Silver Seal | In The Spotlight

15 January 2026 Rebecca Marshall 3 min read

Founded in 2000 by Ernesto Mainardi, Silver Seal is a highly respected Italian independent bottler and part of the Whisky Antique group. The company followed Mainardi’s earlier work with Sestante in the 1980s and 1990s and quickly established itself as a serious name in collectible spirits. In 2010, the business was acquired by Massimo Righi, under whose stewardship Silver Seal has continued to build its reputation. Silver Seal is particularly celebrated for its high quality rum releases.

Collectors value Silver Seal for its characterful Demeraras, cult Rockley-style Barbados bottlings, and expressive Jamaican releases that remain true to their origins. Whether through precise single casks, well judged blends, or limited edition runs, the focus remains firmly on authenticity and balance, with integration and elegance often praised.

This month, we are delighted to spotlight a standout selection of Silver Seal bottlings featured in our January auction. Browse our curated highlights below.

Silver Seal’s Ship Label bottlings are instantly recognisable, featuring evocative imagery of historic ships and galleons and produced in tightly limited runs. Highly sought after by collectors, these releases pair distinctive presentation with some of the finest long-aged rums. This month’s auction includes an exceptional trio spanning Jamaica, Barbados and Guyana.

From Jamaica, the Clarendon 1984 36 Year Old was distilled in 1984 and matured tropically for 36 years before being bottled from single cask number 434043, with just 203 bottles released. Barbados is represented by the much-admired WIRD Black Rock 1986 33 Year Old, a single cask expression from West Indies Rum Distillery that exemplifies the powerful and characterful Rockley style.

Completing the selection is the Uitvlugt 1989 30 Year Old, a classic Demerara rum matured for three decades in cask number 7 and bottled in 2020, with only 206 bottles produced.

Silver Seal’s Special Reserve bottlings represent some of the most revered expressions in the world of Demerara rum, defined by exceptional age, heritage stills and extremely limited releases.

The Port Mourant 1975 Special Bottling 37 Year Old is a standout example. Distilled in 1975 at the legendary Port Mourant Distillery, this single cask rum was matured for an extraordinary 37 years before being bottled in 2013 at 51.1% ABV. Produced on the historic double wooden pot stills, the oldest stills still in use anywhere in the world, this release is limited to just 139 bottles.

Alongside it sits the Enmore 1986 Special Reserve 21 Year Old, distilled in 1986 and bottled in 2007. Produced using the wooden Versailles pot still, originally from the Versailles distillery and later moved to Enmore, this rum highlights the unique influence of Greenheart wood on Demerara spirit. Now housed at Diamond, the final operating distillery in Guyana, the Versailles still remains central to Demerara rum heritage, and this Silver Seal bottling is a fine expression of its enduring legacy.

Rounding out this month’s selection is an exceptionally scarce pair of bottlings titled "Very Old Rum Batch" series. Batch No.1 and Batch No.2. They represent a highly limited release of blended very old rum, originally presented as complete sets, each accompanied by branded glasses, underscoring the intention that these were never meant for broad circulation.

Believed to comprise rums distilled between the 1920s and 1950s, these blends draw on historic stocks from both Guyana and Jamaica, bringing together two of the most influential rum-producing regions in the world. For fans of Silver Seal, this presents a great opportunity to own something truly one of a kind.

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Silver Seal | In The Spotlight