Halewood Wines & Spirits has bolstered its rum portfolio by agreeing import and distribution rights for the Rum Sixty Six brand.

Rum Sixty Six ‘Family Reserve’ 12-year-old is distilled, aged and bottled at the historic Foursquare Rum Distillery in St Philip, Barbados. The brand is distilled in small batches and aged in ex-bourbon American white oak casks, resulting in a complex and balanced spirit with a long finish. It was recently awarded ‘Silver Outstanding’ at the prestigious International Wine & Spirits Challenge.

Rum Sixty Six is best enjoyed straight like a fine Scotch or Cognac, but is also well-suited as a base for a range of contemporary and traditional cocktails such as the Old Fashioned.

Halewood plans to grow the Rum Sixty Six offering, adding a 6 year-old and a cask strength 12 year-old to the portfolio in 2017.

Stewart Hainsworth, chief executive of Halewood Wines & Spirits, said: “Rum Sixty Six offers a fantastic platform for Halewood to invest at the premium end of the rum category. In addition to a compelling brand story, Foursquare has the capabilities to create liquids which are unrivalled amongst golden rums.”

Stephen Wallace, chairman of the Bajan Trading Company, said: “This partnership is a perfect match. We bring unique access to some of the best aged rums in the world, and Halewood brings high level professional support and a significant distribution network that we need to grow the brand together.”