Type Rum Country of origin India Alcohol by volume 42.8% | Manufacturer Mohan Meakin Introduced 1954 Colour Dark Brown | |
Old Monk Rum known as 'OMR' is an iconic vatted Indian dark rum, launched on 19 December 1954. It is blended and aged for a minimum of 7 years. It is a dark rum with a distinct vanilla flavour, with an alcohol content of 42.8%. It is produced in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, available in all parts of India.
Contents
There is no advertising, its popularity depends on word of mouth and loyalty of customers. However, in 2013 Old Monk lost its rank as the largest selling dark rum to McDowell’s No.1 Celebration Rum. Old Monk has been the biggest Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) brand for many years.
Old Monk was ranked 5th among Indian spirits brands at the Impact International's 2008 list of "Top 100 Brands At Retail Value" with a retail value of US$240 million.
It is sold in six size variants: 90 ml, 180 ml, 375 ml, 500ml, 750 ml, and 1 litre bottles. Old Monk had been awarded gold medals at Monde World Selections since 1982.
History
In 1855, an entrepreneurial Scotsman named Edward Abraham Dyer, father of Colonel Reginald Edward Harry Dyer of Jallianwala Bagh massacre, set up a brewery in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh to cater to the British requirement for cheap beer. This brewery changed hands and became a distillery by the name of Mohan Meakin Pvt. Ltd.
Old Monk was first introduced in India in the 1960s. Before Old Monk, there was Hercules rum that was distilled exclusively for the armed forces. Superior in taste and perhaps even in quality to Hercules (as loyalists believe), the brand soon became one of the leading dark rums in the world and perhaps the most popular IMFL (Indian-Made Foreign Liquor) brand in the country. The affordable pricing strategy has also worked in their favor. There was a time when Old Monk dominated the rum market. There were other brands also but none came close in quality or popularity. About eight million bottles were sold annually. Today the sales are a quarter of that and they continue to decline. There were recent rumours about Old Monk closing down but it's makers Mohan Meakin Ltd, assured that Old Monk is not going to be taken off market.
Varieties
While the 7 years aged XXX rum grade is the most popular, there are Supreme & Gold Reserve varieties which are gaining in popularity. These are aged for 12 years and are blended with highly matured spirits. Supreme also comes in a special bottle, with the shape of a standing monk. The top part of the monk's head is the bottle cap, which also doubles up as a peg measure.There is a limited edition that has been launched in 2013. The number of years it has been aged is unclear, the box states "very old vatted". The 1 litre bottle is in the shape of the old monk's face.
Alcohol content
Like most other liquors produced in India, the percentage of ethanol in Old Monk is 42.8% ABV.
International
Old Monk is sold by some retailers in Russia, United States, UK, Japan, UAE, Estonia, Finland, New Zealand, and Canada.