A Celebration of Pure Single Rum: Habitation Velier Range

The Habitation Velier project was born in 2015 with the purpose of raising awareness to the importance of distillation methods during rum production. This collaboration between Luca Gargano and many great distillers across the globe features exclusively 'Pure Single Rum', which denotes a spirit produced exclusively on pot stills at a single distillery. Today, the range encompasses over 40 releases from 11 different distilleries and has gained international acclaim. Read below as we delve into rum classification, the importance of the distillation process, and a selection of auction highlights from the Habitation Velier range.

The Gargano Classification

In order to understand the foundations of the Habitation Velier range, we have to first discuss classification (or historical lack thereof) in the rum industry. Unlike the Scotch whisky industry where 'single malt' whisky (describing a spirit distilled at a single distillery using exclusively malted barley) evolved into a defined classification from traditional blended whisky, rum had not gone through a similar process until recently. 

Luca Gargano, CEO of famed Italian import and bottling company Velier, noted the lack of classification in the rum industry and decided to develop his own in collaboration with Richard Seale of Foursquare, 'The Gargano Classification'. This system was designed to distinguish high quality craft rums from mainstream industrial rums, providing rum enthusiasts with a framework to better understand the key differences in rum production. The classification system is based on distillation methods and categorises rum into four main groups: 

• 'Pure Single': Rum made exclusively from pot still distillation at a single distillery
• 'Single Blended': Rum made from both pot and column still distillation at a single distillery
• 'Traditional': Rum made using traditional single or double column stills
• 'Modern': Industrial rum made using multi-column stills

The Habitation Velier Range

The Habitation Velier project is a series of independent bottlings of 'Pure Single' rum from Velier that showcases distillers across the globe and draws attention to the fundamental importance of the distillation and production processes, from raw materials to fermentation. The labelling of each bottle is unlike any other rum release, each depicting the stills used by each producer, the date of distillation, the ester content of individual bottlings, the ageing process, and other technical information such as marques which identify the different types of rum produced by the same distillery. These revolutionary labels represent the key concepts outlined in the Gargano Classification. Today, the range encompasses over 40 releases from 11 different distilleries and features both white and tropically aged rums, each bottled at cask strength, with no additional colouring or sugars.

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Rum Auctioneer Highlights

Our monthly auctions often feature rare expressions from the Habitation Velier range, with almost 40 lots featured in our February 2024 auction. See below some of our experts top picks from this month's auction: 

Hampden Estate

The Hampden Estate was founded in 1753 in Jamaica’s Trelawny parish. The estate is famed for its heavy, ester-driven style, and is joined by Worthy Park as the only two Jamaican distilleries that produce exclusively pure single rums.

In 2016, Habitation Velier bottled the first Hampden: Hampden 2010, mark HLCF, with 550 g/hl of esters. Later bottling, also for the first time, the marks LFCH, LROK, HLCF, HGML, <>H, C<>H. To date, Habitation Velier boasts 13 Hampden bottlings, including 2 white rums, 6 aged products derived from different marques, and 6 other exclusive bottlings dedicated to the main international events in the rum world.

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Foursquare 

The Foursquare rum distillery is owned by R.L. Seale & Co, a family company with a traceable history of rum making in Barbados dating back to 1820. However, Foursquare rum as we know it today was first distilled in 1996 and has received worldwide praise ever since.

In 2015, Habitation Velier created two distinct releases: the first and only version of a White Pure Single Rum from Foursquare, bottled at 64% ABV and made entirely with local molasses, and a young Foursquare 2013 (bottled in 2015), aged in ex-cognac barrels.

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Forsyths (Worthy Park Estate)

Located in Jamaica’s Saint Catherine parish, the Worthy Park Estate is a sprawling 100,000 acres of land, around 40% of which is dedicated to sugar cultivation. Records indicate that rum production commenced there as far back as 1741, with the distillery today producing pure single rum on its sole double-retort pot still from Forsyths in Scotland. Between 2015 and 2017 Velier were not authorised to use the name Worthy Park, so instead named the Habitation releases 'Forsyth' after the distillery's pot still. Since 2017 Velier have been able to use the distillery name. The 2005, the very rare 2006 WPE, and the 2007 vintages were the first original Worthy Park bottlings.

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