NH Collection Maldives Reethi unveils world’s first certified underwater-aged rum from a resort | News
Cage of Planteray Rum submerged at NH Collection Maldives Reethi Resort for a year of underwater aging.
For centuries, the maturation of good spirits has been a land-based ritual, guided by oak, air and time. At NH Collection Maldives Reethi Resort, that tradition turned to the sea. In partnership with Planteray Rum, widely regarded as one of the world’s best premium rum brands, the property completed the world’s first certified underwater maturing of rum in glass bottles by a resort, with the first batch receiving critical acclaim for its depth and complexity.
For twelve months, while the resort itself underwent a transformation, the rum matured in a gentle rocking motion, shaped by hydrostatic pressure, slow currents and the constant temperature of the deep. Resting in custom-designed metal cages, ten meters below the surface, a selection of Planteray Rum bottles lay undisturbed in their ocean cellar, in a spot identified by our diving experts at Aquafanatics as sheltered from strong currents, protected from excessive sunlight and quiet enough to allow time to do its work uninterrupted.
Brought ashore for the resort’s reopening on December 21, 2025, the sunken treasure, which still bears the fingerprints of the marine life that had embraced it during its underwater rest, revealed a character that surprised even seasoned experts.
“Underwater, time and conditions interact differently with the liquid. After a year underwater, the rum has developed improved roundness, smoothness and complexity,” says Fannie Thibaud, Deputy Master Blender at Planteray Rum.
“Our sea-aged rum is a passion project and an ambitious experiment, bringing together innovation, artistry and storytelling in every sip,” said Valentin Osolos, General Manager at NH Collection Maldives Reethi Resort. “We couldn’t have done this without our partners at Planteray Rum, who immediately recognized the potential to create something the industry had never seen before and helped us reimagine what craftsmanship can look like in the Maldives.”
By choosing to surrender control to nature and let it work in patience and silence, with only the occasional dip to check the integrity of the cages, the mind becomes inextricably linked to its environment in the UNESCO-protected Baa Atoll.
Older than his years
Buoyed by the success of this first vintage, Planteray Rum has already entrusted the resort with new varieties, which are now undergoing their own year-long transformation beneath the waves. The program will become a permanent part of the resort’s culinary and mixological offering. At Handhuvaru, the resort’s signature mixology concept, guests can experience the new maritime vintage neat or in imaginative cocktails such as Chai on the Rocks, which combines aged XO rum with warming chai spices and subtle tropical sweetness, or Mocha Molasses, an intense expression of overproof rum layered with espresso and dark chocolate.
For more information about NH Collection Maldives Reethi Resort, visit https://world.nh-hotels.com/en/nh-collection-maldives-reethi.
