AWARD-winning NB Distillery has launched its latest venture –with their new rum hoping to follow the success of NB Gin and NB Vodka.

Steve Ross, head distiller, is delighted to see the rum finally launched after more than three years’ work.

He said: “Just like our gin, we wanted to produce an outstanding spirit that we absolutely love.

“The results are spectacular.”

And Mr Ross also explained the process – which has seen a new still installed at the distillery’s home, on the outskirts of North Berwick.

He said: “We started off by building our own five-litre test still which was designed to produce the best results. For us, it became obvious early on that that the double retort still could produce the rum we wanted.

“We then worked with our old friend, David Pym, from John Dore and Co, to design and build our bespoke Jamaican-style copper double retort still, which we understand is the first in Europe and indeed may be the first of its kind outside the Caribbean.

“All our visitors have been blown away by just how beautiful the new copper still looks, but I am delighted that it also performs exactly as we designed it to perform.

“The double copper retorts really do intensify the flavour of the rum.”

NB Distillery was launched in 2013 by husband-and-wife Steve and Viv Muir.

Mrs Muir, the company’s CEO, was similarly delighted to see the rum finally launched.

She said: “This is really exciting times for NB Distillery. Our new rum is an incredible addition to the NB Distillery family of spirits.

“It is fantastic that our distilling skills are such that we can now produce such complex spirits such as rum.

“The process for producing our rum is all done by us in North Berwick.

“It’s going to be so rewarding to see raw molasses arrive by the tonne at our premises and leave as our lovely rum.”

And the first batch of the new rum is available, at £35 a bottle, from Lockett Bros in North Berwick, at the distillery shop, or from www.nbdistillery.com