February 2021 Auction

Wray and Nephew Private Stock 1970

The Appleton Estate is the oldest sugar plantation and distillery in Jamaica. Its sugar fields cover 11,000 acres of the Nassau Valley, located in the Saint Elizabeth parish, and it has been in operation since 1749. The distillery was bought by J. Wray & Nephew in 1916, which as of 2012 became a subsidiary of global drinks giant, Gruppo Campari. It operates five double-retort pot stills alongside a column still, and generally produces single blended rums by vatting the two distillates. In 1997, Appleton Estate became the first distillery in the entire spirits industry to employ a female master blender, Joy Spence.

This Private Stock bottling from the celebrated distillery - under their Wray and Nephew brand - was imported to Italy by P. Soffiantino & Co of Genova, Italy. Apart from that very little of substance is known. Despite - or perhaps because - of its enigmatic nature it remains a highly sought after bottle. 

Jamaica Rum 1945 Justerini and Brooks

A superb old bottle of Jamaican rum distilled in 1945 then selected by Mr. Ralph Cobbold during his tenure as Director of the English blenders and bottlers Justerini and Brooks - perhaps best known for their J&B blended Scotch whisky. 

The Appleton Estate claims to be Jamaica's oldest rum producer, with a history dating back to 1749. In the century following its establishment, rum production on the island thrived, and by 1893, almost 90% of the sugar cane cultivation in Jamaica belonged to estates that operated their own distilleries, numbering somewhere in the region of 148. By the time this was distilled in 1945, there were only 25 of these remaining, a number which has slipped further still in the years since.

It is not clear which of those 25 distilleries contributed to this rum, it may have been one or a number of them. Whatever the make-up, this is a true collector's piece.

Bottled especially for Saxophonist, stock-broker and circus director Mr. John Ringling North in 1966 by Schmid & Glassler of Geneva, where Mr. Ringling North had relocated to after selling his circus business.

No capacity stated but bottle is full sized.

Albion AW 1986 Velier 25 Year Old

Velier was founded by Casimir Chaix in Genoa in 1947 as a wine and spirits importer and distributor. By the 1980s they were still a small family-company with less than ten staff. This all changed in 1986 when it was purchased by Luca Gargano, a former brand ambassador for Saint James who was at the time still in his twenties. Under his direction, they selected their first single cask whiskies in 1992, and their first rum in 1996. In the decades that followed, Velier have gone on to become one of the most collectible brands in the industry, and Gargano has positioned them as the one of the foremost authorities and bottlers of rum anywhere in the world.

Velier's earliest Demerara releases were bottled in 1996, laying the groundwork for what would later become affectionately known as the \"Age of Velier's Demerara.\" This began in earnest in 2004, after Gargano was invited to the Demerara Distillers Ltd warehouses in Guyana to select tropically aged barrels to be bottled by Velier for the first time. The \"age\" only lasted until 2015, but has an enduring legacy of having indelibly raised the profile of the historic rum stills and marque's of Guyana, which have become some of the most sought after in the world, these Velier releases in particular.

This AW marque was distilled at Uitvlugt distillery in 1986, and February 2011 from four cask #10546.

Interestingly the label states the spirit filled in to the cask was distilled in a wooden continuous still. While the Albion distillery did indeed have such a still, when they closed in 1968 it was not transferred to the Uitlvugt distillery, who opted instead for their four-column French Savalle still to make the 'Albion style' rums. The wooden continuous still associated with Uitvlugt is the one they received from Enmore when it closed in 1993, but the vintage here predates this. Herein we have an anomaly then, as Uitvlugt were the distillery that assumed the rights to the production of Albion rum. Either Uitvlugt had a wooden coffey still in the 1980s that is not well documented, or the information on the box is mistaken. Either way, this is a special and spectacularly rare rum.

Uitvlugt closed in 2000, with all of its stills now operated at Diamond distillery, including the four-column Savalle, which continues to produce the AN marque...

Eggers and Franke Ananas Jamaica Rum circa 1930s

A heritage bottling of Pineapple rum, imported by Eggers & Franke of Bremen some time around the 1930s. 

Mount Gay Tricentennial Selection 75cl

The oldest surviving deed for the Mount Gay distillery in Barbados dates back to 1703, making it the oldest commercial rum producer in the world. A 280-acre estate in the Saint Lucy parish, Mount Gay was originally called Mount Gilboa, but was renamed in 1801 after Sir John Gay Alleyne, who had managed it for owner, John Sober, since 1747. The estate was bought by Aubrey Fitz-Osbert Ward in 1918, and remained in his family until the death of his son in 1989. Majority ownership then passed to French giants, Remy Cointreau, with the Ward’s selling their remaining shares in 2014. Mount Gay is a single blended rum, producing distillates on both continuous column stills and pot stills, some of which are now over 100 years old.

An elegant decanter of Mount Gay rum, this was bottled to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the iconic Bajan distillery in 2003.

Mount Gay Tricentennial Selection 75cl

The oldest surviving deed for the Mount Gay distillery in Barbados dates back to 1703, making it the oldest commercial rum producer in the world. A 280-acre estate in the Saint Lucy parish, Mount Gay was originally called Mount Gilboa, but was renamed in 1801 after Sir John Gay Alleyne, who had managed it for owner, John Sober, since 1747. The estate was bought by Aubrey Fitz-Osbert Ward in 1918, and remained in his family until the death of his son in 1989. Majority ownership then passed to French giants, Remy Cointreau, with the Ward’s selling their remaining shares in 2014. Mount Gay is a single blended rum, producing distillates on both continuous column stills and pot stills, some of which are now over 100 years old.

An elegant decanter of Mount Gay rum, this was bottled to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the iconic Bajan distillery in 2003.

Royal Navy Imperial Rum Flagon 1 Gallon 1967

A fantastic piece of distilling and naval history and part of a long and storied British naval tradition dating back to 1655, whereby sailors were afforded a daily ration (known as a tot) of rum.

On the 31st of July 1970 - henceforth known as Black Tot Day - the tradition was consigned to the history books and the ration suspended. The wax seal on this flagon bears a 1967 embossing date, making this one of the last examples to be filled.

Thankfully, small amounts of this fabled spirit have survived the decades since such as this one gallon stone flagon, giving you the chance to own a small part of this tradition that has shaped the way many rums are made and enjoyed to this day.

This lot has a 4 bottle shipping fee.

Caroni 2000 Velier 15 Year Old Single Cask Heavy #3790 / Paul Ulrich AG

The Caroni distillery is said to have been established in 1918, however there are several historical references that suggest distilling was happening there earlier in the 20th century. It became part of the Tate & Lyle firm in 1936, who used it as a base for expanding their eventually considerable sugar operations in Trinidad. Caroni was a key ingredient of the British Navy rations, where its famous high-ester 'Heavy' rums helped to make up the signature flavour. Sadly, with the decline of the Trinidadian sugar industry, Tate & Lyle sold a 51% controlling stake to the government in 1970, before it became fully nationalised in 1975. Despite being self-sufficient in molasses, the newly established Caroni (1975) Ltd continued to lose money for the next 25 years until the government tried to minimise its ownership, selling off 49% of its share, just enough to retain control. Angostura were the preferred bidders, but a dispute over the value of Caroni’s warehoused stock scuppered the deal, and Caroni was closed for good in 2003.

As it transpired, Angostura still acquired the majority of the circa 18,000 warehoused Caroni barrels, but perhaps the most important share went to Italian distributors, Velier. In 2004, their inimitable CEO, Luca Gargano, travelled to Trinidad for a photo shoot and happened upon the boarded-up distillery, brokering a deal for some of its stock in 2005. He released eight Caroni bottlings that year, alongside his first cask strength collaborations with Demerara Distillers Ltd, which includes the hugely important Skeldon bottlings. This was a landmark year that not only changed the landscape of rum but was the genesis for the legendary status that Caroni rum now holds amongst collectors and connoisseurs alike.

A full proof heavy Trinidad rum, distilled in 2000 and aged 15 years before being bottled from single cask #4681, which was specially selected by Paul Ullrich AG in Switzerland.

Bottled in 2015, this and several other sister casks were bottled as the first releases of a 2000 vintage Caroni.

Angel Share > 71%

Appleton Estate 250th Anniversary Decanter

The Appleton Estate is the oldest sugar plantation and distillery in Jamaica. Its sugar fields cover 11,000 acres of the Nassau Valley, located in the Saint Elizabeth parish, and it has been in operation since 1749. The distillery was bought by J. Wray & Nephew in 1916, which as of 2012 became a subsidiary of global drinks giant, Gruppo Campari. It operates five double-retort pot stills alongside a column still, and generally produces single blended rums by vatting the two distillates. In 1997, Appleton Estate became the first distillery in the entire spirits industry to employ a female master blender, Joy Spence.

A limited edition rum released in 1999 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Appleton Estate which was established in 1749. 

A blend of pot and column still produced rums of various ages. 

One of 6000 bottles. 

Royal Navy Imperial Rum Flagon 1 Gallon 1964

A fantastic piece of distilling and naval history and part of a long and storied British naval tradition dating back to 1655, whereby sailors were afforded a daily ration (known as a tot) of rum.

On the 31st of July 1970 - henceforth known as Black Tot Day - the tradition was consigned to the history books and the ration suspended. The wax seal on this flagon bears a 1964 embossing date, making this one of the last examples to be filled.

Thankfully, small amounts of this fabled spirit have survived the decades since such as this one gallon stone flagon, giving you the chance to own a small part of this tradition that has shaped the way many rums are made and enjoyed to this day.

This lot has a 4 bottle shipping fee.

Diamond SSN 1996 Velier 16 Year Old

Velier was founded by Casimir Chaix in Genoa in 1947 as a wine and spirits importer and distributor. By the 1980s they were still a small family-company with less than ten staff. This all changed in 1986 when it was purchased by Luca Gargano, a former brand ambassador for Saint James who was at the time still in his twenties. Under his direction, they selected their first single cask whiskies in 1992, and their first rum in 1996. In the decades that followed, Velier have gone on to become one of the most collectible brands in the industry, and Gargano has positioned them as the one of the foremost authorities and bottlers of rum anywhere in the world.

Velier's earliest Demerara releases were bottled in 1996, laying the groundwork for what would later become affectionately known as the \"Age of Velier's Demerara.\" This began in earnest in 2004, after Gargano was invited to the Demerara Distillers Ltd warehouses in Guyana to select tropically aged barrels to be bottled by Velier for the first time. The \"age\" only lasted until 2015, but has an enduring legacy of having indelibly raised the profile of the historic rum stills and marque's of Guyana, which have become some of the most sought after in the world, these Velier releases in particular.

This SSN mark was distilled in the Diamond metal Coffey still in 1996 and bottled in 2012.

The three SSN barrels - 8404, 8405 & 8407 - and were hand selected by Luca Gargano of Velier, and produced 828 bottles after 16 years of tropical ageing and a whopping angels' share of 75%.

Established around 1670, the Diamond Estate is home to the only remaining rum distillery in Guyana. Located on the east bank of the Demerara river, the distillery is operated by Demerara Distillers Ltd (DDL), the company created by the government in Guyana as it attempted to consolidate the nation’s rum production. This began in 1974 and culminated with the closure of Uitvlugt in 1999. Diamond blends its El Dorado brand using distillate from various combinations of its rum-producing stills, which include the pair of two-column English coffey stills installed there in the 1950s, and a rarely used high-ester John Dore pot still. These operate alongside the “Heritage Stills” acquired from Uitvlugt, which are Uitvlugt’s own historic four-column French Savalle stills, the Versailles and Port Mourant wooden pot stills, and the Enmore wooden coffey still, the oldest and last of its kind in the world.

Caroni 2000 Velier 17 Year Old Single Cask Heavy #R4008 / TWE

The Caroni distillery is said to have been established in 1918, however there are several historical references that suggest distilling was happening there earlier in the 20th century. It became part of the Tate & Lyle firm in 1936, who used it as a base for expanding their eventually considerable sugar operations in Trinidad. Caroni was a key ingredient of the British Navy rations, where its famous high-ester 'Heavy' rums helped to make up the signature flavour. Sadly, with the decline of the Trinidadian sugar industry, Tate & Lyle sold a 51% controlling stake to the government in 1970, before it became fully nationalised in 1975. Despite being self-sufficient in molasses, the newly established Caroni (1975) Ltd continued to lose money for the next 25 years until the government tried to minimise its ownership, selling off 49% of its share, just enough to retain control. Angostura were the preferred bidders, but a dispute over the value of Caroni’s warehoused stock scuppered the deal, and Caroni was closed for good in 2003.

As it transpired, Angostura still acquired the majority of the circa 18,000 warehoused Caroni barrels, but perhaps the most important share went to Italian distributors, Velier. In 2004, their inimitable CEO, Luca Gargano, travelled to Trinidad for a photo shoot and happened upon the boarded-up distillery, brokering a deal for some of its stock in 2005. He released eight Caroni bottlings that year, alongside his first cask strength collaborations with Demerara Distillers Ltd, which includes the hugely important Skeldon bottlings. This was a landmark year that not only changed the landscape of rum but was the genesis for the legendary status that Caroni rum now holds amongst collectors and connoisseurs alike.

Distilled in 2000 and aged 17 years before being bottled from single cask #R4008 and specially selected for The Whisky Exchange. One of only 238 bottles produced at a whopping cask strength of 70.4%.

The Angels' Share of this cask was > 75%.

Foursquare Velier Destino / 70th Anniversary

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. The modern company dates to the 1920s, when Reginald Leon Seale set up a distribution business in the island’s capital, Bridgetown. The company’s success brought expansion, and through the latter half of the 20th century it acquired brands such as ESA Fields and Doorly’s for its portfolio. In 1995 they opened the Foursquare distillery, converting an abandoned sugar factory in the Saint Philip parish. Operating as double retort pot still and a three-column continuous still, its first spirit was produced in 1996. Foursquare produces Single Blended rum, combining its pot and column distillate both before and after being barrelled, and under the direction of Sir David Seale and his son, Richard, has become one of the most revered producers in the world.

This is a special release from Foursquare to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Italian importers, Velier. Seale selected two 12 year old rums that had matured in ex-Madeira casks, then blended and matured them for a further two years in very old ex-rum casks.

Velier was founded by Casimir Chaix in Genoa in 1947 as a wine and spirits importer and distributor. By the 1980s they were still a small family-company with less than ten staff. This all changed in 1986 when it was purchased by Luca Gargano, a former brand ambassador for Saint James who was at the time still in his twenties. Under his direction, they selected their first single cask whiskies in 1992, and their first rum in 1996. In the decades that followed, Velier have gone on to become one of the most collectible brands in the industry, and Gargano has positioned them as the one of the foremost authorities and bottlers of rum anywhere in the world.

Montebello 1948 Rhum Vieux

More commonly referred to as Montebello after its flagship rum brand, the Carrere distillery is located in Petit Bourg on the Basse-Terre island of the Guadeloupe archipelago. Established in 1930, it is a small operation run by the Marsolle family, and buys in sugarcane from local farmers to supplement the fifteen hectares of plantation that it owns. Carrere operates a two-column copper still, and its spirit runs at around 85% ABV, unusually high for the production of agricole in the region. Due to a government enforced quota system, the distillery is allowed to sell 350,000 litres of rum per year, but rarely operates at such a capacity.

A spectacular vintage rum, this was distilled in 1948 and selected for bottling in 1990 after a full tropical ageing by Mr A Marsolle of the Domaine de Montebello.

J. Bally 1950 Rhum Vieux

The J. Bally brand is named after founder, Jacques Bally, who purchased the Lajus plantation in 1917 following its closure after the 1902 Mount Pelee eruption. After rebuilding the distillery virtually from scratch and acquiring the neighbouring Habitation Dariste, the equipment from which was incorporated into the restored Lajus, Jacques began to lay down spirt in 1924. Bally holds an important place in the history of French style rhum, and was one of the first to adopt the sophisticated principals of distillation and maturation that had long been established in Cognac. The distillery was eventually bought by Remy Cointreau, who closed it down in 1989. Production was then moved first to Le Simon distillery, and then to Saint James in 1998. It is produced there to this day by La Martinquaise who acquired Saint James and the J. Bally brand in 2003.

This is an incredible old 1950 vintage rhum vieux. 

Caroni 2000 Velier 15 Year Old Single Cask Heavy #3788 / Juul's Vins & Spiritus

The Caroni distillery is said to have been established in 1918, however there are several historical references that suggest distilling was happening there earlier in the 20th century. It became part of the Tate & Lyle firm in 1936, who used it as a base for expanding their eventually considerable sugar operations in Trinidad. Caroni was a key ingredient of the British Navy rations, where its famous high-ester 'Heavy' rums helped to make up the signature flavour. Sadly, with the decline of the Trinidadian sugar industry, Tate & Lyle sold a 51% controlling stake to the government in 1970, before it became fully nationalised in 1975. Despite being self-sufficient in molasses, the newly established Caroni (1975) Ltd continued to lose money for the next 25 years until the government tried to minimise its ownership, selling off 49% of its share, just enough to retain control. Angostura were the preferred bidders, but a dispute over the value of Caroni’s warehoused stock scuppered the deal, and Caroni was closed for good in 2003.

As it transpired, Angostura still acquired the majority of the circa 18,000 warehoused Caroni barrels, but perhaps the most important share went to Italian distributors, Velier. In 2004, their inimitable CEO, Luca Gargano, travelled to Trinidad for a photo shoot and happened upon the boarded-up distillery, brokering a deal for some of its stock in 2005. He released eight Caroni bottlings that year, alongside his first cask strength collaborations with Demerara Distillers Ltd, which includes the hugely important Skeldon bottlings. This was a landmark year that not only changed the landscape of rum but was the genesis for the legendary status that Caroni rum now holds amongst collectors and connoisseurs alike.

A full proof heavy Trinidad rum, distilled in 2000 and aged 15 years before being bottled from single cask #3767, which was specially selected by Juul's Vin & Spiritus. Bottled in 2015, this and a sister cask for La Maison du Whisky were the first release of a 2000 vintage Caroni.

Angel Share > 71%

Enmore ELCR 1995 Velier 16 Year Old

Velier was founded by Casimir Chaix in Genoa in 1947 as a wine and spirits importer and distributor. By the 1980s they were still a small family-company with less than ten staff. This all changed in 1986 when it was purchased by Luca Gargano, a former brand ambassador for Saint James who was at the time still in his twenties. Under his direction, they selected their first single cask whiskies in 1992, and their first rum in 1996. In the decades that followed, Velier have gone on to become one of the most collectible brands in the industry, and Gargano has positioned them as the one of the foremost authorities and bottlers of rum anywhere in the world.

Velier's earliest Demerara releases were bottled in 1996, laying the groundwork for what would later become affectionately known as the \"Age of Velier's Demerara.\" This began in earnest in 2004, after Gargano was invited to the Demerara Distillers Ltd warehouses in Guyana to select tropically aged barrels to be bottled by Velier for the first time. The \"age\" only lasted until 2015, but has an enduring legacy of having indelibly raised the profile of the historic rum stills and marque's of Guyana, which have become some of the most sought after in the world, these Velier releases in particular.

This is a tropically aged 16 year old, full proof Demerara rum. It was bottled from eight barrels distilled at Enmore in 1995 and bottled in February 2011. The general consensus is that the Enmore distillery closed in 1994, however this label purports to contain rum from the \"last distillation at Enmore Plantation,\" suggesting some last batches may have been run through the still early that year. To add to the confusion, it is not clear what the ELCR marque on the barrels refers to. It is likely that the reference to this being a pot still rum is an error, and this was probably distilled on the traditional Enmore still.

The Enmore sugar estate was established by Edward Henry Porter in the early 19th century after he inherited and converted his father’s cotton plantation on the east bank of the Demerara river. Once one of many in the area, by the time the government in Guyana had begun to nationalise and consolidate the country’s rum production in 1974, it was one of only four remaining. The traditional still at Enmore was the historic two-column wooden coffey still, constructed back in 1880. Modelled almost exactly after the first continuous still patented by Aeneas Coffey in 1832, it is constructed from Greenheart wood, which is native to Guyana and is mostly used in boat-building due to its ability to remain strong while constantly wet. The wood is also well suited to distilling, stripping spirit of sulphites in the same manner that copper does. Enmore also received the a single wooden pot still when the Versailles distillery closed in 1978. When Enmore was shuttered in 1994, both of these were moved to Uitvlugt, and are now in operation as “Heritage Stills” at Diamond, the last remaining rum producer in the country.

Caroni 1982 Velier 24 Year Old Full Proof Heavy

The Caroni distillery is said to have been established in 1918, however there are several historical references that suggest distilling was happening there earlier in the 20th century. It became part of the Tate & Lyle firm in 1936, who used it as a base for expanding their eventually considerable sugar operations in Trinidad. Caroni was a key ingredient of the British Navy rations, where its famous high-ester 'Heavy' rums helped to make up the signature flavour. Sadly, with the decline of the Trinidadian sugar industry, Tate & Lyle sold a 51% controlling stake to the government in 1970, before it became fully nationalised in 1975. Despite being self-sufficient in molasses, the newly established Caroni (1975) Ltd continued to lose money for the next 25 years until the government tried to minimise its ownership, selling off 49% of its share, just enough to retain control. Angostura were the preferred bidders, but a dispute over the value of Caroni’s warehoused stock scuppered the deal, and Caroni was closed for good in 2003.

As it transpired, Angostura still acquired the majority of the circa 18,000 warehoused Caroni barrels, but perhaps the most important share went to Italian distributors, Velier. In 2004, their inimitable CEO, Luca Gargano, travelled to Trinidad for a photo shoot and happened upon the boarded-up distillery, brokering a deal for some of its stock in 2005. He released eight Caroni bottlings that year, alongside his first cask strength collaborations with Demerara Distillers Ltd, which includes the hugely important Skeldon bottlings. This was a landmark year that not only changed the landscape of rum but was the genesis for the legendary status that Caroni rum now holds amongst collectors and connoisseurs alike.

A 1982 vintage, this was aged 24 years, and is one of 4600 bottles produced from a stock of 15 drums.

Caroni 1994 Velier 17 Year Old Full Proof Heavy

The Caroni distillery is said to have been established in 1918, however there are several historical references that suggest distilling was happening there earlier in the 20th century. It became part of the Tate & Lyle firm in 1936, who used it as a base for expanding their eventually considerable sugar operations in Trinidad. Caroni was a key ingredient of the British Navy rations, where its famous high-ester 'Heavy' rums helped to make up the signature flavour. Sadly, with the decline of the Trinidadian sugar industry, Tate & Lyle sold a 51% controlling stake to the government in 1970, before it became fully nationalised in 1975. Despite being self-sufficient in molasses, the newly established Caroni (1975) Ltd continued to lose money for the next 25 years until the government tried to minimise its ownership, selling off 49% of its share, just enough to retain control. Angostura were the preferred bidders, but a dispute over the value of Caroni’s warehoused stock scuppered the deal, and Caroni was closed for good in 2003.

As it transpired, Angostura still acquired the majority of the circa 18,000 warehoused Caroni barrels, but perhaps the most important share went to Italian distributors, Velier. In 2004, their inimitable CEO, Luca Gargano, travelled to Trinidad for a photo shoot and happened upon the boarded-up distillery, brokering a deal for some of its stock in 2005. He released eight Caroni bottlings that year, alongside his first cask strength collaborations with Demerara Distillers Ltd, which includes the hugely important Skeldon bottlings. This was a landmark year that not only changed the landscape of rum but was the genesis for the legendary status that Caroni rum now holds amongst collectors and connoisseurs alike.

This was aged in Trinidad until 2008 and then transferred to Guyana where this was bottled in 2008.

One of 2293 bottles produced from a stock of 7 barrels.

Port Mourant 1975 Kingsbury 41 Year Old

Kingsbury are Japan's most sought after independent bottler. They were founded in 1989 by Eaglesome, the high-end deli in Campbeltown that was purchased by J & A Mitchell & Co of Springbank distillery, and turned into one of the region's finest whisky merchants. They initially bottled Kingsbury's exclusively for the Japanese market, before the label was acquired by native firm, the Japanese Import System. They have released a number of some of the most collectible whiskies, including some classic vintages from Bowmore, and two dark sherry casked Ardbeg.

This Demerara rum was aged an incredible 41 years and bottled from single cask #2035. It was distilled on the Port Mourant still at Uitvlugt in 1975. One of just 92 bottles.

Uitvlugt, pronounced [eye-flut] was located on the west bank of the Demerara river near the Dutch-established town of the same name. The distillery was established at the end of the 18th century and remained Dutch-owned until the government in Guyana began to nationalise and consolidate the country’s rum production in 1974. Thereafter it became part of the portfolio of Demerara Distillers Ltd (DDL), who closed it down at the end of 1999. Uitvlugt originally operated double wooden pot stills, however these were replaced by a four column French Savalle still in the early 1920s. A double wooden pot still was reinstalled in the 1950s however, moved there from the closed Port Mourant distillery. That still produced this rum. It is constructed from Greenheart wood, which is native to Guyana and is mostly used in boat-building due to its ability to remain strong while constantly wet. The wood is also well suited to distilling, stripping spirit of sulphites in the same manner that copper does. The Port Mourant and the Versailles single wooden pot still are the last of their kind still in operation. The Port Mourant still is so-called as it started life at the distillery of the same name, established in 1732. Its configuration produces a typically heavy bodied and oily distillate, generally credited with being one of the key components in the old Royal Navy blend. Port Mourant rums remain high in demand to this day, and the still remains in operation at Diamond, the last remaining distillery in the country.

Port Mourant 1975 Kingsbury 41 Year Old

Kingsbury are Japan's most sought after independent bottler. They were founded in 1989 by Eaglesome, the high-end deli in Campbeltown that was purchased by J & A Mitchell & Co of Springbank distillery, and turned into one of the region's finest whisky merchants. They initially bottled Kingsbury's exclusively for the Japanese market, before the label was acquired by native firm, the Japanese Import System. They have released a number of some of the most collectible whiskies, including some classic vintages from Bowmore, and two dark sherry casked Ardbeg.

This Demerara rum was aged an incredible 41 years and bottled from single cask #2035. It was distilled on the Port Mourant still at Uitvlugt in 1975. One of just 92 bottles.

Uitvlugt, pronounced [eye-flut] was located on the west bank of the Demerara river near the Dutch-established town of the same name. The distillery was established at the end of the 18th century and remained Dutch-owned until the government in Guyana began to nationalise and consolidate the country’s rum production in 1974. Thereafter it became part of the portfolio of Demerara Distillers Ltd (DDL), who closed it down at the end of 1999. Uitvlugt originally operated double wooden pot stills, however these were replaced by a four column French Savalle still in the early 1920s. A double wooden pot still was reinstalled in the 1950s however, moved there from the closed Port Mourant distillery. That still produced this rum. It is constructed from Greenheart wood, which is native to Guyana and is mostly used in boat-building due to its ability to remain strong while constantly wet. The wood is also well suited to distilling, stripping spirit of sulphites in the same manner that copper does. The Port Mourant and the Versailles single wooden pot still are the last of their kind still in operation. The Port Mourant still is so-called as it started life at the distillery of the same name, established in 1732. Its configuration produces a typically heavy bodied and oily distillate, generally credited with being one of the key components in the old Royal Navy blend. Port Mourant rums remain high in demand to this day, and the still remains in operation at Diamond, the last remaining distillery in the country.

Port Mourant 1974 Kingsbury 44 Year Old

Kingsbury are Japan's most sought after independent bottler. They were founded in 1989 by Eaglesome, the high-end deli in Campbeltown that was purchased by J & A Mitchell & Co of Springbank distillery, and turned into one of the region's finest whisky merchants. They initially bottled Kingsbury's exclusively for the Japanese market, before the label was acquired by native firm, the Japanese Import System. They have released a number of some of the most collectible whiskies, including some classic vintages from Bowmore, and two dark sherry casked Ardbeg.

This Demerara rum was aged an incredible 44 years and bottled from single cask #1572. It was distilled on the Port Mourant still at Uitvlugt in 1974. One of just 150 bottles.

Uitvlugt, pronounced [eye-flut] was located on the west bank of the Demerara river near the Dutch-established town of the same name. The distillery was established at the end of the 18th century and remained Dutch-owned until the government in Guyana began to nationalise and consolidate the country’s rum production in 1974. Thereafter it became part of the portfolio of Demerara Distillers Ltd (DDL), who closed it down at the end of 1999. Uitvlugt originally operated double wooden pot stills, however these were replaced by a four column French Savalle still in the early 1920s. A double wooden pot still was reinstalled in the 1950s however, moved there from the closed Port Mourant distillery. That still produced this rum. It is constructed from Greenheart wood, which is native to Guyana and is mostly used in boat-building due to its ability to remain strong while constantly wet. The wood is also well suited to distilling, stripping spirit of sulphites in the same manner that copper does. The Port Mourant and the Versailles single wooden pot still are the last of their kind still in operation. The Port Mourant still is so-called as it started life at the distillery of the same name, established in 1732. Its configuration produces a typically heavy bodied and oily distillate, generally credited with being one of the key components in the old Royal Navy blend. Port Mourant rums remain high in demand to this day, and the still remains in operation at Diamond, the last remaining distillery in the country.

Hampden <>H 2010 Habitation Velier 9 Year Old Single Cask #41 / LMDW

Velier was founded by Casimir Chaix in Genoa in 1947 as a wine and spirits importer and distributor. By the 1980s they were still a small family-company with less than ten staff. This all changed in 1986 when it was purchased by Luca Gargano, a former brand ambassador for Saint James who was at the time still in his twenties. Under his direction, they selected their first single cask whiskies in 1992, and their first rum in 1996. In the decades that followed, Velier have gone on to become one of the most collectible brands in the industry, and Gargano has positioned them as the one of the foremost authorities and bottlers of rum anywhere in the world.

More than just a bottler of rum, Luca Gargano is considered a visionary in the cane spirits industry, even developing his own classification for different styles of rum in 2015. Many distilleries have since adopted this. Among the classifications is \"pure single rum,\" which denotes a spirit produced on pot stills at a single distillery. This Habitation Velier range is a celebration of these rums \"which best expresses the raw material and the know-how of the distiller.\"

This is a rare single cask bottling of Hampden. Ex-bourbon barrel #41 was specially selected as an exclusive bottling for La Maison du Whisky in 2019.

Distilled in 2010, this was fully matured for 9 years at the Hampden distillery. This is a return of the <>H cask mark, which was a popular addition to the Velier 70th anniversary range in 2017.

The Hampden Estate was founded in 1753 by a Scotsman called Archibald Sterling, in the Queen of Spain valley of Jamaica’s Trelawny parish. For 250 years it remained family owned, selling rum to third-party blenders and independent bottlers. Mismanagement however meant that by 2003 it was in financial trouble, with the Jamaican government stepping in to assume ownership and some of its debt in order to preserve the jobs of its employees. They sold it in 2009 to the Hussey family’s Everglades Farms, who as first point of business began laying down the casks that would eventually become the first Hampden Estate labelled official bottling of the distillery’s rum, launched in collaboration with Velier in 2018. Famed for its heavy, ester-driven style, Hampden is joined by Worthy Park as the only two Jamaican distilleries that produce exclusively pure single rums (using only pot stills). It currently has four pot stills: two from Forsyths in Scotland, one from Vendome in Kentucky, and another from T&T Engineering in South Africa.

Port Mourant 1974 Kingsbury 44 Year Old

Kingsbury are Japan's most sought after independent bottler. They were founded in 1989 by Eaglesome, the high-end deli in Campbeltown that was purchased by J & A Mitchell & Co of Springbank distillery, and turned into one of the region's finest whisky merchants. They initially bottled Kingsbury's exclusively for the Japanese market, before the label was acquired by native firm, the Japanese Import System. They have released a number of some of the most collectible whiskies, including some classic vintages from Bowmore, and two dark sherry casked Ardbeg.

This Demerara rum was aged an incredible 44 years and bottled from single cask #1572. It was distilled on the Port Mourant still at Uitvlugt in 1974. One of just 150 bottles.

Uitvlugt, pronounced [eye-flut] was located on the west bank of the Demerara river near the Dutch-established town of the same name. The distillery was established at the end of the 18th century and remained Dutch-owned until the government in Guyana began to nationalise and consolidate the country’s rum production in 1974. Thereafter it became part of the portfolio of Demerara Distillers Ltd (DDL), who closed it down at the end of 1999. Uitvlugt originally operated double wooden pot stills, however these were replaced by a four column French Savalle still in the early 1920s. A double wooden pot still was reinstalled in the 1950s however, moved there from the closed Port Mourant distillery. That still produced this rum. It is constructed from Greenheart wood, which is native to Guyana and is mostly used in boat-building due to its ability to remain strong while constantly wet. The wood is also well suited to distilling, stripping spirit of sulphites in the same manner that copper does. The Port Mourant and the Versailles single wooden pot still are the last of their kind still in operation. The Port Mourant still is so-called as it started life at the distillery of the same name, established in 1732. Its configuration produces a typically heavy bodied and oily distillate, generally credited with being one of the key components in the old Royal Navy blend. Port Mourant rums remain high in demand to this day, and the still remains in operation at Diamond, the last remaining distillery in the country.

Havana Club Maximo

Havana Club is the biggest-selling Cuban rum brand in the world. Established by Spanish immigrant, Don Jose Arechabala, in 1878 after he bought a small distillery in the city of Cárdenas. The brand itself was introduced in 1934, its name deliberately anglicised to appeal to the newly re-opened post-Prohibition market in the US. Business was good, however in the aftermath of the Cuban revolution in 1959, Fidel Castro nationalised much of the country’s industry, seizing control of its rum companies in the process. Barred from exporting their version of Bacardi into most markets, the Cuban government chose instead to focus on Havana Club, which had previously had less of a global presence. The Cuban government’s rum production was reorganised under the state-controlled Cubaron SA in 1993, which promptly sold a 50% share of Havana Club to Pernod-Ricard. The deal involves Cubaron producing the product, and the French drinks giants promoting and distributing it, a move necessitated by Cuba’s struggle to break the brand into markets outside the former Soviet bloc in the latter 20th century. The success of the venture saw the partnership build a new distillery at San Jose de las Lajas in 2007. Ronera San Jose is the ageing and blending facility, and operates a two-column still to produce the low-proof aguardiente constituent of the Havana Club blends. These are vatted with the high-proof “destilado de caña” distilled at Cubaron’s Ronera Santa Cruz, which it opened in the 1970s. The Santa Cruz plant can also produce aguardiente, and all Havana Club production took place there prior to 2007. Cubaron still operate the original Cárdenas distillery too, but no Havana Club is made there now.

This is an ultra-premium offering blended from some of the company's finest rums. Each comes in a numbered, hand-blown decanter by Paul Miller. 

Monymusk MMW 1984 Velier 35 Year Old Rum Sapiens 69%

Velier was founded by Casimir Chaix in Genoa in 1947 as a wine and spirits importer and distributor. By the 1980s they were still a small family-company with less than ten staff. This all changed in 1986 when it was purchased by Luca Gargano, a former brand ambassador for Saint James who was at the time still in his twenties. Under his direction, they selected their first single cask whiskies in 1992, and their first rum in 1996. In the decades that followed, Velier have gone on to become one of the most collectible brands in the industry, and Gargano has positioned them as the one of the foremost authorities and bottlers of rum anywhere in the world.

This is one of a pair of Monymusk rums, bottled from a vatting of two casks, #434034 and #434039. Due to the age of the rums, there was so little left in cask that Luca Gargano opted to bottle it both at natural cask strength and a slightly reduced proof as well, in order to give drinkers the widest possible experience of this rarity. Entitled Rum Sapiens, these were the first in a series of well-aged rums from the Italian distributor. MMW Wedderurn style rums, these were distilled in a dingle retort pot still and tropically aged in Jamaica.

Monymusk is the flagship brand of Clarendon rum marketed by majority owners, National Rums of Jamaica. The holding company was established in 1985 and is currently a joint venture between the Jamaican government, Demerara Distillers in Guyana, and Maison Ferrand in France. The Monymusk brand is named after the sugar factory and plantation in which the Clarendon distillery is located, and the rum is aged and blended at NRJ’s silent Innswood distillery, which ceased production in 1992. Clarendon distillery is one of the Caribbean’s newer rum factories, built back in 1949. Back then, it was a small operation, running a single pot still produced by legendary Louisville, Kentucky coppersmiths, Vendome. Today it is joined by a second, larger pot still of Indian manufacture, a modern five-column still, both installed in 2009.

Hampden 1983 Compagnie des Indes 33 Year Old

A pure single rum from the Hampden distillery in Jamaica. Distilled in 1983 and bottled from a single cask #JHW11.

The Hampden Estate was founded in 1753 by a Scotsman called Archibald Sterling, in the Queen of Spain valley of Jamaica’s Trelawny parish. For 250 years it remained family owned, selling rum to third-party blenders and independent bottlers. Mismanagement however meant that by 2003 it was in financial trouble, with the Jamaican government stepping in to assume ownership and some of its debt in order to preserve the jobs of its employees. They sold it in 2009 to the Hussey family’s Everglades Farms, who as first point of business began laying down the casks that would eventually become the first Hampden Estate labelled official bottling of the distillery’s rum, launched in collaboration with Velier in 2018. Famed for its heavy, ester-driven style, Hampden is joined by Worthy Park as the only two Jamaican distilleries that produce exclusively pure single rums (using only pot stills). It currently has four pot stills: two from Forsyths in Scotland, one from Vendome in Kentucky, and another from T&T Engineering in South Africa.

Bottled by Compagnie des Indes in August 2017, after 33 years in cask JHW11.

One of 265 bottles.

Velier Warren Khong Villa Paradisetto 2019 & 2020 Releases 5 x 70cl

Velier was founded by Casimir Chaix in Genoa in 1947 as a wine and spirits importer and distributor. By the 1980s they were still a small family-company with less than ten staff. This all changed in 1986 when it was purchased by Luca Gargano, a former brand ambassador for Saint James who was at the time still in his twenties. Under his direction, they selected their first single cask whiskies in 1992, and their first rum in 1996. In the decades that followed, Velier have gone on to become one of the most collectible brands in the industry, and Gargano has positioned them as the one of the foremost authorities and bottlers of rum anywhere in the world.

• Monymusk MMW 2007 13 year old 68.5%
• Chamarel 2013 7 year old 54.6%
• Privateer 2017 3 year old 54.2%
• Savanna 1999 Velier 20 Year Old 57%
• Monymusk EMB 1995 Velier 24 Year Old 67%.

This lot has a 5 bottle shipping fee.

Enmore and Port Mourant EHPM 1998 Velier 16 Year Old Blended in the Barrel

Velier was founded by Casimir Chaix in Genoa in 1947 as a wine and spirits importer and distributor. By the 1980s they were still a small family-company with less than ten staff. This all changed in 1986 when it was purchased by Luca Gargano, a former brand ambassador for Saint James who was at the time still in his twenties. Under his direction, they selected their first single cask whiskies in 1992, and their first rum in 1996. In the decades that followed, Velier have gone on to become one of the most collectible brands in the industry, and Gargano has positioned them as the one of the foremost authorities and bottlers of rum anywhere in the world.

Velier's earliest Demerara releases were bottled in 1996, laying the groundwork for what would later become affectionately known as the \"Age of Velier's Demerara.\" This began in earnest in 2004, after Gargano was invited to the Demerara Distillers Ltd warehouses in Guyana to select tropically aged barrels to be bottled by Velier for the first time. The \"age\" only lasted until 2014, but has an enduring legacy of having indelibly raised the profile of the historic rum stills and marque's of Guyana, which have become some of the most sought after in the world, these Velier releases in particular.

This is one of a number of experimental Blended in the Barrel releases that were part of the final 2014 outturn. The reception to them encouraged DDL to distil and bottle these again, this time under their own El Dorado label in 2019.

This one is a blend of 3 experimental barrels. Aged 16 years in the tropics, they were distilled at Uitvlugt distillery in 1998 using the Enmore wooden coffey still and Port Mourant double wooden pot still. 

The cask were sourced from Diamond distillery, who consolidated all of Guyana's rum stock and equipment in 2000. One of 848 bottles. 

Port Mourant PM 1993 Velier 13 Year Old

Velier was founded by Casimir Chaix in Genoa in 1947 as a wine and spirits importer and distributor. By the 1980s they were still a small family-company with less than ten staff. This all changed in 1986 when it was purchased by Luca Gargano, a former brand ambassador for Saint James who was at the time still in his twenties. Under his direction, they selected their first single cask whiskies in 1992, and their first rum in 1996. In the decades that followed, Velier have gone on to become one of the most collectible brands in the industry, and Gargano has positioned them as the one of the foremost authorities and bottlers of rum anywhere in the world.

Velier's earliest Demerara releases were bottled in 1996, laying the groundwork for what would later become affectionately known as the \"Age of Velier's Demerara.\" This began in earnest in 2004, after Gargano was invited to the Demerara Distillers Ltd warehouses in Guyana to select tropically aged barrels to be bottled by Velier for the first time. The \"age\" only lasted until 2015, but has an enduring legacy of having indelibly raised the profile of the historic rum stills and marque's of Guyana, which have become some of the most sought after in the world, these Velier releases in particular.

A 1993 vintage rum, this was distilled at Uitvlugt on the Port Morant still and was bottled from a stock of 10 barrels, yielding 2,994 bottles.

Uitvlugt, pronounced [eye-flut] was located on the west bank of the Demerara river near the Dutch-established town of the same name. The distillery was established at the end of the 18th century and remained Dutch-owned until the government in Guyana began to nationalise and consolidate the country’s rum production in 1974. Thereafter it became part of the portfolio of Demerara Distillers Ltd (DDL), who closed it down at the end of 1999. Uitvlugt originally operated double wooden pot stills, however these were replaced by a four column French Savalle still in the early 1920s. A double wooden pot still was reinstalled in the 1950s however, moved there from the closed Port Mourant distillery. That still produced this rum. It is constructed from Greenheart wood, which is native to Guyana and is mostly used in boat-building due to its ability to remain strong while constantly wet. The wood is also well suited to distilling, stripping spirit of sulphites in the same manner that copper does. The Port Mourant and the Versailles single wooden pot still are the last of their kind still in operation. The Port Mourant still is so-called as it started life at the distillery of the same name, established in 1732. Its configuration produces a typically heavy bodied and oily distillate, generally credited with being one of the key components in the old Royal Navy blend. Port Mourant rums remain high in demand to this day, and the still remains in operation at Diamond, the last remaining distillery in the country.

Trois Rivieres 1974 Rhum Vieux

The Trois Rivieres brand originates from the distillery on the estate of the same name, established in 1660 by Nicolas Fouquet. As with many Martinique distilleries, their modern history begins at the end of the 19th century after the sugar industry went into decline. At Trois Rivieres it was 1905, and the distillery was modernised by new owner, Amédée Aubéry, an industrialist who halted sugar production on the estate entirely in order to focus on rum. The distillery was further shaped by his son, who in 1940 abandoned the use of molasses in favour of producing the agricole rum it is now world-renowned for. In 1953, the Marraud Grottes family acquired it and moved production of its popular Duquesne rum there until 1974 when the Trois Rivieres brand reappeared. Shortly after it passed into the hands of Italy’s Martini & Rossi, who sold it on to the BBS group in 1994. The original Trois Rivieres where this was produced was kept open until 2003, but BBS eventually opted to close it down and move its two column stills to their larger La Mauny distillery, where it is produced nowadays under the ownership of Gruppo Campari.

This is a 1974 vintage rhum vieux agricole.

Uitvlugt ULR 1997 Velier 17 Year Old

Velier was founded by Casimir Chaix in Genoa in 1947 as a wine and spirits importer and distributor. By the 1980s they were still a small family-company with less than ten staff. This all changed in 1986 when it was purchased by Luca Gargano, a former brand ambassador for Saint James who was at the time still in his twenties. Under his direction, they selected their first single cask whiskies in 1992, and their first rum in 1996. In the decades that followed, Velier have gone on to become one of the most collectible brands in the industry, and Gargano has positioned them as the one of the foremost authorities and bottlers of rum anywhere in the world.

Velier's earliest Demerara releases were bottled in 1996, laying the groundwork for what would later become affectionately known as the \"Age of Velier's Demerara.\" This began in earnest in 2004, after Gargano was invited to the Demerara Distillers Ltd warehouses in Guyana to select tropically aged barrels to be bottled by Velier for the first time. The \"age\" only lasted until 2015, but has an enduring legacy of having indelibly raised the profile of the historic rum stills and marque's of Guyana, which have become some of the most sought after in the world, these Velier releases in particular.

A fantastic 17 year old rum, this was distilled in 1997 at Uitvlugt distillery in Guyana, on their Savalle column stills. The casks were marked ULR, meaning \"Uitvlugt Light Rum,\" an experimental batch produced that year. Bottled in 2014 from a stock of 5 barrels which produced 1404 bottles.

Uitvlugt, pronounced [eye-flut] was located on the west bank of the Demerara river near the Dutch-established town of the same name. The distillery was established at the end of the 18th century and remained Dutch-owned until the government in Guyana began to nationalise and consolidate the country’s rum production in 1974. Thereafter it became part of the portfolio of Demerara Distillers Ltd (DDL), who closed it down at the end of 1999. Uitvlugt originally operated double wooden pot stills, however these were replaced by a four column French Savalle still in the early 1920s. A double wooden pot still was reinstalled in the 1950s however, moved there from the closed Port Mourant distillery. In addition, Uitvlugt also received the EHP wooden coffey still and Versailles single wooden pot still when DDL closed Enmore in 1994. These four are all now known as the “Heritage Stills,” and have remained operational since being moved to Diamond in 2000, the last remaining distillery in the country.