The Riviere du mat brand originated from the beautiful French island of "La Reunion", meaning "the meeting" in English; the island is in the heart of the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and Mauritius. The brand was created in the year 1886, and the original distillery is still in operation today; the brand drew inspiration from the local legend for its name. The locals described a ship that set to explore the island as being grounded to the seabed, the ship was grounded for years to come, and eventually, it was given the name Riviere Du Mat Legislation.
Official website: rivieredumat.com
The distillery is located in Saint-Benoit, the second-largest city on the island, and sits on the east coast; it is where the legend of the shipwreck gave its name to the brewery. Although the distillery produces traditional molasses-based rums, over time, the brand has grown in popularity and has amassed a large following; the rum is incredibly popular due to its use in cocktails because of its fruity flavours. In addition to this, the rum has a particularly unique style as it brings inspiration from its French roots while drawing inspiration from the surrounding tropical island; because of this mix of inspiration, there are flavours to be found in these rums that you will struggle to find elsewhere. All the brand's rums are stored for Six years in French Oak barrels and are aged and blended perfectly, highlighting the distillery experience in rum making.
Riviere du mat is now owned by La Martiniquasie, France's second-largest spirits group. The group's success is undoubtedly due to their expertise in their craft, producing only the best rums and whiskeys, highlighted in the countless awards the brand Riviere du mat has received for their rum.
One of the stand-out rums in the collection is the Master legend white, perfect for those who love traditional rum. Although it is anything but boring, the rum is perfect for those who love cocktails due to its fruity and smooth characteristics; the molasses provides the ideal amount of sweetness for the base of your favourite cocktail or by itself with some ice. This flavour of rum has won countless awards; it was awarded a gold medal by the global luxury masters in 2020, the excellence award, Concours General Agricole Paris 2017, and received a gold medal from Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2020. The awards highlight the exceptional quality of beverage to be found with this one, and it is truly one to tell your friends about.
Another fine addition to the rum collection that cannot be ignored is the Riviere du mat Grande Reserve, which comes in a 700ml bottle 40%. This rums personality shines through with its complexity and its charm, with hints of fruit, gingerbread palate, and an unusual but fascinating flavour, blond tobacco. The flavours are particularly powerful with this one, bursting with spice to the end. It is a fantastic rum that will be sure to grab your attention and provide you with a truly unique rum-tasting experience.
There is a large collection of fine rums that Riviere de-mat has produced, and another one on the list is the Riviere du Mat Royal Reserve. Complexity is a common theme with this brand, and they don't fail to keep up with tradition. A fantastic blend of aged rums that have been brought together from different barrels, allowing the flavours to develop over time. This combination brings out a dense copper colour in the rum, dried fruits, and woody notes both come through in the aroma of the rum, while notes of honey and spice come through in the flavour.
The strongest rum Riviere du Mat has to offer is the 2006 Private Cask, which comes in at 50%; this rum comes in a traditional but elegant box and has the bottle to match. The private Cask is the result of perfect blending and ageing. The result? A deep gold rum, with an aroma that has dried fruits and spices, burst through. The finish of the rum is smooth, so it is brilliant to drink on its own, or as with the rest of the rums in the collection, use it with your favourite cocktail!
