banhez family member of the Co-op.
Ten Locks will focus on establishing Banhez Ensemble (42% abv) in the UK, which uses 90 per cent Espadín and 10 per cent Barril agaves, to create a delightfully mild, floral and fruity Mezcal with notes of pineapple and banana. The brand boasts a number of SKUs that will be introduced to the market at a later date including expressions showcasing the Tobala, Mexicano and Tepeztate agaves.
Becky’s take on the brand: ‘Mezcal is emerging as the understanding of the category grows; it’s growing year on year mainly driven by it landing on the consumers’ radar as bigger players enter the category and they become more familiar with flavour profiles and serves. We’re hugely excited about Banhez Mezcal; in addition to the brand’s brilliant, co-operative-led proposition, it’s the perfect premium gateway into the category. We expect big love for this beautiful brand.’
Diablesse Rum
Diablesse Rum is a female-owned rum brand celebrating authentic, quality rums of provenance from the Caribbean. It strives to create unique blends, flavour profiles and serves to offer a more elegant brand while challenging the way rum is traditionally perceived.
Diablesse Caribbean Golden Rum (40% abv), is a blend of rums from some of the most highly regarded distilleries in the world; an eight year old rum from the Four Square Distillery in Barbados, a four year old Jamaican rum from Worthy Park, and a three year old Demerara rum from the famous Enmore Coffey still in Guyana – a wooden still that has been making rum since 1830. It is aged in American Oak ex-bourbon barrels resulting in flavours of banana, butterscotch and fruitcake, with tropical fruit and peppery oak notes.
Diablesse Clementine Spiced Rum (40% abv) is the only clementine spiced rum in the world and an international gold medal winner. It is a 100 per cent single origin Demerara rum from the world-renowned Diamond Distillery in Guyana. Using centuries-old traditional distillation methods, it is infused with only natural ingredients; clementine, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla pod and clove, and has a unique and highly moreish flavour profile.
Salford Rum Company
The Salford Rum Company has a range of small batch golden and dark spiced rums that are distilled, blended and bottled close to the old Salford Docks. The brand takes inspiration from the imports of Caribbean rums and world spices that came through the city’s famous docks during the early 1900s.
Salford Original Spiced Rum (40% abv) is expertly infused with vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and dried Caribbean fruits, and Salford Dark Spice Rum (40% abv) is deliciously dark with flavours of vanilla, coconut, burnt caramel and cloves.
Hey Becky, what do you think about Spiced rum? ‘Spiced rums are gaining huge traction and the appreciation they deserve. At the same time, the raft of new product development we’ve seen has started to swing towards high sugar and – at times – low quality products, much like pockets of the gin category. Our partnerships with Diablesse and The Salford Rum Company mean we step into this sector proudly, with truly exceptional, extremely high quality and very authentic liquids with real profit potential and appeal.’
The three brands – available to the UK On Trade now – join Nusa Cana Rum, Applewood Gin and West Cork Irish Whiskey in Ten Locks’ portfolio of purpose-led, progressive brands. If you want to find out more then you can get in touch with the Ten Locks team at sales@tenlocks.com or stalk them on Instagram @TenLocksDrinks
We look forward to trying all these lovely products very soon……
