By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A micro rum distillery is aiming to start production from the former Buena Vista property by the first week in December, its principals yesterday saying they were confident of attracting more than their base 150,000 visitor estimate during the first year.

Jose Portuondo, a director of John Watling’s Distillery, which will produce rum under the same name, told Tribune Business that they planned to re-open the totally renovated Buena Vista house to visitor tours in January 2013.

The warehouse for the micro rum distillery is “pretty much 99 per cent complete”, and Mr Portuondo said he and his fellow investors had decided to delay the opening of the house itself - which is “75 per cent done” - to the New Year to ensure everything was right.

And he added that his fellow John Watling’s principals, brother Mario Portuondo, and cousins Pepin and Leon Argamasilla and Guillermo Garcia-Lay, were also talking to Graycliff owner, Paolo Garzaroli, about a potential joint venture partnership on other plans.

“What we’re doing right now is concentrating on the warehouse with the intention of being able to produce inventory for then Christmas holidays on a wholesale basis to all the retail stores, bars, restaurants and hotels,” Mr Portuondo told Tribune Business.

“It’s all being procured right now, and inventory is coming from all over. Tanks are being sourced and shipped. We hope to have everything in place by the first week of December to start production. If there are no surprises, we should be able to keep to that.

“That’s what we’re keeping our fingers crossed on. It’s a very aggressive timeline, but it’s achievable.”

The warehouse construction, and renovation of Buena Vista’s main house, had been accomplished in “less than a year, which is pretty impressive”, Mr Portuondo added.

Preliminary tasting of John Watling’s rum product had already taken place, he added, with a “very positive” response to its “very unique taste”.

“The rum, amber and pale is what we’ll focus on for December,” Mr Portuondo told Tribune Business.

He added that production of John Watling’s Buena Vista rum brand would be launched to coincide with the January 2013 opening of the house to tours, along with its Red Turtle vodka brand.

“We’re a micro distillery, so production will be along the lines of 25-30 cases a day,” Mr Portuondo revealed.

“In the first run after we open, we will be doing a bit more to get the inventory levels up for the market.

“It’s more of a boutique type of rum, as opposed to a mass market volume label. The product is totally hand-crafted - hand-bottled and hand-made.”

While Mr Portuondo and his family were hopeful they may be able to complete renovations to the Buena Vista main house before Christmas 2012, they believe it is “best to wait until the New Year to open the house to the visitor experience full-time”.

The John Watling’s principals, rather than talk to the cruise lines, have already approached Bahamian tour operators such as Majestic Tours and Bahamas Experience, plus taxi and surrey drivers, about adding Buena Vista to their stops for visitors.

“They’re very encouraged by it, and the fact people will be able to come in without a fee,”
 Mr Portuondo told Tribune Business.

Asked whether the 150,000 visitors in the first year forecast had been revised, he added: “We’re still using that as a very conservative number.

“We like being cautious, and as a worst case scenario that 15,000 seems to be the number. We know we’re going to be doing more than that, but like to start off with safe numbers.”

The John Watling’s project is close to Graycliff’s planned $25 million Heritage Village, and Mr Portuondo said he and his fellow principals had already been talking to the Garzarolis about “working together”.

“We’ve got exciting things we want to come down the line with in a joint venture with Paolo,” he added.

Asked how much the investors had pumped into the project, Mr Portuondo told Tribune Business: “It has been a pretty penny.

“Obviously we feel it’s definitely something that will be worth the investment, and something we will get the returns on once we get the inventory into the market.”

John Watling’s Distillery is still set to create 20 full-time jobs when completely opened.

Describing the development as “something a little different and pretty unique”, Mr Portuondo added: “There’s nothing quite like it in the Bahamas; certainly, being able to leverage our distillery side of it, but that the house is 222 years old and represents so much history for the Bahamas.”

Buena Vista was originally constructed in 1789, and has been home to persons such as Chief Justices and others that have “helped formed the Bahamas of today”.