NEW owners have taken over Aberdeenshire's first rum distillery after the company went into liquidation.
After going into liquidation in September, Dark Matter rum brand was bought by Ardent Spirits, and the product is now being made at Banchory’s Burnobennie Distillery.
The award-winning run was launched in 2015, making it Aberdeenshire’s first rum distillery, and is known for it's spiced rum, white rum and flavoured rum liqueurs.
Simon Morrice, Burnobennie Distillery distribution manager, said Ardent Spirits “felt compelled” to rescue rum productions and keep it locally produced.
He said: “When we heard Dark Matter was [in] liquidation we tried to help but it was to late. The company was past saving.
“We felt compelled to rescue the brand. Up until about two months ago it was in every supermarket on every shelf, on Amazon and it had a big following.
“It was too good an opportunity at the time to let it slip in to the ether. There was nobody willing to buy the brand. It would’ve disappeared.
“It’s steeped in such history, particularly for Banchory, being the first rum distillery in Scotland, this combined with strong brand presence, we couldn’t let the brand disappear.”
Morice added: “The business was running at skeleton by the end, but luckily head distiller Mike Roberts was able to be rescued and we created another role to head up the operation.
“Having already distilled and produced rum, our infrastructure is already in place, as a business we will continue to invest and get Dark Matter to the heights of the past.
“Dark Matter will stand alone but its new home is at Burnobennie.”
A coffee liqueur being explored by the brand at the distillery.
Morrice said: “The gap in between liquidation and activity is a vulnerable point for anything and people when they can’t get it they move on to another type of rum.
“My job has been to remind people that we are coming back.
“Since people have found out we have been swamped with encouraging messages and people desperate to know when, where and how to get it. It’s been great.”
