February 2025 Auction

Caroni 1994 Velier 18 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The Caroni distillery is said to have been established in 1918, however there are several historical references that suggest distilling was happening there earlier in the 20th century.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 distilled in 1994, then aged in Trinidad until 2008 and in Guyana until 2012 when it was bottled.

10 barrels produced 2633 bottles.

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.

Demerara Rum 1985 Rum Nation 23 Year Old Original Still

A demerara rum, distilled in 1985 and bottled in 2008 after 23 years in cask. 

Founded in 1999 by Fabio Rossi CEO of Rossi & Rossi and modelled after his highly successful whisky bottling company Wilson & Morgan. Since it's inception Rum Nation has earned a good reputation for producing some excellent quality and value drinking rums, especially at the premium end of the spectrum. 

This rum was distilled by Demerara Distillers Ltd, the company formed by the government in Guyana in 1983 after it consolidated all of its nationalised rum distillers as a single entity. It operated three distilleries; Diamond, Enmore and Uitvlugt, and was in the process of warehousing ageing stock with a view to bottling its own rum brands, which it eventually did in 1992, launching its now iconic El Dorado 15 year old. In the meantime it continued distilling bulk rum for independent bottlers, resulting in a wealth of spectacular releases like this. These may contain single marque rums, or a blend of various marques from the country’s many historic stills, all of which are still in use today at Diamond, the sole remaining distillery. Known as the “heritage stills,” they are Uitvlugt’s 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.

Hampden LFCH 2011 Single Cask 9 Year Old #296 / Trelawny Endemic Birds 

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.

This single cask release is part of the Trelawny Endemic Birds series from 2020. \"Red Billed Streamertail\" is an LFCH mark rum and was exclusive to the French market.

One of 260 bottles.

Trois Rivieres 1975 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 1975 vintage rhum vieux agricole.

Trois Rivieres 1975 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 1975 vintage rhum vieux agricole.

La Favorite 2000 Cuvee Speciale de la Flibuste

La Favorite is a small family-run distillery, the last in the Port-de-France area. The plantation was initially known as La Jambette, and was renamed in 1851 by new owner, Charles Henry. The distillery hit financial hardship in the latter part of the 19th century and was eventually so badly damaged by a hurricane that it was shut down for twenty years. It was re-opened by Henri Dormoy in 1905, and his family still run it today. The distillery produces between 600,000 and 1m litres of spirit each year. Very much a boutique operation, its equipment is steam-powered, and the bottles are all labelled and wax sealed by hand.

Clement 1952 Rhum Vieux

The Clément estate was established in 1887 when Homère Clément acquired 43 acres of land from the Domaine de L’Acajou. This was a period of decline for the Martinique sugar trade, and Homère was an early advocate of utilising the increasingly unneeded sugarcane in the area for the production of agricole rum. The distillery stayed in the family for 100 years, but financial trouble in 1987 saw them offer it to Yves Hayot’s brother, Bernard, as they desperately sought an alternative to the hostile takeover bid of Remy Cointreau. Hayot promptly moved production to the Le Simon distillery, installing the Clément stills there in 1989. The rum is still matured in the warehouses of the brand’s native Clément estate, the rest of which was transformed by Bernard Hayot into a spectacular modern art gallery and outdoor sculpture museum, and one of the most visited locations on the island.

This is an old 1952 vintage rhum vieux bottling and will have been distilled at the Clément estate.

Long Pond TECA 2005 Habitation Velier 14 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.

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 the Continental Flavoured Style, one of four classifications used in Jamaica, identifying rums with 700/1600 gr/hlpa. The TECA mark specifically refers to rums with 1200/1300 gr/hlpa. Distilled at Long Pond in 2005 and bottled in 2019.

Founded in 1753, Long Pond distillery is located in the Trelawny parish of Jamaica, which is also home to the Hampden Estate. Its modern history begins in the 1940s, when Seagram chief, Samuel Bronfman, bought the distillery from the Jamaican government and began to produce the Captain Morgan brand there. When Seagram was dissolved in the early 2000s, Diageo bought Captain Morgan and moved production to Clarendon. Long Pond became part of National Rum of Jamaica, a firm established in 1985 and currently part-owned by the Jamaican government, Demerara Distillers in Guyana, and Maison Ferrand in France. Long Pond produces rum using both John Dore pot stills and a Blair column still. Its output is highly regarded, and stock shortages caused by its closure between 2012-2017, and a fire in 2018 mean it is becoming increasingly sought after.

Isla del Tesoro Extra Anejo

During the aftermath of the Cuban revolution in 1959, Fidel Castro began nationalising much of the country’s industry, including seizing control of its rum companies. Today, all Cuban rum production remains state-controlled, organised under the Cubaron SA company since 1993. Its biggest product is Havana Club (co-owned by Pernod-Ricard, who handle its promotion and distribution), but it has also manufactured smaller brands like this. Today they are all produced in one of or a combination of its four distilleries: Ronera Santa Cruz, Roneras Santiago de Cuba, Ronera Central and Ronera Cárdenas.

This rum is from the Santiago de Cuba distillery. The name is Spanish for \"Treasure Island\" and apparently bottles of this rum were often gifted by the Cuban government to various persons. 

Presented in an attractive ceramic flagon.

Please note due to the size of this lot, it will carry a two-bottle shipping fee.

Santiago De Cuba Siglo y 1/2

During the aftermath of the Cuban revolution in 1959, Fidel Castro began nationalising much of the country’s industry, including seizing control of its rum companies. Today, all Cuban rum production remains state-controlled, organised under the Cubaron SA company since 1993. Its biggest product is Havana Club (co-owned by Pernod-Ricard, who handle its promotion and distribution), but it has also manufactured smaller brands like this. Today they are all produced in one of or a combination of its four distilleries: Ronera Santa Cruz, Roneras Santiago de Cuba, Ronera Central and Ronera Cárdenas.

This rum is from the Santiago de Cuba distillery. The name is Spanish for \"Treasure Island\" and apparently bottles of this rum were often gifted by the Cuban government to various persons.

This Santiago de Cuba Añejo Extra 1/2 is produced from a blend of rum that has been aged for over 50 years and bottled in 2015.

Pampero Estelar 1969

Industrias Pampero was founded in 1938 by Alejandro Hernández in his native Venezuela. The distilling operation is based at Complejo Industrial Licorero del Centro in the Valles del Tuy region of its Miranda State. The flagship Pampero Aniversario product was launched in 1963 to commemorate the company’s 25^th anniversary. The company was bought by United Distillers (now Diageo) in 1991. Nowadays they only posses the brand however, after the distillery was sold to a local liqueur company in 2000. Production was retained there as part of the deal, and Pampero is still distilled there today using a molasses wash and continuous column stills.

The tax strip dates this bottle to 1969.

Caroni 2000 Velier 15 Year Old 120 Proof Heavy 1.5 Litre

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, this was aged fully in Trinidad for 15 years and bottled at 120 US Proof.

A stock of 12 barrels produced 1420 of these Millennium limited edition magnums.

This lot has a 2 bottle shipping fee.

Long Pond TECA 2005 Habitation Velier 14 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.

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 the Continental Flavoured Style, one of four classifications used in Jamaica, identifying rums with 700/1600 gr/hlpa. The TECA mark specifically refers to rums with 1200/1300 gr/hlpa. Distilled at Long Pond in 2005 and bottled in 2019.

Founded in 1753, Long Pond distillery is located in the Trelawny parish of Jamaica, which is also home to the Hampden Estate. Its modern history begins in the 1940s, when Seagram chief, Samuel Bronfman, bought the distillery from the Jamaican government and began to produce the Captain Morgan brand there. When Seagram was dissolved in the early 2000s, Diageo bought Captain Morgan and moved production to Clarendon. Long Pond became part of National Rum of Jamaica, a firm established in 1985 and currently part-owned by the Jamaican government, Demerara Distillers in Guyana, and Maison Ferrand in France. Long Pond produces rum using both John Dore pot stills and a Blair column still. Its output is highly regarded, and stock shortages caused by its closure between 2012-2017, and a fire in 2018 mean it is becoming increasingly sought after.

Santiago De Cuba Siglo y 1/2

During the aftermath of the Cuban revolution in 1959, Fidel Castro began nationalising much of the country’s industry, including seizing control of its rum companies. Today, all Cuban rum production remains state-controlled, organised under the Cubaron SA company since 1993. Its biggest product is Havana Club (co-owned by Pernod-Ricard, who handle its promotion and distribution), but it has also manufactured smaller brands like this. Today they are all produced in one of or a combination of its four distilleries: Ronera Santa Cruz, Roneras Santiago de Cuba, Ronera Central and Ronera Cárdenas.

This rum is from the Santiago de Cuba distillery. The name is Spanish for \"Treasure Island\" and apparently bottles of this rum were often gifted by the Cuban government to various persons.

This Santiago de Cuba Añejo Extra 1/2 is produced from a blend of rum that has been aged for over 50 years and bottled in 2015.

Caroni 1996 Velier Full Proof Heavy / Vijay 'Vijay' Ranmarine

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 is part of the third release of the Caroni Employees series, bottled in 2020. This one honours  Vijay 'Vijay' Ranmarine who worked at the distillery for 23 years.

The blend was selected by a \"tasting gang\" at the Demerara Distillers warehouses in 2019. They chose four casks from 1996, which had been matured in Trinidad until 2008. They were further aged in Guyana for 10 years before being put in a neutral tank in October 2019.

One of 766 bottles.

Dictador 1978 2 Masters / Leclerc Briant

The Destilería Colombiana was established in 1913 by Don Julio Arango y Parra and today it is still run by members of his family. The distillery’s flagship brand, Dictador, is named after Severo Arango y Ferro, nicknamed \"El Dictador,\" for the heavy hand with which oversaw trade between Spain and its colonies in the 18th century. Don Julio was one of his descendants. The distillery operates both copper pot stills as well as a stainless steel six-column continuous still, and uses a wash made from sugarcane “honey.” This is the product of the first stage in molasses production, which produces a syrup by boiling off the water from freshly pressed cane juice. This provides a lighter distillate than traditional molasses.

The 2 Masters series is a range of rums that pairs the wisdom of Dictador master blender, Hernan Parra, with another from the world of wine and spirits.

This example was co-creatd with Herve Jestin, master champagne maker at Leclerc Briant.

Havana Club 7 Year Old Latigo La Isla Edition

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 the classic 7 year old anejo rum, Latigo La Isla edition.

Black Tot Last Consignment

On July 31st 1970 a 300 year old Royal Naval tradition ended at precisely 6 bells in the forenoon watch when the last rum ration was issued aboard ships of the British Royal Navy. A day to be forever remembered as Black Tot Day. Original Royal Navy records confirm that the rum used for the rum ration was lost likely imported from the West Indies in oak casks by E.D. & F, Nab & Co, official rum merchants to the Navy since 1784. It was transferred into large oak marrying vats in the historic victualling warehouses of Deptford in east London, Gosport or Devonport from where it was dispatched to British Royal Naval ships.

Bottled by Speciality Drinks, this bottle of Black Tot contains the Last Consignment of the original Royal Naval Rum and was bottled from the original Imperial Gallon Stone Flagons into which it had been filled and sealed under HM Customs and Excise supervision in December 1970.

Speciality Drinks was established in 1999 as the independent bottling arm of The Whisky Exchange, which launched its online retail site the same year. Their first bottlings were under the Single Malts of Scotland label in 2005, followed by the Elements of Islay range and Port Askaig single malt brand in 2006 and 2009, respectively. The company was renamed Elixir Distillers in 2017.

This bottle was originally released in an elegant wooden case alongside a Tot cup, a rum ration card and a book about the history of Black Tot written by rum expert, Dave Broom.

Havana Club XX Aniversario Limited Edition 50cl 

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 limited edition to celebrate 20 years of working with Pernod Ricard.

Hampden OWH 2012 Single Cask 8 Year Old  #662 / Trelawny Endemic Birds

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.

This single cask release is part of the four-bottle Trelawny Endemic Birds series from 2020. \"Black Bird\" is an OWH mark rum and was exclusive to the French market.

One of 250 bottles.

Rhum J.M 1993  15 Year Old

The J.M Crassous de Medeuil distillery is the oldest still in operation in Martinique. It was built in 1845 by Jean-Marie Martin on the Fonds Préville estate, established by Antoine Leroux-Préville in 1790. Martin’s rum was shipped in barrels using his initials “J.M” on the cask ends. In 1914, his distillery was bought by neighbouring distillers, the Crassous de Medeuil family, who consolidated both operations at the Fonds Préville distillery, renaming it J.M Crassous de Medeuil. The “Rhum J.M” brand first appeared in the 1980s, and the first sales of its aged rum were in 1994. Its blossoming reputation then saw it bought by Groupe Bernard Hayot (GBH) in 2002, who’s portfolio also included the Clément brand. Rather than move production to Bernard’s brother’s Le Simon distillery, as they had done with Clément, GBH invested heavily in J.M Crassous de Medeuil. This included the installation of a second column still in 2015, modelled after those used in Armagnac, boosting production capacity to around 1.5 million litres per year.

This is a 1993 vintage 15 year old rhum vieux agricole.

Caroni 1998 Velier 21 Year Old Full Proof Heavy / Kevon 'Slippery' Moreno

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 is part of the second release in the Caroni Employees series, and honours Kevon 'Slippery' Moreno, who worked there for 10 years.

One of 1400 bottles produced from a stock of 6 barrels selected between Luca Gargano 26 other Caroni lovers who scoured the warehouses in eight \"tasting gangs.\"

La Favorite 1997 Cuvee Speciale de la Flibuste

La Favorite is a small family-run distillery, the last in the Port-de-France area. The plantation was initially known as La Jambette, and was renamed in 1851 by new owner, Charles Henry. The distillery hit financial hardship in the latter part of the 19th century and was eventually so badly damaged by a hurricane that it was shut down for twenty years. It was re-opened by Henri Dormoy in 1905, and his family still run it today. The distillery produces between 600,000 and 1m litres of spirit each year. Very much a boutique operation, its equipment is steam-powered, and the bottles are all labelled and wax sealed by hand.

Caroni 1994 Velier 18 Year Old 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 distilled in 1994, aged in Trinidad until 2008 and in Guyana until 2012 when it was bottled.

23 barrels produced 6,943 bottles.

Havana Club Pacto Navio Sauternes Casks

Pacto Navio is a celebration of the peace treaty -  pacto - signed in the early 19th century which allowed international trading ships  - navio - to access the island again. Distilled exclusively at San Jose de las Lajas and matured in Sauternes wine casks.

This bottle comes along with an globe-shaped stand.

Note:This bottle include four bottle shipping fee.

Caroni 1994 Velier 23 Year Old 100 Proof Heavy / Guyana Stock

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 is a \"double matured\" rum, distilled in 1994 and aged in its native Trinidad until 2008. The barrels were then transferred to Demerara Distillers Ltd's warehouses in Guyana where they were selected by Luca Gargano for this release in 2017. This was the first of the Guyana stock to be bottled and at the time was the oldest tropically matured Caroni to have been released.

This was Velier's 36th Caroni release.

Nine Leaves 2014 Velier 3 Year Old Encrypted / Warren Khong 70th Anniversary

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 Nine Leaves rum was one of a number of special releases produced for the 70th anniversary, each ffeaturing label art by long-time collaborater, Warren Khong. A special barrel proof release from entitled \"Encrypted,\" this rum was distilled in 2014 and bottled at 3 years old in 2017 from cask #3.

Nine Leaves distillery is located in the Shiga prefecture on Honshu island in Japan. Japan does not have a long history of rum production, but founder, Yoshiharu Takeuchi, was able to draw on a wealth of whisky distilling experience to aid him with his new distillery in 2013, turning to Ichiro Akuto of Chichibu for council. On his advice, he ordered wash and spirit pot stills from Forsyth’s and stainless steel washbacks in the style of those at Glenfarclas in Speyside. The wash in question is unusual, being neither molasses nor pure cane juice, rather a solution of brown Muscovado sugar and water. The spirt is distilled twice before being aged in American and French oak casks.

Hampden LROK 2010 Single Cask 10 Year Old #487 / Trelawny Endemic Birds

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.

This single cask release is part of the Trelawny Endemic Birds series from 2020. It is an LROK mark rum and was exclusively bottled for France.

One of 250 bottles.

Hampden OWH 2012 Single Cask 8 Year Old #667 / Trelawny Endemic Birds 

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.

This single cask release is part of the four-bottle Trelawny Endemic Birds series from 2020. \"Chestnut Bellied Cuckoo\" is an OWH mark rum and was exclusive to the Whisky Live festival in Paris.

One of 250 bottles.

Hampden <H> 2010 Velier 7 Year Old / Warren Khong 70th Anniversary

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.

Named Diamond H, this is a blend of 5 casks produced at the Hampden Estate distillery in Jamaica. Distilled in 2010 and aged 7 tropical years before bottling in 2017 for the company's 70th anniversary.

The cask mark \"<>H\" is used by Hampden to denote rums with an ester count between 900-1000 g/hlaa. Whether it was written as \"<H>\" on the box is a typing error or a stylistic choice from Velier is unclear. Matured in ex-bourbon barrels. The label features artwork #107 by Warren Khong, an exclusive commission.

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.