Rhum Vieux Labbé
Rhum Vieux Labbé is a Haitian aged-rum brand produced and bottled in Port-au-Prince by Berling S.A.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Rhum Vieux Labbé is a Haitian rum brand produced and bottled by Berling S.A. in Port-au-Prince. The brand is associated with the Linge family, whose ancestry is linked to Labbé Barbancourt, the brother of Dupré Barbancourt, the founder of the better-known Barbancourt rum legacy. This family connection places Vieux Labbé within the historical tradition of Haitian rum production rather than presenting it as an unrelated modern spirits label. The business history given for the brand dates to 1903, when Labbé Barbancourt began selling rum at an early reported price of HTG 1.50 per gallon, equivalent at the time to approximately US$0.30. Later family connections shaped the corporate identity: Labbé Barbancourt's granddaughter, Jeanne Barbancourt, married a German fragrance specialist identified in reference material as Mr. Berling. His surname became part of Berling S.A., the company that produces Vieux Labbé. The company is identified as being owned by Herbert Linge. Vieux Labbé is made in Haiti using a traditional production approach described as Haitian-style Cognac distillation, a method whose historical roots lie in France. The rum is aged in oak barrels, and the portfolio is organized primarily by maturation period. Reported expressions include a three-year three-star rum, a five-star expression described as seven years old, an Édition Spéciale aged eight years, and a ten-year rum. These products position the brand around mature, barrel-aged rum rather than an unaged or purely mixing-focused spirit. The brand has received international recognition. In 2007, it won the inaugural Drinks International Rum Challenge in the category for rums aged more than seven years. In 2008, it received a Superior Taste Award from the International Taste and Quality Institute, now generally known as the International Taste Institute. The available reference material does not establish the brand's current distribution footprint, production volume, corporate structure beyond Berling S.A., or present-day operating status. Accordingly, Vieux Labbé is best characterized as a Haitian heritage rum brand with a documented aged-rum range and award history, while several aspects of its contemporary business remain unverified.
History
Rhum Vieux Labbé traces its documented origins to the Barbancourt family network in Haiti. Labbé Barbancourt, identified as the brother of Dupré Barbancourt, began selling rum in 1903. The historical account associated with the brand states that the early product was sold at HTG 1.50 per gallon, approximately US$0.30 at the time. This date provides the earliest documented starting point for the business tradition later associated with Vieux Labbé. The family story continued through Labbé Barbancourt's descendants. His granddaughter, Jeanne Barbancourt, married a German fragrance specialist known in the available account as Mr. Berling. His surname was adopted by the company Berling S.A., which produces and bottles Rhum Vieux Labbé in Port-au-Prince. The available material identifies Herbert Linge as the owner of Berling S.A. and connects the brand to the Linge family. Production is described as Haitian rum made through a traditional Haitian-style form of Cognac distillation, a method historically originating in France. The spirit is aged in oak barrels. Rather than relying on a single bottling, the brand has presented a maturation-led range including three-star, five-star, special-edition, and ten-year expressions. The reference description specifies that the three-star product is aged three years, the five-star product is described as seven years old, and the special edition is aged eight years. Vieux Labbé gained external recognition in the late 2000s. In 2007, it won the inaugural Drinks International Rum Challenge for rum aged more than seven years. The following year, it received a Superior Taste Award from the International Taste and Quality Institute. No reliable material supplied for this entry establishes subsequent ownership changes, current production, distribution markets, advertising activity, or a confirmed current operating status. The brand's modern history should therefore be supplemented with current company and market records before being treated as fully documented.
- 2008
Superior Taste Award
[1]The brand received a Superior Taste Award from the International Taste and Quality Institute.
- 2007
Drinks International Rum Challenge victory
[1]Vieux Labbé won the inaugural Drinks International Rum Challenge for rums aged more than seven years.
- 1903
Documented beginning of the rum business
[1]Labbé Barbancourt is reported to have begun selling rum, establishing the historical origin associated with the Vieux Labbé brand.
Products and positioning
A heritage Haitian rum brand centered on oak-aged expressions, traditional distillation, family lineage, and international spirits-award recognition.
Aged rum
Rhum Vieux Labbé 3-Star
A three-star Vieux Labbé expression identified as being aged for three years. It represents one of the brand's younger documented barrel-aged bottlings and forms part of the range organized around maturation time.
Aged rum
Rhum Vieux Labbé 5-Star
A five-star expression described in the reference material as seven years old. Its longer maturation places it among the brand's more mature core offerings and aligns with Vieux Labbé's emphasis on oak-aged Haitian rum.
Special-edition aged rum
Rhum Vieux Labbé Édition Spéciale
A special-edition Vieux Labbé rum reported as aged for eight years. The available source identifies its maturation period but does not provide verified details about its release size, recipe, packaging, or distribution.
Aged rum
Rhum Vieux Labbé 10 Years
A ten-year rum in the Vieux Labbé portfolio. It is the oldest specifically named expression in the supplied product list, although additional technical details and current availability are not established by the available material.
Recent events
- 2008
Vieux Labbé receives Superior Taste Award[1]
Other
The brand received a Superior Taste Award from the International Taste and Quality Institute for its rum.
- 2007
Vieux Labbé wins inaugural Drinks International Rum Challenge[1]
Other
Rhum Vieux Labbé won the inaugural Drinks International Rum Challenge in the category for rum aged more than seven years.
Sources1 sources
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