Date of Release: 1888
Alc/Volume: 37% Bottle sizes: 50ml, 200ml, 375ml, 700ml, 1125ml, 2 litre, 5
litre and 20 litre
Details: Bundaberg UP Rum is the original product which goes by many names including
Liquid Gold, Cane Champagne, Bundy and The Square Bear. It is enjoyed all over this
great nation. Over 97% of Bundaberg UP Rum is enjoyed in Australia. Bundaberg UP
Rum is the product that the Bundaberg Distilling Company has become “Famous” for.
First distilled in 1888, the current day master distillers still follow the same
time honoured process as the founders.
Grown in the fertile soil around the Bundaberg region, the finest cane is sent to
the Sugar Mill next door to the distillery where it is processed. Molasses the sweet
rich by product of the refining process is then fermented, double distilled, then
sealed away to age in large Oak vats (up to 75,000 litres) housed in the various
Bonds around the site.
There is almost 300 of these Oak vats on site that to this day, are still hand made
by a family cooperage in Bundaberg (Schmeiders Cooperage), just around the corner
from the distillery.
Aged for a minimum of two years, with an alcohol content of about 78%, it is then
mixed with pure water in the marrying tanks and then bottled at 37% ABV, in the trademark
“Brick” bottle that has changed little over the decades. The bottle is based original
Brick bottle designed in 1961 by Mr Samuel McMahon (brother of former Australian
Prime Minister Sir William McMahon), and who was also responsible for the introduction
of Bundy R. Bear.
Variations: Variations of Bundaberg UP Rum are numerous and varied. Variations included
different alcohol strengths, 37%, 37.1%, 37.5% and Western Australian strength of
42.1%. Different bottle shapes, label changes, imperial and metric volumes, different
promotions, as well as different bottlers.
Prior to 1974, BDC did not bottle their own product. Bundaberg Rum was wholesaled
to over 90 different companies who bottled Bundaberg Rum under their own brand. In
the 1960’s BDC decided to take some control of their name and encouraged bottlers
to use “This is Famous Bundaberg Rum” on their labels, by paying for part of the
label printing costs.
BDC took full control of the bottling of their products in the mid 1970’s after the
collapse of the Millaquin brand and all the bottling of spirits is now done on site
at the distillery, except for the RTD (Ready To Drinks) which are bottled/canned
at Huntingwood in Sydney.
