A Legacy Reimagined
When Grays set out to craft New Grove Inception, the oldest Mauritian rum ever released, the vision was clear. To honour the island’s rum-making heritage while elevating it into a work of art. Having previously reimagined the New Grove portfolio with a bold, contemporary identity, Just Design was once again entrusted to translate the distillery’s legacy into something timeless and rare. A design worthy of a 21-year-old single estate rum.

The Challenge
As the pinnacle of the New Grove collection, Inception needed to feel both familiar and exceptional. A natural extension of the brand’s visual world, yet imbued with the gravitas of its age and story. The packaging had to express refinement, patience, and authenticity, while connecting visually to the refreshed New Grove identity. This was not a redesign, but an evolution, an opportunity to elevate the existing visual language into a collector’s expression of artistry and place.

Design Inspiration
The story of Inception begins at Beau Plan, the birthplace of Mauritian rum and the heart of Grays’ craft. The name itself, Inception, pays tribute to those beginnings: where history, nature, and savoir-faire converge.
To capture this sense of origin and mastery, we revisited the distinctive illustration style developed for the New Grove range, a hallmark of the brand’s storytelling. Collaborating once again with illustrator Megan Bird, we reimagined and elevated the original composition into a piece of refined artistry.
Every element tells a part of the island’s story: the Beau Plan Mill and Chai de l’Isle de France cellar; the iconic Pieter Both Mountain rising in the distance; the Blue Latanier palms, sugarcane fields, and native flora that define Mauritius’ natural landscape.
Megan re-illustrated these elements with intricate linework and layered tonality, while our team refined the composition, layout, and visual balance to ensure harmony with the elevated pack design.
The result is a composition that feels rooted in authenticity yet timeless in execution. An artwork that captures both the craft and the soul of Mauritius.

The Design Solution
The Inception design experience is deliberately understated, allowing craftsmanship and detail to speak for themselves. The label features a custom illustration, of the New Grove Estate, in a soft olive-green palette, complemented by rich gold foils that reflect the deep amber of the rum.
Typography is restrained yet confident, giving space to the illustration and reinforcing the prestige of the release. Structural and material choices echo the New Grove aesthetic, ensuring a seamless visual connection across the range, while subtle embellishments, foil accents, textured paper and tactile finishes, introduce a sense of rarity and distinction.

The Result
New Grove Inception stands as a tribute to both the mastery of Grays and the spirit of Mauritius. With only two barrels released, this 21-year-old expression represents the island’s oldest rum. A liquid and a design crafted with the same care, patience, and artistry.
The final packaging embodies the essence of savoir-faire: deeply rooted in place, timeless in design, and elevated through collaboration and craft. More than a bottle, it is a piece of Mauritian history, where tradition and beauty meet to create something truly extraordinary.