February 2025 Auction

Monymusk EMB 1997 Velier 22 Year Old / Giuseppe Begnoni

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.

This is a blend of two casks marked EMB, with an ester count of 427.2 gr/hpla. This release was produced by Velier especially for Italian collector, Giuseppe Begnoni.

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.

Caroni Navy Rum La Maison and Velier / 100th Anniversary

The Caroni distillery is said to have been established in 1918, however there are several historical references that suggest distilling was happening there earlier in the 20th century.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 a special 2018 release of Caroni extra strong Navy Rum, a collaborative bottling between Velier and La Maison du Whisky (a.k.a. La Maison & Velier). The rum was aged 18 years in Trinidad and the bottle celebrates the 100th anniversary of the distillery. The packaging is a loving reproduction of the old 1960s bottles imported to the UK by Tate & Lyle.

Havana Club Tributo 2016

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.

The Tributo is an annual Havana Club release that showcases the best that their distilleries have to offer.

These are produced from \"bases\" in their cellar reserves, a unique system in which separate batches can be blended an naturally aged to produce a variety of different flavours.

The 2016 is produced from the Centenario base, which has been aged in 80 year old casks.

La Favorite 1999 Privilege Hommage a Andre Dormoy

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 on its two creole column stills. Very much a boutique operation, its equipment is steam-powered, and the bottles are all labelled and wax sealed by hand.

This single vintage expression was distilled July 1999 and matured in Cognac casks until October 2016 as an homage to André Dormoy, former proprietor and father of the current owner/manager.

One of only 3500 bottles

Havana Club 7 Year Old Bridge / China

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, specially labelled in collaboration with Bridge. Bottled in 2022, this was made exclusive to China.

Caroni 1998 The Wild Parrot 'White'

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.

In the end, Angostura still acquired the majority of the circa 18,000 warehoused Caroni barrels for blending. These remained in Trinidad, as did a large batch of casks later acquired by Velier's Luca Gargano in 2004. A great number of casks also found their way over to Europe as well though, imported by Bristol Spirits and the Main Rum Company, resulting in a proliferating number of sought after continentally aged releases from independent bottlers like this over the years.

This rum was distilled in 1998 and bottled by Hidden Spirits and Stefano Cremaschi for their The Wild Parrot brand in 2018.

Caroni 1996 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.

Distilled in 1996, this was entirely matured in Trinidad for 17 years and was Velier's first bottling of this vintage. This is the 30th overall release.

One of 1,460 bottles.

Hampden New Beginnings 

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.

One of just 700 bottles, this special limited release was produced to celebrate the wedding of Christelle and Matthew Hann on 3rd June 2023.

Rhum J.M 1989 10 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 1989 vintage rhum vieux, bottled in December 1999.

Trois Rivieres 1982 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 1982 vintage rhum vieux agricole.

Velier Royal Navy Very Old Rum 1st Edition

'The oldest blend of British Caribbean rums of the 21st century.'

This is a Velier produced blend of rum from Trinidad, Guyana and Jamaica, including a 20 year old from the lost Caroni distillery. It has a 'weighted average age' of 17.42 years and was produced by Velier master blended Luca Gargano using vintages from between 1990 to 2005.

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 Royal Navy Very Old Rum 1st Edition

'The oldest blend of British Caribbean rums of the 21st century.'

This is a Velier produced blend of rum from Trinidad, Guyana and Jamaica, including a 20 year old from the lost Caroni distillery. It has a 'weighted average age' of 17.42 years and was produced by Velier master blended Luca Gargano using vintages from between 1990 to 2005.

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 Royal Navy Very Old Rum 1st Edition

'The oldest blend of British Caribbean rums of the 21st century.'

This is a Velier produced blend of rum from Trinidad, Guyana and Jamaica, including a 20 year old from the lost Caroni distillery. It has a 'weighted average age' of 17.42 years and was produced by Velier master blended Luca Gargano using vintages from between 1990 to 2005.

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 Royal Navy Very Old Rum 1st Edition

'The oldest blend of British Caribbean rums of the 21st century.'

This is a Velier produced blend of rum from Trinidad, Guyana and Jamaica, including a 20 year old from the lost Caroni distillery. It has a 'weighted average age' of 17.42 years and was produced by Velier master blended Luca Gargano using vintages from between 1990 to 2005.

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.

Caroni 2000 Velier Full Proof Heavy / Basdeo 'Dicky' Ramsarran

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 fourth release of the Caroni Employees series, bottled in 2020. This one honours Basdeo \"Dicky\" Ramsarran who worked at the distillery for 20 years.

The blend was selected by a \"tasting gang\" at the Demerara Distillers warehouses in 2019. They chose 6 casks from 2000, 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 1,251 bottles.

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.

Caroni 1998 Velier Full Proof Heavy / Balas 'Brigade' Bhaggan

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 fourth release of the Caroni Employees series, bottled in 2020. This one honours Balas \"Brigade\" Bhaggan who worked at the distillery for 14 years.

The blend was selected by a \"tasting gang\" at the Demerara Distillers warehouses in 2019. They chose 6 casks from 1998, 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.

Caroni 1996 Velier 23 Year Old Full Proof Blended / Tasting Gang

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.

The 38th Caroni release from Velier, this was their penultimate bottling in this now iconic series. On 12th April 2019, a group of 23 Caroni-lovers from across Europe met in France's Cognac region to sample the last 173 barrels of Caroni stock that Velier had stored in Guyana and Trinidad. This is the result of a blend of 22 of those, from both the heavy and light style produced on the Caroni pot and column stills.

100% aged in the tropics, this had an Angels' share of over 85%.

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.

Savanna Grand Arome 2006 Single Cask 12 Year Old #991 / Grand Etang Sec

The Savanna distillery is the oldest on the Île de la Réunion, established in 1870 by Olive Lemarchand and at the time known as Parc à Jacques. The Domain of Savanna was formed six years later, with records showing the distillery producing rum principally from a molasses wash. This facility operated until the 1940s when Émile Hugot consolidated a number of sugar factories, including Savanna, to form the Bourbon Sugar Company. The original Savanna distillery in Saint Paul continued to operate until 1992 when it was relocated to its current location in Bois-Rouge. Despite expanding the distillery in 1995 and again 1999, The Bourbon Sugar Company divested from rum in 2001, and the distillery passed through various hands to its current ownership, Tereos in France. The distillery’s creole column still dates from 1964, and under the guidance of master distiller and rum-savant, Laurent Broc, produces a wide range of traditional and agricole rums, including these much-lauded Grand Arôme. Some distilling also take place on a tiny alembic pot still.

One of 490 bottles, this Grand Arome rum was part of the Wild Island series. It was aged in both cognac and armagnac wood.

Caroni 1996 Velier Full Proof Heavy / Dhanraj 'Dan' Maharaj

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 fifth release of the Caroni Employees series, bottled in 2021. This one honours Dhanraj \"Dan\" Maharaj.

Foursquare 1998 Paulsen Collection

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.

The Paulsen Collection is a premium range of wines and spirits. It is named after the 21st century explorer, Frederik Paulsen, best known for his polar expeditions. Each of the releases has been personally approved by him.

This is a 1998 vintage rum from Foursquare in Barbados, and has been aged in bourbon casks for 10 years.

One of 1716 bottles.

Hampden C<>H 1990 Salon du Rhum 

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 rum is distilled in Jamaica at Hampden Distillery, one of the country's oldest distilleries. Jamaican rum is known for being the heaviest, strongest and most ester-containing rums on the market.

Distilled 1990, this was bottled in 2021 by Salon du Rhum Belgique.

One of 228 bottles. 

Savanna HERR 2009 HERRline 8 Year Old 50cl / Swell de Spirits

The Savanna distillery is the oldest on the Île de la Réunion, established in 1870 by Olive Lemarchand and at the time known as Parc à Jacques. The Domain of Savanna was formed six years later, with records showing the distillery producing rum principally from a molasses wash. This facility operated until the 1940s when Émile Hugot consolidated a number of sugar factories, including Savanna, to form the Bourbon Sugar Company. The original Savanna distillery in Saint Paul continued to operate until 1992 when it was relocated to its current location in Bois-Rouge. Despite expanding the distillery in 1995 and again 1999, The Bourbon Sugar Company divested from rum in 2001, and the distillery passed through various hands to its current ownership, Tereos in France. The distillery’s creole column still dates from 1964, and under the guidance of master distiller and rum-savant, Laurent Broc, produces a wide range of traditional and agricole rums, including the much-lauded Grand Arôme. Some distilling also take place on a tiny alembic pot still.

HERR stands for \"High Ester Rum Reunion\" and is pot distilled from molasses. 

This was aged in ex-Cognac cask #268 and bottled for Swell de Spirits.

One of 625 bottles.

Hampden <H> 2001 Old Brothers 50cl

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 is a 2001 vintage pure single rum from Hampden's double retort pot still, bottled from a cask marked <H> (more commonly seen as <>H).

It was aged 18 years in the tropics and a further 1.5 in Europe before being bottled by Old Brothers and La Source.

Rhum J.M 2000 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 2000 vintage rhum vieux, bottled in August 2016.

Rhum J.M 15 Year Old Cuvee Prestige Carafe Cristal

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.

One of 500 decanters containing a rare 10-year-old blend of specially selected casks.

Panama Rum 2004 Kingsbury 17 Year Old / Shinanoya

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 a Bowmore 1966, and two dark sherry casked Ardbeg, this is one of them.

This is a 17 year old Panama rum which was selected and bottled by Kingsbury for Shinanoya Tokyo.

Trinidad Distillers 2000 Swell de Spirits 24 Year Old Private Garden 50cl / Clos des Spiritueux

Trinidad Distillers is the production facility for the Angostura brand. It was built by the company in 1947 to produce rum for its world-famous bitters, in addition to distilling bulk product for export. The distillery’s original set up was a single Savalle column still, however this was replaced with a five-column still in 1975, following investment from Bacardi who required more bulk rum. Two more of these multi-column stills were added in 1985 and 1999. Some experimentation briefly took place with a Vendome pot still in the early 2000s as well, however this was quickly sold to St Lucia Distillers by their shared parent company at the time, CL Financial. The company was forced to divest much of its rum portfolio following the financial crash in 2007, but retains a majority stake in Angostura after it was bailed out by the local government to prevent what it felt was a national treasure being lost to foreign ownership. Trinidad Distillers remains one of the largest rum distilleries in the Caribbean, producing around 8.5 million litres per year.

This was distilled in 2000 and aged for a total of 24 years before being bottled by Swell de Spirits for Clos des Spiritueux.

Antigua 2012 Velier Catch of the Day Single Cask Heavy / 70th Anniversary

The only remaining rum distillery on the island, Antigua Distillers Ltd (ADL) was established in 1929 by a cooperative of local rum shop owners who were looking to control the production of their stock. The distillery was built three years later, on the unfortunately named Rat Island in St John’s Harbour. Operating a four-column copper Savalle still, the rum was blended and bottled by each shop under their own labels. Their first collaborative product was the Cavalier Antigua label in 1947, which set the scene for the now widely distributed English Harbour brand. The distillery’s rum is unique in that rather than replace their historic old copper Savalle still with a new three-column still from John Dore in 1991, they fused them both together, retaining the Savalle as the rectification column and creating on of the only hybrid still in operation in the Caribbean.

Catch of the Day was a 2018 addition to Velier's range of incredible rums, and was distilled at Antigua Distillery. Luca Gargano selected 27 'special casks' that had an unusually high level of congeners; 218 g/hlpa to be precise. This special 70th anniversary bottling is drawn from just one of them, barrel #2598.

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.

Neisson 2003 Single Cask / Japan Import System

Jean and Adrien Neisson acquired their estate in Le Carbet in 1922, building the distillery nine years later. It remains part of the family to this day, saved by Jean’s daughter Claudine, who quit her job as a hospital physician to run it after his death. Her son Gregory is now its master distiller. He produces its esteemed agricole rum on the distillery’s single-column Savalle still, constructed back in 1938.

This 2003 vintage single cask was bottled exclusively for Japan Import System.

Caroni 1994 Velier 17 Year Old Heavy High Proof

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 matured in Trinidad until 2008 and then transferred to Guyana, where it was bottled in 2011. One of 7,142 bottles produced from a stock of 23 barrels.