Bérive Project: Cyril Isautier relaunches a "domain" agricultural rum in Reunion

8 March 2026 | Discover
Bérive Project: Cyril Isautier relaunches a "domain" agricultural rum in Reunion

In Reunion Island, some houses don't just exist in history: they extend it. At Isautier, this ambition is now translated into a major project: Bérive, a new distillery located in the heart of the family property, designed to restore full control of agricole rum, from field to bottle.

More than an extension, Bérive is a declaration of intent: to affirm a fully assumed agricultural identity, explore a new aromatic signature, and offer an even more intimate reading of the Réunionese terroir.Bérive: a place, an altitude, an evidence

Bérive is not just a project name

 It is a meaningful place, located around 600 meters in altitude, within the historical property. This altitude is far from anecdotal: in Reunion, it marks a pivotal zone where the cane maintains all its relevance, while already expressing nuances of relief, wind, and microclimate

Why is Isautier creating a 100% agricultural distillery now?

Regaining control over all agricultural expertise

This is precisely what makes Bérive so coherent: a point of balance between agricultural roots, geographical singularity, and stylistic ambition.Why Isautier is creating a 100% agricole distillery nowTaking back control of the entire agricultural savoir-faire

Add an expression, do not replace the existing one.

The point is essential: Bérive is not conceived as a rupture that erases the rest. It is a new expression, destined to coexist with the house's historical identity. In other words: a complementary, tighter, more targeted, and potentially more "signature" writing.A tool designed for precision: the Müller hybrid

A tool designed for precision: the Müller hybrid

On the technical side, Bérive is accompanied by a structural choice: Müller hybrid stills, with two announced formats (approximately 1000 L and 230 L). This type of equipment allows for working with great finesse on the final profile: aromatic intensity, texture, balance, and more "tailor-made" adjustments than a strictly standardized approach.

For enthusiasts, this opens up very concrete perspectives: a more detailed, more nuanced Réunionese agricole, and possibly closer to an artisanal approach, without denying the demand for regularity of a major house.

Credit photo : Müller
Credit photo : Müller

Our visit to Reunion: November 2023, the construction site… and the family house

At Excellence Rhum, we had the chance to visit the Bérive distillery construction site in November 2023. This visit confirmed one thing: Bérive is not just a production tool; it is a project that is part of a deeply familial narrative.

A particularly striking moment: the discovery of Cyril's grandmother's house, which will play a major role in the reception around the future distillery. This human and heritage dimension gives Bérive a rare scope: beyond the facilities, it is also a place of transmission, with a hospitality that is an integral part of the project's soul.

When will we taste the first Bérive cuvées?

The first cuvées resulting from Bérive should debut in September 2026, most likely at Whisky Live Paris — a natural meeting place for a house that intends to showcase Reunion through a new reading of agricole rum. As always with a project of this magnitude, the timeline may evolve (construction, fine-tuning, first productions), but this September 2026 window appears today as the most credible for a first public presentation.What Bérive changes for rum enthusiasts

Bérive is the promise of an agricole rum that is:

more "estate", with reinforced control over the agricultural upstream and technical choices,

more identity-driven, thanks to a tool designed to shape a distinct aromatic signature,

more embodied, because the project combines production and reception, technology and family history.

In short: a future chapter that does not simply aim to "do more," but to do differently, with a demand and coherence that immediately speak to enthusiasts.

Remiercements

A big thank you to Christophe Briand, Brand Ambassador of the House of Isautier, the French Federation of Landscape for the mockup of the future hotel complex of the Bérive estate, and Cyril Isautier for the invitation to discover the House of Isautier and Bérive.

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This article was written with 😋 by

Alexandre Beudet
CEO