Ageing Accelerated: NH Collection Maldives Reethi Reveals the World’s First Certified Underwater Aged Rum by a Resort

For centuries, the maturation of fine spirits has been a land‑bound ritual, guided by oak, air and time. At NH Collection Maldives Reethi Resort, that tradition turned seaward. In partnership with Planteray Rum, widely regarded as one of the world’s best premium rum brands, the property has completed the world’s first certified underwater ageing of rum in glass bottles by a resort, with the inaugural batch earning glowing evaluations for its depth and complexity.

For twelve months, while the resort itself was undergoing 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 metres beneath the surface, a selection of Planteray Rum bottles lay undisturbed in their ocean cellar, at a site identified by our resident Aquafanatics dive experts as sheltered from harsh currents, protected from excessive sunlight and calm enough to let time do its work uninterrupted.

Brought ashore for the resort’s reopening on 21 December 2025, the sunken treasure, still bearing the fingerprints of marine life that had embraced it during its underwater repose, revealed a character that surprised even seasoned experts.

“Underwater, time and conditions interact differently with the liquid. After a year beneath the sea, the rum has developed enhanced roundness, smoothness and complexity,” said Fannie Thibaud, Deputy Master Blender at Planteray Rum.

“A passion project and an ambitious experiment, our sea-aged rums bring together innovation, artistry and storytelling in every sip,” said Valentin Osolos, General Manager at NH Collection Maldives Reethi Resort. “We couldn’t have done it without our partners at Planteray Rum, who immediately recognised the potential to create something the industry hadn’t seen before and helped us reimagine what craftsmanship can look like in the Maldives.”

By choosing to surrender control to nature and letting it work in patience and silence, with only occasional dives to check the integrity of the cages, the spirit becomes inseparable from its setting in the UNESCO‑protected Baa Atoll.

Mature beyond its years

Buoyed by the success of this inaugural vintage, Planteray Rum has already entrusted the resort with new varieties, now undergoing their own year‑long transformation beneath the waves. The programme is set to become a permanent feature of the resort’s culinary and mixology 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, combining aged XO rum with warming chai spice 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, please visit https://world.nh-hotels.com/en/nh-collection-maldives-reethi.

Formerly known as Plantation Rum, Planteray Rum embarked on a new journey in January 2024, embracing a rebrand that highlights the same world-class quality and passion that have defined the brand for over 25 years. Recognized by its iconic raffia-wrapped bottles, Planteray is celebrated globally for its depth, complexity, and the unique rum terroirs it represents.  Named Best Rum Brand of the Year 2024 by The Spirits Business, and awarded Best Caribbean Rum 2025 by USA Today’s Readers’ Choice Awards, Planteray Rum’s flagship expression, XO 20th Anniversary, is one of the most awarded XO rums in history. In 2025, Planteray’s coconut expression, Cut & Dry, was named Best New Spirit in the World at the Spirited Awards® by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, further recognition of the brand’s bold innovation and deep Barbadian roots. 

For more information, visit www.planterayrum.com and follow @PlanterayRum on Facebook & Instagram. 

NH Collection Hotels & Resorts is a premium hospitality brand with over 100 properties across Europe and the Americas and a growing global footprint in Asia, the Middle East, and the Indian Ocean. Offering worldly travellers stays that evoke extraordinary feelings, NH Collection perfectly combines comfort, innovation, intuitive service, an elegant atmosphere, and surprising flavours, all embedded in the local identity.

NH Collection Hotels & Resorts is a Minor Hotels brand and recognises its guests through one unified loyalty programme, Minor DISCOVERY, part of GHA DISCOVERY.

Visit nh-collection.com for more information and connect with NH Collection on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.