Harold & Hansa Brings Outstanding Madeira Rums To The UK

Harold & Hansa, specialists in Madeira Rum, is delighted to announce two new partnerships with Madeiran rum distillers to bring nine new rums to the UK for the first time.

Harold & Hansa has teamed up with two more distilleries; O Reizinho and Vinha Alta. This means the company now represents, in the UK market, three of the four major distilleries in Madeira.

The partnerships also mean Harold & Hansa Ltd now offers a more diverse range of products to the British rum lover. These new allegiances also strengthen their position as the premier Madeira rum specialist in the UK and allows them to further grow and develop the business, benefitting rum enthusiasts countrywide.

A rum must have a certain character to be called Madeira Rum, but that does not mean Madeiran rums cannot offer a range of delightful differences.

So, what are Harold & Hansa’s new rum ranges offering?

O Reizinho

The distillery Florentino Izildo Gouveia Ferreira, more commonly known as “O Reizinho”, is a family run enterprise. It is located in Gaula in the south east of Madeira and was established in 1982.

All the Rums produced at O Reizinho are distilled in a Portuguese alambique (i.e., Pot Still) and, after being distilled, rest in their 10,000L stainless steel tank for six months before being bottled or further aged.

The name “O Reizinho” pays homage to the story of the great grandfather of Pedro Ferreira, the current owner of the distillery. He was a statuesque man who lived to the ripe old age of 94, and was a father of 14, despite being expected to die when he was born two months premature in 1875.

The award-winning brand includes traditional unaged Agricole, cask aged, limited editions and the Peter Holland blend. All of these will now be available in the UK though Harold & Hansa.

Vinha Alta

Family-run Vinha Alta is the newest distillery on the island, established in 2019. Located in the cold hills of Canhas a Ponta do Sol town, the distillery is renowned - and proud - to be considered locally as the “crazy ones”. This is due to their revolutionary approach to producing rum, bringing innovative and fresh ideas to the sector.

Vinha Alta uses a unique method of distillation, becoming the first distillery producing a double-distilled Rum. The first distillation happens in the Pot Still at Engenhos do Norte distillery. After this first distillation, the liquid is fine-tuned in Vinha Alta’s hybrid still.

Despite its relative infancy, the distillery has already accumulated awards and offers two different brands of rum: Balancal and Shortridge Lawton. Balancal includes the inaugural release, the Single Cask Edition, Distillers Selection and the Portraits of Rum. Shortridge Lawton, pays homage to the last Madeira wine company to send their wines to age in the holds of ships crossing the equator.

Vinha Alta’s rums will now be available in the UK through Harold & Hansa.