Chris Gayle’s celebrity to drive exports of Rich Rums

Fresh from its recent launch of the Rich Rum portfolio, Triple Gold Rums is eyeing export of the new products in short order, with a push from its celebrity founder and former national cricketer, Christopher Gayle.

 

In a release, Triple Gold Rums signalled its ambitions to “compete across modern retail, hospitality and export environments”.

 

The company launched the new rum line, comprising three expressions — Rich Rum Overproof, Rich Rum Dark and Rich Rum Premium, on July 9 at the AC Hotel Kingston.  

 

The 100 per cent Jamaican-manufactured rums are the result of months' worth of collaboration between Triple Gold Rums and a renowned local manufacturer. In a statement, the release stated that the production of Rich Rums follows authentic rum-making traditions, delivering “smoothness, depth and rich flavour”.

 

Triple Gold Rums Chief Executive Officer Ian McDonald is, however, careful about sharing the nature of the white-labelling arrangement and refuses to name the manufacturer. Still, he shared with Amber News that “our partner is authentically Jamaican, adhering to the Jamaican rum standard and geographical indications”.

 

Responding to a query on how soon the company expects to begin exports, the Canadian McDonald said, “So we've been working on this [Rich Rums product line] for quite some time, as I mentioned, two years four months almost to the date. We already have interests from other foreign markets primarily the cricket diaspora countries where Chris's celebrity is the catalyst for purchase.”

 

Gayle, a former West Indies cricketer who found fame playing in various international Twenty20 leagues, including the Indian Premier League, has an Instagram following of approximately 7 million. His TikTok following amounts to 1.5 million users.

 

McDonald added, “But because Jamaican rum is revered globally around the world, Jamaica is considered the country that perfected rum production and you have the best conditions for aging here as well, so our global expansion will happen very quickly.”

 

Opportunities and Challenges

The Triple Gold Rums CEO further disclosed that there is an opportunity for exports to his homeland, Canada, where the Liquor Control Board of Ontario have pulled American spirits and liquors from its shelves due to heavy tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump Administration. The organisation has instead opted for rums from Jamaica, Cuba, Guyana, Brazil, and other countries.

 

“I want this product coast to coast in short time, so, yes, we do have interests from the Canadian market, McDonald informed Amber News.

 

Still, McDonald will also have to manoeuvre the global decline in alcohol consumption. In 2025, spirits sales fell by approximately 3 per cent globally.

 

Addressing this issue, he said that Triple Gold Rums has created affordable, attainable products “that by all measures should be priced over our competitors just because of the quality.”

 

Export Endorsement

During  the launch of the products, minister of state in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce Delano Seiveright commended the company for sharing export ambitions.

 

"That is important because this is exactly the kind of value-added product Jamaica must continue to produce: authentic, premium, exportable, and proudly Jamaican," he said.

 

"Rich Rum is another reminder that the world will make space for Jamaican excellence when we package it properly, market it properly and back it seriously. Rum is well poisitioned globally because consumers are looking for products with authenticity, culture, story, and flavour," he added.

 

Already, Triple Gold Rums has engaged AU Trading as its rum distribution partner to expand the reach of the spirit among wholesalers, hotels, airports and select export markets.

- JS