-Senior official says this tells a story of consistent excellence, innovation

BANKS DIH Limited on Thursday announced that its flagship XM Rum (5, 12, and 15-year-olds) and Maximum Vodka products have been awarded the prestigious Monde Selection Gold Quality Award.

At an event celebrating this achievement at the company’s Thirst Park Headquarters, Banks’s Rum Plant Executive Mr. Gregory Garraway said that this is a story of Guyanese excellence, competing and winning on the global stage.

The company believes Guyana is in an important, and extraordinary transformational phase. As our economy grows, Guyana is becoming more known on the global stage. Receiving this prestigious award at this time, they said, is fitting for a Guyanese manufacturer with roots dating back to 1955.

Garraway, in his speech, said that a gold medal from the Monde Selection signals “absolute perfection in taste, aroma, and craftsmanship”.

Dedicating this international recognition to the employees of the Rum Factory, Garraway told them that their patience, precision, and hard work have made this achievement possible.

Sharing a brief history of the company, Garraway said that Banks is no stranger to excellence. Banks’s story started in the 1840s, when Jose Gomes D’Aguiar established their rum business. By the year 1959, Bank’s XM Rum had risen as the number one rum in the region.

“We proved our global standing early on, capturing a Double Gold Award for our XM 10-year-old at the 1979 International Wine and Spirits Competition,” Garraway said, “In 1989, Mr. Clifford Reis took the helm as Chairman and Managing Director following the passing of Mr. Peter D’Aguiar. Under his visionary leadership, strategic capital investments, and a deep commitment to our workforce, we have steadily modernised our operations while preserving our traditional craftsmanship.”

According to the senior official, that fusion of legacy and innovation is why Banks wins today. Each rum that is crafted begins with premium alcohol that is aged to perfection in oak bourbon barrels. Each bottle, he said, carries a distinct character that reflects its precise age.

The XM 5-Year-Old Rum offers a versatile, and well-balanced profile within the XM Portfolio. It is matured for five years, achieving a pleasing harmony between oak influence, and vibrant fruit character, making it approachable and premium in style.

Banks’ XM 12-year-old Special Select was described as another distinguished expression of Guyana’s rum-making heritage. It is aged for 12 years in oak casks, developing remarkable depth and complexity, while remaining one of the Caribbean’s most respected rum profiles. It has a deep amber colour, and mahogany highlights, presenting rich aromas of vanilla, toasted oak, dried fruit, and warm baking spices.

“The XM 15-year-old Rum is one of the pinnacle expressions of our company’s rum-making excellence. Carefully matured in oak casks, this prestigious blend commands respect among rum connoisseurs worldwide. Complex, refined, and deeply satisfying, it embodies the rich heritage of Guyana’s extraordinary rum-making tradition,” Garraway said.

The XM 15-year-old has a deep mahogany with brilliant copper highlights, and is complemented by luxurious aromas of dried fruit, aged leather, dark toffee, toasted oak, and warm exotic spices.

Garraway stated that Banks’ spirit of innovation does not stop at rum. In July 2020, the company launched Maximum Vodka, a triple-distilled spirit designed for ultimate smoothness. Maximum Vodka is Banks’s flagship premium vodka, produced to the highest standards. Driven by a commitment to perfection, Banks’ Chairman approved the acquisition of a state-of-the art filtration system in 2024. It was fully commissioned last year, and delivers unparalleled purity, earning Maximum Vodka its place on the global stage.

Alongside this, Garraway mentioned that backing all of these achievements is Banks’ uncompromising commitment to global standards. The company’s Rum and Vodka Plant is fully ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management-certified, and ISO 22000:2018 Food Safety Management-certified.

“To every employee of Banks DIH Limited, these gold medals are the result of us working together towards our mission statement, that is, ‘We are committed to building on our tradition of excellence by providing quality products and services, financial results and management performance that meets the interest of our shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers and the communities in which we operate’,” Garraway said.