By James Atkinson
The Bundaberg Distilling Company (BDC) has announced several initiatives aimed at getting the Bundaberg community get back on its feet after the recent flood crisis, including the release of a limited edition five-year old Australian rum called Road To Recovery.
The BDC and parent company Diageo have already made a donation of $200,000 to the Red Cross Queensland Flood Appeal to support flood recovery efforts across the state, and March 16 will see the Bundaberg fan community come together to help raise an additional $250,000 for local flood recovery.
The limited edition Road To Recovery bottles will be labelled with the names of the roads and streets that were submerged by water in the 2013 floods. Each flood-affected house in Bundaberg will be offered a complimentary bottle, featuring its road or street name. The remaining bottles will be sold for $60 each at the BDC on March 16, with all proceeds (along with sales from other Bundaberg Rum products) going towards raising $250,000 to support Bundaberg's flood recovery efforts.
At the March 16 event, the BDC will also celebrate the release of the fifth Master Distillers' Collection (MDC) Rum, MDC Double Barrel.
"The event on March 16 will therefore allow Bundaberg fans to get their hands on two limited edition bottles of rum, while at the same time helping with local flood recovery, and helping stimulate the local economy through tourism," the company said.
A Diageo spokesperson told TheShout the new Double Barrel release began its maturation process in port barrels, where a greater depth of character and smoothness was imparted to the liquid.
"Double Barrel is then finished in old sherry barrels, adding sweetness and balance to the liquid which results in an exceptionally smooth rum, layered with hints of honey, caramel and spice," the spokesperson said.
According to Diageo, close to a quarter of a million bottles of MDC products have been sold since the launch of the program in 2011.
"Consumer demand and interest for the Master Distillers' Collection continues to grow with each limited edition release, with over 1,000 Bundaberg Rum fans attending each MDC launch at the Bundaberg Distillery," the spokesperson said.
Visit BDC's Facebook page for further information about Road to Recovery.