Angostura 2009

In the 1850s the Angostura Bitters gained a huge success worldwide as the key part for many cocktails. They achieved the award of “Medal of Excellence“ on exhibition in Vienna in 1873 and a gold medal at World Trade Fair in Philadephia in 1876.

The company remains in Angostura until 1875 when the brothers decide to move the business to Trinidad due to civil unrests in Venezuela. The company is called “Dr. J.G.B. Siegert Y Hijos“ and the production continues in a small factory in Port of Spain in Trinidad where they buy their rum from the local distilleries. However, part of the rum is kept for further maturration, then blent, and sold under the Angostura brand.

Angostura becomes the exclusive supplier of “aromatic bitters“ for the Prussian king in 1904 and for the Spanish king in 1907. In 1909 the company changes to a joint-stock company registered in England, and in 1912 becomes the supreme supplier for His Royal Highness, King George V. In 1955, Angostura achieves the prime “Royal Warrant of Appointment“ from Her Majesty, Queen Elisabeth II.

Although the company is blending the rums from the beginning of the 20th century it wasn‘t until the arrival of a chemist Robert Siegert (great-grandson of Johann Siegert) in 1936, a sugar production technologist Albert Clyde Gomez in 1942, and an industrial chemist Thomas Gatcliff in 1944 that Angostura finally settled as a leader in a production of a high quality aged rum on Trinidad. They have built a modern rum distillery in Port of Spain in 1947 and in 1949 they have founded Trinidad Distillers Ltd. (TDL) producing rums only. At first, they sell rums under different labels (like Siegert‘s Bouquet or White Oak). And in 1952, it was Siegert‘s Bouquet that was the very first rum being sold by TDL. 

Already in 1971 TDL becomes the biggest rum exporter in the country and gains the ministerial award “Exporter of the Year“. A few years later in 1985, they achieve (as the first company in the history of the country) the national award “Humming Bird Gold Medal“ for their contribution to the local industry.

The distillery is equipped with three multi-column stills for continuous distillation that can produce up to 8.5 million liters of pure alcohol a year. These stills were installed in 1975, 1985, and 1999 and replaced the original column Savalle still from 1947. Nowadays, the distillery has about 75.000 barrels (mostly ex-bourbon) full of aging rums that are resting in the warehouses. However, it is no secret the company is planning to expand their stock even more during the next years.

In each drop of this unique Single Cask is mirrored incredible craftsmanship and the restless determination of the Siegert family whose humble beginnings at the end of the 19th century set the cornerstone for the company‘s successful rum proudly called “The House of Angostura“.

FREE OCEAN

We created the new edition, FREE OCEAN, not only to celebrate Rum Shark’s 4th birthday but, primarily, as an expression of gratitude to all our fans and supporters. Without their fondness, we would never have been able to build such a large rum portfolio in such a short time.

FREE OCEAN builds upon the BLUE OCEAN edition and continues the tradition of rare single casks. The new design is meant to encourage the opening and sharing of these bottles in the company of family and friends, or among rum enthusiasts who know that tasting rum bottled straight from the cask is a unique, untransferable, and unrepeatable experience.

Our only wish is for you to have an amazing time enjoying our rums. Josef, Jiří, and the entire Rum Shark team.

Rum Sharks was founded in 2020 as a truly unique project, driven by an initiative that came directly from the customer side. At that time, Josef Janíček, one of the co-founders and a representative of rum enthusiasts, approached Jiří Rabel, the co-owner of UPB, with the idea to import and bottle rums based on the preferences of the community. Soon after, we successfully launched our first collection, the exclusive Rum Shark Blue Ocean series. In the following years, we bottled numerous single casks and limited editions for the Czech-Slovak community, sourcing rums from various corners of the world, including the Caribbean‘s most famous destinations, as well as rums from Venezuela, Belize, and Thailand.

Our most treasured asset has always been, and continues to be, the devoted community of a few hundred active members of the Rum Shark club. These members collaborate on the direction and evolution of the entire project. Thanks to our hard work and unceasing community support, we have been able to introduce exclusive single casks of proclaimed names to the market (such as Caroni, Hampden, Mount Gay, Diamond, and Foursquare). Over the span of just a few years, we have sold tens of thousands of bottles.

Every bottle of Rum Shark represents the dedication of many people, and feedback from our community remains the most important indicator of quality and guides our actions.