A Tribute To
Good Old Times

Albert Michler Distillery Int. Ltd. in the UK is not really a direct successor of the traditional company “Albert Michler, Buchsdorf, Likör- Rum und Spiritus Fabrik in Buchsdorf”, Austrian Silesia. Nowadays Albert Michler liqueurs and spirits are produced in the UK, but with great respect for their ancestors. Former traditions are binding to the company. There were times when people as different as Germans, Czechs, Austrians, Hungarians, Croatians, Slovenians and other nations lived peacefully in the common Monarchy of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. In those days honour was supreme to law. The believe is that it is the greatest challenge to pursue and maintain the heritage of fathers and grandfathers and their efforts. It was in the year 1863 that Albert Michler decided to establish a liqueur factory in Buchsdorf in Silesia. This decision was taken due to the fact that in this new territory, Upper Silesia in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, the land was full of water and offered sufficient natural herbs and spices necessary for producing liquor and spirits. Albert Michler was a great man and a prominent entrepreneur. His father, Franz Michler, was a landowner in Buchsdorf. Albert was a very skillful landowner, but more important he was the producer of the world-famous liqueur “Original Buchsdorfer Magenbitter”.

A liqueur which not only had a delicious taste but boasted of healing qualities. In former times when cholera raged across the region after the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, Albert Michler established an emergency hospital for infected soldiers. He summoned a doctor and instructed nurses to treat the patients with his herbal liqueur. The success of these alternative methods was proven by saving many lives. “Albert Michler Likör-, Rum und Spiritusfabrik” was one of the oldest distilleries and rum warehouses in the Austrian Silesia region. Albert Michler supplied rums and selected liqueurs to the Imperial and Royal Court and to the Austro-Hungarian Imperial Navy. The end of the Second World War was also fatal for the distillery. The interesting and eventful life of the founder, Albert Michler Spiritus Fabrik, was a legacy to carry on – thus respecting the work of the ancestors. The displacement of the “Sudeten” German population from Silesia, and the advent of the Communist Regime changed the history of one of the most admirable producers and suppliers of liqueurs and rums in Central Europe. God give eternal glory to Franz Joseph I. of Austria, the Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary.

Why the aging process is the crucial difference

Many islands and countries where rum is produced rely on tradition and style of production. Countries usually devoted to standard rum are focused on regional sales and shipboard passengers arriving for a classic beach holiday. Premium rums are in demand more for export and ideas for further innovations often get lost. As with the production of whiskey, it is the independent producers who make their own, unique specialties, which are far removed from the standard.

Our focus – double-aging

While the classic aging of rum takes place in ex-bourbon barrels, thus often giving rum a classic bourbon-vanilla aroma, aging in different types of barrels offer almost endless possibilities. In addition to aging in different barrels, we are also focused on consistent quality in accordance with the highest standards, and on our rum having a unique finish. We use various types of wood and older barrels used for wine or port from all around the world, which highlights the individual style of the different regions of production. We use this knowledge to create unique specialties after long months of aging.

The Master Blender – Handcrafted is our secret

The Master Blender is the virtuoso of the scene (similar to a perfumer). There are no recipes for blending; the taste buds of the Master Blender is the sole crucial factor. Each barrel is different and has its own individual characteristics. The reason for blending is to obtain consistent quality. The Master Blender takes a young Rum and blends it with aged Rum so as to give the young Rum a certain spiciness. Some distilleries possess really aged R(h)ums, which have the consistency of thick, liquid Balsamic. These are not suitable for pure enjoyment, but perfect for creating a blend that is unparalleled! The spectrum that can be achieved with this is just about endless…