We enjoyed the Bundaberg Rum Distillery Tour when we visited Bundaberg.
When you hear the Queensland city of Bundaberg mentioned in any conversation, chances are your mind will drift straight to alcohol. And not just any alcohol but rum, to be precise. If you didn’t already know, Bundaberg is famous worldwide for the rum it produces.
On our recent visit to Bundaberg, the home of Bundy Rum – the Bundaberg Rum Distillery Tour was number one on our list of things to do in Bundaberg.
The History of the Bundaberg Rum Factory
Bundaberg Rum was established in 1888 by seven enterprising men who thought they could do something better with the tonnes of molasses produced than tipping it out. Australia already had a taste for rum, so it was an instant success when the first batch was ready a year later.
Bundaberg Rum survived two devastating fires: one in 1907 and the second in 1936. The first fire completely destroyed the distillery. Three years later, in 1939, it was rebuilt and reopened. It still sits on the same site today.
You may wonder how a polar bear became the symbolic icon of Bundaberg Rum. Bundaberg Rum’s marketing genius, Sam McMahon, thought it up. McMahon means ‘Son of Bear’ in Irish. He also came up with Bundaberg Rum’s unique square bottle design!
The Bundaberg Rum Museum
Bundaberg Rum has a brand new museum area that showcases its history. Located within a retired ‘Bondstore,’ each museum section is housed in a 75,000-litre vat. So, you are standing inside a giant empty vat that once held rum.
I have to say that this is probably one of the best museum displays that I have seen anywhere. It was unique, well laid out, and told the history of Bundaberg Rum.
The Bundy Rum Tour
After wandering through the museum, it was time for our distillery tour. Our tour guide, Dave, greeted us in the museum cinema area. After a short safety briefing, we headed outside and were asked to place any items with batteries in them into a locker. You can also leave bags in this area.
We then headed out into the distillery. The smell of molasses hangs in the air, but it is nothing compared to the shed, which contains a huge pool of molasses just waiting to be turned into rum.
It holds about 5 million litres of molasses. You even get to sample some molasses, which might surprise you if you have never tried it before.
Rum contains only three ingredients: molasses, yeast, and water. The yeast doubles in size every 24 hours, so the vat it is held in must also increase in size. After fermentation, the rum is distilled into huge oak barrels, where it matures for at least two years.
The Bundy Rum Barrel Room
We then headed into the Barrel Room, where we learned about all the different rums Bundaberg Rum makes. Bundaberg Rum doesn’t just produce plain old rum; they also make a variety of liqueurs and several aged rums.
Several of their rums have won awards, including their Solera, which won the 2017 World’s Best Dark Rum title. These specialty rums are aged in barrels that have previously had other spirits or liqueurs in them, including port, whisky, and bourbon. The Solera is aged in port, bourbon, and sweet sherry barrels. And a bottle will only set you back $190.00!
Tasting Bundaberg Rum
As part of the distillery tour, you will sample two products. Now, this was a tough decision for us because…..shock, horror……we’re not rum drinkers. We decided to pick two things we wanted to try, and then, as you get a full nip, we could try each other.
I headed straight for the liqueurs and opted for the Christmas Pudding Liqueur and the Salted Caramel Liqueur (served with a swirl of cream). Kev picked two rums from the Master Distillers Collection – the Small Batch and Vintage Barrel.
The Small Batch is matured in Brandy and Cognac barrels and won the World’s Best Gold Rum in 2016. It was quite smooth to drink but still a bit too strongly flavoured for us. The Small Batch Vintage Barrel was a step up in taste and smoothness. It is matured in 100-year-old port barrels, and I could almost smell Christmas cake.
We loved both the liqueurs that we tried. My favourite was the Christmas Pudding, whilst Kev liked the Small Batch.
Bundaberg Rum Distillery Tour Prices
Prices start at $30 per person for the Museum and Distillery tour, including two tastings. Tickets can be purchased in person or online. If you don’t want to do the Distillery Tour, entry to the museum is $20 and still includes two tastings. You can book your Bundaberg Rum Distillery Tour HERE.
Final Thoughts
Bundaberg Rum has done an amazing job creating the new museum and cellar door area. The covered outdoor area is the perfect spot to relax with a drink. The cellar door sells a wide variety of Bundaberg Rum merchandise along with all the different varieties of rum, many of which are unavailable in mainstream retail outlets.
The only thing they could add to the experience is light meals. As we finished our tour right at lunchtime, I would have happily had lunch and a couple more drinks had that option been available.
Regardless, we highly recommend doing the Bundaberg Rum Distillery Tour next time you are in town.
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With years of experience travelling Australia in a caravan, I’m passionate about helping others embark on their own unforgettable adventures. From off-grid camping tips to expert advice on planning the ultimate big lap of Australia, I share stories, practical hacks, and inspiration to make your journey stress-free and exciting. Whether you’re a seasoned traveller or just starting out, join me as I explore the beauty of Australia, one road at a time!
Thanks for the lovely review, Melissa. Unfortunately during our visit last week the tours were not running because of Covid-19, so I found looking through your photos and reading your words that i had a virtual tour! I am a Bundy rum drinker and have loved their product for many decades.
I really would like to go back for the full tour one day!
I cannot believe you and Brenden are not rum drinkers!
I would do the tour again. It’s very interesting. And I have to admit I do like their liqueurs.
My 70th Birthday treat from my Son and his Wife to See The Bundaderg Distillery 🙂
Love the Museum and I have one Wish crossed of My Bucket List . .
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I loved the flavoured liqueurs and My Son purchased my favourites ((CHOCOLATE & BANANA mixed))
Well worth taking the Tour if you are passing Bundaberg 🙂
I am the Proud owner of a few Items from the Gift shop 🙂
It’s an awesome tour. The tasting at the end is just an added bonus!
Totally agree Melissa, the Bundaberg Rum Distillery Tour is well worth a visit. We really enjoyed our tour. And YES we enjoyed the liqueurs. So much so, we bought all three bottles. We bought loved the chocolate and coffee & the salted caramel. The banana flavoured liqueur was our least favourite. Loved all the great information in your post. 👍😊
We didn’t buy any and I kind of wished I had now. Oh well it will give us an excuse to go back again!