19 Crimes moves into rum

Australian wine brand 19 Crimes has expanded into spirits, with its first expression launching in the UK this month.

The brand, owned by Treasury Wine Estates, part-ages its Uprising red wine in rum barrels and says that its spiced rum is a ‘new and disruptive take’ on the category. Russell Kirkham, head of regional marketing EMEA at Treasury Premium Brands, said: “The 19 Crimes range of wines has been hugely successful. 19 Crimes is known for being a daring and rebellious brand that breaks the rules. “After experimenting with barrel-aged wines with our 19 Crimes Uprising range, we wanted to push the boundaries even further – taking a bold leap and creating a spiced rum was the next natural step for us as a brand. “The 19 Crimes Spiced Rum is a new and disruptive take on the rum category with a product aimed to open the eyes of the younger consumer to a world of high-quality spirits,” The new expression has aromas of ‘mango and pineapple’ with notes of ‘caramel, molasses, and a hint of vanilla’. On the palate, it is ‘sweet with upfront toffee, exotic fruit notes and a hint of cocoa’, with a ‘long, fruity finish’. The 37.5% ABV rum can be purchased from UK supermarket chain Tesco for an RRP of £28 (US$35) per 700ml bottle. Its bottle is square and features an augmented reality label ‘bringing to life the character of escapee Mary Bryant’, created in partnership with Tactic Studio. The expression has been created in partnership with Quintessential Brands. Enzo Visone, CEO and founder of Quintessential Brands, said: “We are extremely excited to be beginning 2024 with a new venture into the spiced rum category in conjunction with our partners Treasury Wine Estates and its hugely successful brand, 19 Crimes. “We have a strong track record at Quintessential Brands of working in conjunction with major wine and spirits brands, so I know that together with the fantastic team at TWE and our commercial and production teams at Quintessential Brands, the 19 Crimes Spiced Rum will be a huge success.”