Berling S.A.

Geschichte

Haiti has produced over thirty brands of rum since 1765. Unfortunately today there is only a handful remaining. Berling S.A. is one of these few remaining labels, producing rum aged in Oak barrels as in true tradition originating in Cognac, France. Berling S.A releases only specially selected rums and is proud to offer among these The Vieux Labbé Premium Rum, in memory of Labbé Barbancourt, Grandfather of the late Jane Barbancourt, Great-grandfather of Herbert Barbancourt Linge who is today President of Berling S.A. Herbert Barbancourt Linge has preserved his family’s well kept secrets of rum making from his ancestors and has utilized these and the talent of his Father, Rudolf Linge, renown perfume maker from France, who settled in Haiti during World War II, to produce this rum of excellence offered by Berling S.A. Berling S.A will continue to maintain these traditions and produce rums of the finest quality for your enjoyment today and in the future.

Berling S.A. has been in operation for over sixty years. The company was set up like many other distilleries in the region, by a European who emigrated to the Caribbean. During the second World War a German named Siegfried Linge, whose family were farmers by trade and came from the Elsterwerda/Biehla area in Germany, where they had huge tracts of farmland.

Once in Haiti Siegfried Linge married a local Haitian lady called Jane Barbancourt and this name was given to the rum distillery they set up together. This can be confusing as many people think their rhum is made by the same company that makes the world famous Rhum Barbancourt of the Societe du Rhum Barbancourt, which is actually made by T.Gardere & Cie company, a seperate company.

Today the Jane Barbancourt company is run by Mme. Linge's son, Herbert Barbancourt Linge and is called Berling S.A. The distillery is high up in the mountains above the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince in Jane Barbancourt's castle. Apparently there is a spectacular view of the city and the bay from the castle in a town called Boutiller, a few miles east of Port-au-Prince.

One of the latest rhums produced by the company today is the award winning rhum called Rhum Vieux Labbe. This rhum is named after Jane Barbancourt's grandfather Labbe Barbancourt and comes in four different labellings, white, (shown below) gold, red and black.