Meet the Producers | Matugga Distillers | 2024
Matugga Distillers was founded by husband and wife team, Paul and Jacine Rutasikwa. The company produces a diverse range of multi-award-winning rums from scratch under their two brands, Matugga Rum and Liv Rum. All rums are fermented, distilled, matured and bottled at their distillery and bonded warehouse in Livingston.
Combining distilling skills honed in Scotland, with high-quality African sugarcane molasses and natural ingredients, along with Jamaican rum-making techniques, they have created a product portfolio like no other. These visionary spirit-making processes result in a unique array of flavours, all meticulously crafted through small-batch copper pot distillation.
They produce a full spectrum of rum styles, from a funky, navy-strength white rum to smooth, cask-aged rums and aromatic spiced and fruity flavoured rums. Their flagship product is Matugga Golden, a gourmet pure single rum matured in ex-bourbon casks bringing tropical and wood spice notes with a smoky finish.
The Matugga range also includes the tantalising Matugga Spiced, infused with a masala chai blend and made with ingredients sourced directly from smallholder farmers in Tanzania and Zanzibar. New Matugga expressions will be showcased at the Scottish Rum Festival, so don’t miss it!
In addition, the Liv range features Liv Black Spiced, a molasses-enriched spiced rum, and the tropical-style Liv Passionfruit and Pineapple rum, perfect for the summer.
Their rums have been recognised by global drinks experts with several prestigious international awards, including an Outstanding Gold medal (98 point out of 100) from last year's International Wine and Spirit Competition for Mavuno 2022, their inaugural 3-year-old rum.
The team have also set their ambitions on developing a sugarcane estate on their family land in Matugga in Uganda, where they will employ and train local agricultural workers and become a “Cane to Cask” producer.
Matugga’s award-winning creations will be available to explore at this year’s festival.
Website | matuggarum.com
Facebook | fb.com/matuggarum
Instagram | @matuggarum
Twitter | @matuggarum