For immediate release
June, 11 2014
JAPANESE RUM “NINE LEAVES” WINS THE BRONZE MEDAL
AT III CONGRESO INTERNACIONAL DEL RON MADRID 2014
Auto-parts manufacturer Takehiro Co. Ltd. launched the "NINE LEAVES" brand of domestic rum in 2013. “NINE LEAVES ANGEL’S HALF ~ American Oak Cask” was awarded the bronze medal at the III CONGRESO INTERNACIONAL DEL RON MADRID 2014 in the “Ron Añejo 5 años o menos” (rum aged for 5 years or less) category, becoming the first Japanese rum to receive an award at this competition.
CONGRESO INTERNACIONAL DEL RON MADRID is an international rum festival held in Madrid, Spain every year. Over the course of two days, June 3-4, this event became a gathering ground for rum makers, distributors, sellers, experts and connoisseurs from around the world. Rum brands from Europe, North America, Asia and South America participated and were judged by an international panel of experts in the field.
Approximately 5,000 people attended the event and the reputation of NINE LEAVES spread throughout the festival attracting many curious attendees to the booth to get a sample. Comments such as, “Compared to the average rum, even with a high alcohol content of 50%, it tastes very smooth” and “It’s a wonderfully made alcohol, makes me want to keep drinking more” kept coming up during the event.
“Angel’s Half ~ American Oak Cask” and “Angel’s Half ~ French Oak Cask” received very positive reviews despite being showcased next to many well-known rum brands. NINE LEAVES celebrated it’s one-year anniversary on June 3, 2014 and to be able to win this award after also winning an award at the RHUM FEST PARIS in April, is a huge honor.
NINE LEAVES continues to export to France and hopes to export to other European nations as well as North America.
About NINE LEAVES
With the concept, “Sincerely Made, Rum from Japan” the brand launched in 2013. Using only the finest ingredients including super soft water refined by the Otowa Mountains in Shiga Prefecture and brown sugar (muscovado) from Okinawa, Honshu’s first domestically produced rum brand was born. The use of handmade copper pot-stills imported from Scotland’s well-known Forsyth Inc., for the initial distillation of NINE LEAVES rum, created a delicate and sweet flavor with depth and layers.
Being part of a family that had been in the automotive industry for 4 generations, Yoshiharu decided to enter into a completely different industry with the yearning to create a finished product that embodies his creativity and the spirit of Japanese craftsmanship that runs throughout the family.
The first product “NINE LEAVES CLEAR" (Launched June, 2013) is a strong and vibrant white rum. The scent closely resembles that of daiginjyo and has a Japanese element to it which makes it relatable and has earned it a high reputation at bars and hotels nationwide. NINE LEAVES launched a limited amount of it’s first series of barrel-aged rum, “ANGEL’S HALF ~ American Oak Cask” and “ANGEL’S HALF ~ French Oak Cask” in April of this year and the first batch sold out within 1 month. The next batch should be available around October or November this year.