New Grove, the Mauritian tradition

2 October 2024 | Interviews & Meetings
New Grove, the Mauritian tradition

Meeting with Stéphane Léveillé, ambassador of New Grove Rums

Hello, thank you for giving us an interview. New Grove is a rum that's well-represented at events, but we actually know little about its story. What’s the history of the Domaine and New Grove rum?

Just like sugarcane culture, rum is a part of our nation's beginnings and is deeply tied to the history of our homeland. Our story starts in 1740 at the Domaine de La Villebague in the village of Pamplemousses, which housed the island's first sugar mill in 1740, and shortly after, in 1743, the first rum distillery came into existence. By 1838, thanks to Pierre Charles Harel, the distillation techniques improved.

The rise of rum in Mauritius is linked to Grays, as the Domaine de La Villebague is still owned by the family through the Terra group.

The heirs of Pierre Charles Harel established Grays Inc Ltd in 1931, which is a subsidiary of Terra and manages the New Grove Distillery. They have continued to produce quality rums, with an exclusivity that lies in the land that once hosted the first distillery during the time of the East Indies Company. New Grove Distillery is considered a pioneer in rum distillation in Mauritius.

The New Grove rum range is quite extensive, and there are several collections. Could you tell us about the different series in your lineup?

New Grove features a core range: New Grove White, New Grove Bourbon Cask aged for 3 years, New Grove 5-Year aged in new French oak and ex-cognac casks, and New Grove Old Tradition aged for 10 years, also in new French oak and ex-cognac casks. All of these rums are produced without any additives and without cold filtration. 

The Savoir Faire range adds excitement to the brand with exclusive releases such as exotic barrel finishes (like Cherry, Acacia, or ex-Moscatel), single vintage options, exclusive single cask expressions, and more recently, finishes in French and Scottish whisky casks. This range will continue to surprise palates over the years with innovative selections.

New Grove also offers a line of flavored liqueurs with Vanilla, Coffee, and Caramel for those with a sweet tooth.

And of course, we can't forget New Grove Emotion, the flagship of our house, named the best rum in the world in 2020 at the International Sugarcane Spirits awards. This brand has rums for all tastes and truly represents the expertise of Mauritian rum-making.

Grays distillery
Grays distillery
Molasses
Molasses
New Grove distillation column
New Grove distillation column
You also have the legendary New Grove Emotion 1969 decanter in your collection. What can you tell us about this reference? What’s its story? How old is it?

Far from being a classic rum, the New Grove Emotion 1969 is, as its name suggests, a story of poignant poetry. Its origins trace back to an unexpected discovery in 2015 of a well-kept secret.

1969 is the year the O.K Distillery was acquired by the Harel Frères group (TERRA / Grays). The first unofficial aging tests began. This rum was distilled by the O.K Distillery (now Grays Distillery) despite the limitations of the time and was put into aging in 1969 in whiskey barrels, thanks to Grays Inc's role as a bottler, which allowed them to acquire scotch whiskey casks before the island gained independence in 1968.

After uncovering these completely forgotten barrels at the back of our cellar, we realized this rum had all the qualities needed to be the starting point for an exceptional blend. We then blended it in 400-liter Limousin Cognac barrels, selecting our best years—2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008—to achieve the perfect balance before bottling it in 2019. We set aside a few liters of this pure rum, which is over 50 years old, to continue its journey through history and time, to share it when the moment is right.

The result is even more stunning because, beneath its beautiful amber hue, the New Grove Emotion 1969 reveals gorgeous fruity aromas paired with pastry and buttery notes, a hint of gentle spices and citrus, and an indescribable timeless essence. A 100% natural rum, it embodies the very expression of a rich and complex heritage, the essence of a palpable story.

New Grove uses a special molasses for its rum. Could you share some details with us?

Terra Milling Ltd, located in Belle Vue Harel, is considered one of the most modern sugar mills on the island. Today, Terra Milling produces up to 85,000 tons of 100% natural sugar, sulfur-free and world-class, as well as the essence of our rum: molasses. 

The fact that we only produce unrefined natural sugars means our molasses has a fermentable sugar content of about 45% and a brix level between 80 and 90.

At the end of 2023, the Mauricia series made its way to us. It's pure cane juice rum. So why invest in the pure cane juice rum market in France, which is dominated by agricultural rums?

Mauricia made perfect sense for us in building the diversity of our brands. After New Grove with its English tradition and Lazy Dodo with its Hispanic flair, we ventured into the French style of pure sugarcane juice.

With privileged and direct access to raw materials thanks to our holding company TERRA, which owns the Belle Vue sugar factory, we had the opportunity to source pure sugarcane juice and start tests with column and pot distillation. The initial results were promising, so we launched our brand, a nod to the House of Mauricia, located in the middle of a sugarcane field between the sugar factory and the distillery. 

From the market feedback, we realized that the profile of Mauricia was unique, very fruity, minty, with an astonishing sweetness, setting it apart from the rums of the French islands in the niche market of pure sugarcane juice rum internationally.

Which rums should you start with to discover the New Grove range?

We'll always start with our white rum, New Grove, which features notes of exotic fruits, raw sugar, and a peppermint finish. This white rum base will diversify during our various aging processes and blending choices, developing into vanilla notes from the Bourbon cask, pineapple, peach, and a burst of freshness at 5 years old, transforming into stewed red fruits, light tobacco, and sweet spices at 10 years. The range of craftsmanship can be savored depending on personal preferences, and of course, New Grove Emotion is to be enjoyed timelessly!

New Grove distillery teas
New Grove distillery teas
Grays Confectionery
Grays Confectionery
New Grove distilery
New Grove distilery
Should we expect any news by the end of the year?

The vision of the New Grove Distillery through our holding company Terra is "For the future. From 1838," and as such, we are always in search of innovation, driven by a rich heritage. Our three brands (New Grove, Lazy Dodo, and Mauricia) will continue to grow in their respective categories.

In the coming months, New Grove will unveil a refreshed identity that highlights our craftsmanship, showcasing the diversity and tropical essence of Mauritius. We also plan to introduce a white rum innovation and a limited edition aged rum.

Lazy Dodo will embark on a flavor adventure and will be coming out with an aged rum, staying true to its vibrant personality.

Mauricia, our first pure cane juice rum, will continue to explore exclusive high ester distillations, as well as parcel selections and a longer aging process, all while maintaining its originality.

In order to continue reading, I suggest that you...

Discover all the New Grove rums

Proposals collected by

Matthieu Lange
Spirits advisor