OUR HISTORY

In Paris, France, Louis Philippe 1^st was king. Some 10,000 km away at Saint-Pierre on Reunion Island, the king’s apothecary Laurent-Philippe had been assigned the mission of seeking out medicinal plants.  As Laurent-Philippe, after a 4-month perilous voyage, Louis Isautier his great-nephew, then aged 23, moved to Reunion Island in 1832. Later on he is joined by Charles, his younger brother – both were imbued with a keen sense of adventure.  They were enthralled by the profusion of sugar cane on the island, growing in abundance as far as the eye could see and they acquired land to grow sugar cane specially selected for making the family rum.

Louis and Charles established the Isautier family business, which bears the same name to this day. It is the oldest rum distillery on Reunion Island and the oldest business on the island today. Six successive generations have passed on their knowledge, creating an epic story which spans nearly two hundred years.

Following the death of Charles Isautier, his widow Antoinette became head of the family company, driving its development and growing the export business. Isautier rums began to receive numerous international awards for their quality.

Alfred Isautier launched the iconic triangular bottle that rapidly became associated with the brand, underpinning its identity. Bottle design and development became an important consideration for the Isautier brand image.

The launch of the very first of the Isautier ‘arrangés’.  Back in the 15^th century, sailors on the sea route to India would mix spices and fruit in alcohol to preserve them. On the island, this developed later into the ‘rhum arrangé’ tradition – white rum with spices, leaves, fruits and citrus peel.  Isautier set out to further this tradition with the Gingerlick “arrangé”.

The opening of “la Saga du Rhum”, a museum on the Isautier estate at Saint-Pierre. The museum  features a cultural and sensory journey around the history of Reunion Island, its inhabitants and its traditional product, rum.  The museum has already welcomed nearly 350,000 visitors.

Drawing inspiration from its history, Isautier launched new “arrangés” in an attractive square-shaped bottle. The fruit of an ancestral tradition, the “arrangés” reflect the island’s rich heritage. Isautier created this new segment and has become market leader.  Since 2016, Isautier has frequently received accolades in the “Saveurs de l’Année” (best taste awards) for its now famous “arrangés”.

Isautier’s 7 year old rum was awarded the prestigious Best Spirit Trophy at the international Spirits Selection competition.  Over the years, Isautier has received over 150 medals and awards in international competitions across the globe – the first dating back to 1870.

The 175^th anniversary of the Isautier company.  The same year, the ‘Rhum Vieux Louis & Charles’ was awarded a gold medal at the International Spirits Challenge in London.  On this occasion, Isautier embarked on a new drive to further strengthen the company’s image, the presentation style of the rums and their distribution.  As the benchmark producer for rum from Réunion Island and the Indian Ocean, Isautier drew on its magnificent heritage to reaffirm the family’s unique style of rum:  fresh, fruity – a subtle oakiness for the aged rums – and with characteristic notes of ocean spray.