As you probably know by now, we're always looking for new and innovative ways to enrich our spirits, whether it's Citadelle Gin (e.g. the special edition Vive le Cornichon), Planteray Rum (e.g. the recent Sealander or Cut & Dry coconut rum) or Ferrand Cognac (e.g. our Renegade series).

Continuing in this vein, our latest experiment, in collaboration with our cooperage partners, is to incorporate tonka beans into our rum barrel making process.

Why tonka beans? Because it's a noble ingredient, prized by perfumers and top chefs, and one that we ourselves love for its powerful aroma, halfway between vanilla, almond and even liquorice.

It was therefore a natural choice to add a new aromatic dimension to our rums. After all, it's taste that guides our research and creation!

A delicate infusion process

That said, finding the right method to incorporate this powerful, oily ingredient was not without its challenges. In fact, our first attempt, which consisted of placing the beans in a brazier while the cask was being heated, ended in a fire... Oops!

But after several months of research, we have finally perfected a process for subtly infusing the tonka bean into the wood at a key stage in the barrel-making process.

For now, we can't reveal the technical details of this process... 🤫 But that doesn't stop us from describing our first impressions!

Promising results

Only a month after we put the same rum in our first "Tonka" barrels (tested with two different infusion concentrations), the difference with conventional barrels was already striking.

Our team, who meet every morning for a tasting and quality control session, unanimously identified the samples aged in these infused casks, describing in particular the notes of vanilla, chocolate, caramel and almond that are so characteristic of the tonka bean.

Towards new aromatic horizons

This discovery is still in its early stages, but we're already convinced that this experiment opens up exciting new perspectives for our Planteray rums, which are always in search of unique aromatic expressions.

It perfectly embodies our approach: to create exceptional spirits with memorable flavours through thoughtful innovation in the service of taste.

So, are you ready to try a tonka barrel aged rum?

Stay tuned: if this concept comes to fruition, a new Maison Ferrand spirit could well be born from this discovery!