SEYCHELLES – Levasseur Rum Ltd, a spirit distillery in Seychelles, has unveiled a new spirit ‘Levasseur Rum’ into the local market.

Developed by a Marco Francis, Levasseur Rum is dark rum with a ‘roasted Walnut, Vanilla, Hints of Cinnamon and Honey’ taste.

Francis describes the rum as one “blended in antique barrel infused with authentic flavours, aromas of whisky, oak and vanilla caramel and all these flavours come to the core to give the rum a unique taste.”  

Francis worked in collaboration with master blenders from Mauritian to develop the beverage, which is blended at Levasseur Rum Ltd at Au Cap, on the southern part of Mahé.

According to a report by SNA, Francis says he wanted to create a spirit that reflected the island lifestyle and its rich history.

“Rum has always been associated with islands and Levasseur Rum personifies the exotic history of Seychelles.

“Levasseur Rum perpetuates the mystery around the character Olivier Levasseur and especially his lost treasure that is said to be found somewhere on the island of Seychelles.

“This draws a parallel with the little known island legacy of an ancestral rum-making heritage and authenticity that combines dedication and passion.

“I wanted to create a brand, a spirit, that was both gourmet and elegant,” said Francis adding that the spirit will appeal to whisky enthusiasts.

Made from sugar cane imported from Mauritius, Francis explains that the choice of raw material is “to ensure consistency in the product as we cannot always find raw materials on the local market.”

Francis also notes that the firm has put special attention to the packaging and branding of the product with the bottles and labels imported from Spain.

For local consumption, Levasseur Rum Distillery has produced the first batch of 2,000 bottles on the market found in duty free shops, hotels and restaurants and is selling at US$40 (SCR550).

The rum joins the country’s spirit market which also counts of globally recognised brands including Diageo’s Baileys, Ciroc, Captain Morgan, Cardhu, Gordons, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff and Zacapa.

Francis hopes to sell Levasseur rum around the world and has partnered with renowned French company DUGAS, which is producing and distributing Levasseur Rum on the European market.