Among the key players in the Gin-aissance that have gripped India’s alco-bev space in the last decade or so, Nao Spirits — the master makers behind Greater Than and Hapusa Gin — is entering the world of rum with their new launch. Pipa — a new spiced rum from Nao Spirits is crafted from jaggery spirit which is then matured for at least a full year in specially imported casks. An intuitive move for the brand, Nao Spirits is producing rum in India — the world’s largest sugarcane producer — to showcase the country’s immense potential for crafting quality spirits.
‘Pipa - Rum de Goa’ according to the brand is “a premium spiced rum that pays a heartfelt homage to the 450 years of cultural cohabitation between the Portuguese and local communities in Goa, shaping their landscape and culture as we all know and love today.”
Bearing a name that is derived from the Portuguese word for barrel, Pipa is an equally blended ode to local Goan flavours as well as colonial Portuguese influences. Infused with the notes of the three spices that drew Portuguese traders to the Malabar Coast — Black Pepper, Cinnamon and Clove — the drink is a rich and delicate spirit with notes of toasted hazelnuts and figs on the nose, a smooth palate of dark chocolate with sea salt, and a long and balanced finish that leaves you with with a whisper of the spices.
With India’s love for brown spirits, even with the majority of it lying in the mass-produced value segment, the standard and premium rum market is poised to grow immensely in the next 3 years, according to IWSR.
Commenting on their entry into the market of brown spirits, Anand Virmani, co-founder and CEO of Nao Spirits says, "We set the ball rolling in 2017 with the Craft Gin category, witnessing a premium growth from a 12,000-case industry to over 320,000 cases in just 5 years. Expecting sustained growth in the gin sector, we’ve finally decided to venture into the eagerly awaited premium rum category to showcase our understanding of craft spirits and local spices. After four years of refining the recipe and packaging, we are absolutely delighted with the results and cannot wait to share them with the expanding community of Craft Rum drinkers in the country."
Pipa is currently only available in the Union Territory of Goa at select outlets. While its release is exclusively within the Goan market for now, the sipping rum is due to enter the national market sometime in the near future.
You can follow Pipa here.
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