March 2023 Auction

Caroni 1994 Velier 23 Year Old Single Cask R6126 1.5 Litre / Velier 70th 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The Caroni distillery is said to have been established in 1918, however there are several historical references that suggest distilling was happening there earlier in the 20th century.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 is a \"double matured\" rum from the lost Trindadian distillery.

Distilled in 1994 and aged in its native Trinidad until 2008, this cask was one of a parcel then transferred to DDL's Diamond distillery in Guyana where they were selected by Velier's Luca Gargano in 2017.

Single cask R6126 was bottled into 109 hand blown bottles for Velier's 70th anniversary celebrations. 

West Indies Dark Rum 1948 Samaroli

Samaroli is perhaps Italy's most revered independent bottler of Scotch whisky, but he produced some outstanding rum as well. According to Emmanuel Dron's Collecting Scotch Whisky, of all the alternative spirits to whisky, which included cognac and armagnac as well, this very rum is the one he was most proud of.

Although the company has put more of a focus on rum under the watch of Silvano's successor, Antonio Bleve, rum from the era of Samaroli himself is less prominent and often spectacular when it does appear.

This was distilled in the Caribbean in 1948, and was impressively aged before bottling in 1991.

This is one of 800 bottles .

West Indies Dark Rum 1948 Samaroli

Samaroli is perhaps Italy's most revered independent bottler of Scotch whisky, but he produced some outstanding rum as well. According to Emmanuel Dron's Collecting Scotch Whisky, of all the alternative spirits to whisky, which included cognac and armagnac as well, this very rum is the one he was most proud of.

Although the company has put more of a focus on rum under the watch of Silvano's successor, Antonio Bleve, rum from the era of Samaroli himself is less prominent and often spectacular when it does appear.

This was distilled in the Caribbean in 1948, and was impressively aged before bottling in 1991.

This is one of 800 bottles .

Uitvlugt SP-ICBU 1988 Velier 17 Year Old

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

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

All four barrels contributing to this bottle were distilled on the Savalle still in 1988, each marked SP-ICBU. The latter acronym is the code for Uitvlugt distillery, the SP remains a mystery.

This was bottled in 2005 by Velier after ageing 17 years in tropical climate. The casks were selected by Luca Gargano. One of 1091 bottles.

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

Caroni 2000 Velier 18 Year Old Single Cask Heavy #R4004 / Whisky Antique

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, the island’s remaining rum producers became increasingly dependent upon imported molasses, making distilling less economical. Tate & Lyle sold a 51% controlling stake to the Trinidadian government in 1970, before it became fully nationalised in 1975. The newly established Caroni Ltd continued to lose money for the next 25 years until the government tried to minimise its ownership, selling off 49% of its share, just enough to retain control. Angostura were the preferred bidders, but a dispute over the value of Caroni’s warehoused stock scuppered the deal, and Caroni was closed for good in 2003.

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

Distilled in 2000 and aged 18 years before being bottled from single cask #R4004, this was specially selected by Massimo Righi and Diego Sandrin for Whisky Antique.

Angel Share > 75%

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

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

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

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

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

Caroni 1974 Velier 34 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, the island’s remaining rum producers became increasingly dependent upon imported molasses, making distilling less economical. Tate & Lyle sold a 51% controlling stake to the Trinidadian government in 1970, before it became fully nationalised in 1975. Despite being self-sufficient in molasses, the newly established Caroni 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.

One of the oldest releases, this is a 1974 vintage, aged 34 years. It is one of 2000 bottles produced from a stock of 7 drums.

Caroni 1989 Velier 16 Year Old High Proof Heavy

Established in 1923 on the site of the sugar factory for which it was named, Caroni was a key ingredient of British Navy rations, where it's famous high ester 'Heavy' rums help to make up the signature flavour. Sadly, with the decline of the Trinidadian sugar industry, the Islands distillers became more and more dependent upon imported molasses, making distilling less and less economical. The writing then, was already on the wall when in 2001 the Trinidadian government sold a 49% share in the holding company to Angostura. Caroni was shuttered in 2002 and a behemoth of flavour was lost to the world.

Thankfully, in 2004, Luca Gargano discovered the ossuary of Caroni's warehouses filled of barrels of the legendary heavy rum quietly ageing. Since then we have seen a number of outstanding releases, proving increasingly popular with collectors and drinkers alike.

Distilled in 1989, this was aged 16 years and bottled at a high proof of 62% ABV.

A stock of 7 casks produced 1527 bottles.

Caroni 1994 Velier 23 Year Old Full 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 from the lost Trindadian distillery.

Distilled in 1994 and aged in its native Trinidad until 2008. The barrels were then transferred to DDL's Diamond distillery in Guyana where they were selected by Velier's Luca Gargano in 2017.

This is Velier's 37th Caroni release, and is one of just 600 free-blown bottles by Master Lunardon. At the time of bottling, this was the oldest tropically aged Caroni available.

Appleton Estate Decades 60th Anniversary Jamaican Independence 75cl / US Import

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

This is a limited edition, produced by Appleton Estate to celebrate the 60 years of Jamaican independence 1962 to 2022 and was only available for purchase in Jamaica at the time of release.

One of 1,962 bottles.

Montebello 1948 Rhum Vieux

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

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

Santiago de Cuba Extra Anejo 500th Anniversary 50cl

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. 

Blend from Santiago de Cuba was created to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the eponymous city in 2015. It is blended from old stocks of rum aged in the Don Pancho cellar.

Neisson 1993 21 Year Old

Jean and Adrien Neisson acquired their site 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 physcian 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 example was distilled in 1993 and aged for 21 years.

Appleton Estate Decades 60th Anniversary Jamaican Independence 75cl / US Import

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

This is a limited edition, produced by Appleton Estate to celebrate the 60 years of Jamaican independence 1962 to 2022 and was only available for purchase in Jamaica at the time of release.

One of 1,962 bottles.

Blairmont < B > 1991 Velier 15 Year Old

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

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

This is a 1991 vintage bottle of the <B> marque, originally produced on a two-column Savalle still at the Blairmont estate on the banks of the Berbice river. The distillery closed in 1962 however, and its still is believed to have been scrapped in the process. Production of the <B> marque was subsequently taken up by Uitvlugt distillery, who replicated it on their four-column French Savalle still instead. This remains the most versatile of the DDL \"heritage stills,\" and currently produced nine different marques at its current home at Diamond distillery.

Velier bottled this from a stock of seven barrels in March 2006. One of 1913 bottles.

Appleton Estate Exclusive 75cl / Signed

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

This is an old premium offering from Appleton, intended to celebrate the terroir of the estate.

Signed on back of bottle by Joy Spence.

Bacardi de Maestros de Ron Vintage MMXII 50cl

A special limited edition decanter of Bacardi rum. Created using several different rums, all laid to rest in oak casks over a 20 year period. This was the creation of eight former Master Blenders, all descendents of Bacardi founder, Don Facundo Bacardí Massó.

One of the largest family-owned drinks companies in the world, Bacardi can trace their history back to Santiago de Cuba in 1862. Facundo Bacardi Massó was a Spanish Wine Merchant hailing from Catalonia who began distilling rum upon his arrival in Cuba. At the time, rum was quickly and cheaply made and carried a low reputation. After ten years of experimentation, he constructed two different distilleries which would each produce a different style of spirit: Aguardiente, a robust style and Redestillado, a delicate style. The result was his ability to perfectly balance the two styles of spirit and launch the first clear (white) mixable rum in the world. He quickly saw success and began to grow his empire with the purchase of a third distillery. This new facility came along with a colony of fruit bats which became the inspiration for the Bacardi logo and is still in use today. Having moved their headquarters from Cuba to Nassau in opposition to General Batista's government in the 1950s, its Cuban assets were then seized by Fidel Castro in 1959 and its has never returned to its home country. Today the company is Bermuda-based, distilling most of its rum in Puerto Rico, however over the years has also operated facilities in Mexico, Brazil, Canada and Spain. After seven generations of growth, Bacardi’s portfolio of brands became extensive. After a 1993 merger with Martini & Rossi, deals were also struck with Dewar’s and Diageo for brands and distilleries in the Scotch whisky industry. Today, they are one of the most famous names in the history of rum and their wide range of products can be found in over 170 countries across the world.

The rum is presented in a hand blown glass decanter with the coordinates of the first Bacardi distillery engraved into it.

This is one of only 1,000 of the 1,500 created that were made available to the public, with the remaining 500 going to Bacardi family members.

Demerara Rum 26 Year Old Moon Import Sherry Wood 1980s

This was produced during the early period of the nationalisation of the Guyana sugar trade by the country’s government, which saw it acquire a controlling stake in the country’s three remaining distilling companies. It managed these using a holding company called the Guyana Liquor Corporation, and its portfolio included the Diamond, Enmore, Uitvlugt and briefly, Versailles distilleries (they closed the latter in 1978). One of its first orders of business was to begin laying down stock with a view to bottlings its own 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.

This was distilled on pot still and bottled in Scotland in the 1980s for Moon Import at 26 years old.

Moon Import was founded by Pepi Mongiardino in 1980. Although primarily concerned with the distribution and bottling of single malt, the company has released some spectacular rum as well. While the new owners of companies like Samaroli and Silver Seal have placed a greater emphasis on rum in 21st century, Mongiardino was an early advocate of the spirit, particularly Demerara rum and the Moon Import catalogue routinely featured a number of what are now very special bottles. Always beautifully labelled, Pepi is acclaimed for designing the packaging for Moon Import bottles himself, often using images found in old books. These iconic designs, coupled with the quality of the liquid saw Moon Import steadily grow in popularity, and they are now some of brightest gems in any collection.

Matured in sherry wood this is one of only 600 bottles produced. 

This bottle was awarded an impressive 94 points on Serge Valentin's WhiskyFun.

Caroni 1985 Velier 21 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.

From the 2006 releases, this is a 1985 vintage. One of 6600 bottles produced from a stock of 22 barrels.

Uitvlugt 1996 Velier 18 Year Old Modified GS

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

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

This rum was bonded at Uitvlugt in 1996, tropically aged and bottled July 2014 from four barrels. The GS cask mark indicates that this rum was produced in the four-column Savalle still. One of 1,124 bottles.

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

Caroni 1988 Velier 15 Year Old Blended

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, the island’s remaining rum producers became increasingly dependent upon imported molasses, making distilling less economical. Tate & Lyle sold a 51% controlling stake to the Trinidadian government in 1970, before it became fully nationalised in 1975. Despite being self-sufficient in molasses, the newly established Caroni 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 1988, this was aged 15 years and is a blend of light and heavy rum. A stock of 20 drums produced 5200 bottles.

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

Caribbean Rum 1940 Moon Import

Moon Import was founded by Pepi Mongiardino in 1980. Although primarily concerned with the distribution and bottling of single malt, the company has released some spectacular rum as well. While the new owners of companies like Samaroli and Silver Seal have placed a greater emphasis on rum in 21st century, Mongiardino was an early advocate of the spirit, particularly Demerara rum and the Moon Import catalogue routinely featured a number of what are now very special bottles. Always beautifully labelled, Pepi is acclaimed for designing the packaging for Moon Import bottles himself, often using images found in old books. These iconic designs, coupled with the quality of the liquid saw Moon Import steadily grow in popularity, and they are now some of brightest gems in any collection.

A spectacular release, this is a blend of 1940 vintage rums from Jamaica, Martinique and Guyana.

One of just 180 bottles produced in 1999.

Foursquare Velier Destino / 70th Anniversary

The Foursquare rum distillery is owned by R.L. Seale & Co, a family company with a traceable history of rum making in Barbados dating back to 1820. The modern company dates to the 1920s, when Reginald Leon Seale set up a distribution business in the island’s capital, Bridgetown. The company’s success brought expansion, and through the latter half of the 20th century it acquired brands such as ESA Fields and Doorly’s for its portfolio. In 1995 they opened the Foursquare distillery, converting an abandoned sugar factory in the Saint Philip parish. Operating as double retort pot still and a three-column continuous still, its first spirit was produced in 1996. Foursquare produces Single Blended rum, combining its pot and column distillate both before and after being barrelled, and under the direction of Sir David Seale and his son, Richard, has become one of the most revered producers in the world.

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

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

Caroni 1982 Velier 24 Year Old Full Proof Heavy

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

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

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

Caroni 1982 Velier 24 Year Old Full Proof Heavy

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

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

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

Caroni 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.

Bacardi Carta Oro circa 1920s

An historic bottle of Bacardi gold rum, distilled by the Bacardi family in Santiago de Cuba, the ancestral home of the Brand.

One of the largest family-owned drinks companies in the world, Bacardi can trace their history back to Santiago de Cuba in 1862. Facundo Bacardi Massó was a Spanish Wine Merchant hailing from Catalonia who began distilling rum upon his arrival in Cuba. At the time, rum was quickly and cheaply made and carried a low reputation. After ten years of experimentation, he constructed two different distilleries which would each produce a different style of spirit: Aguardiente, a robust style and Redestillado, a delicate style. The result was his ability to perfectly balance the two styles of spirit and launch the first clear (white) mixable rum in the world. He quickly saw success and began to grow his empire with the purchase of a third distillery. This new facility came along with a colony of fruit bats which became the inspiration for the Bacardi logo and is still in use today. Having moved their headquarters from Cuba to Nassau in opposition to General Batista's government in the 1950s, its Cuban assets were then seized by Fidel Castro in 1959 and its has never returned to its home country. Today the company is Bermuda-based, distilling most of its rum in Puerto Rico, however over the years has also operated facilities in Mexico, Brazil, Canada and Spain. After seven generations of growth, Bacardi’s portfolio of brands became extensive. After a 1993 merger with Martini & Rossi, deals were also struck with Dewar’s and Diageo for brands and distilleries in the Scotch whisky industry. Today, they are one of the most famous names in the history of rum and their wide range of products can be found in over 170 countries across the world.

With no mention of the company's New York office on the label, this bottle likely dates to the Prohibition era of the 1920s, prior to the the updating of the logo displayed here to a new version in 1931.

Enmore ELCR 1995 Velier 16 Year Old

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

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

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

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

Caroni 1985 Velier 21 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.

From the 2006 releases, this is a 1985 vintage. One of 6600 bottles produced from a stock of 22 barrels.

Demerara Rum 1974 Gordon and MacPhail

Gordon & MacPhail are one of the largest and most recognisable whisky companies in the world. Although they began distilling at the newly refurbished Benromach distillery in 1998, for most of their history they were an independent bottler. Their labels are recognised by whisky lovers the world over, and their licensed bottlings from distillery's like Macallan and Talisker in the 1970s and 1980s, when the companies were not bottling themselves, are a huge part of the success of those distillers today. Although best-known for their bottlings of Scotch, there are some examples of other spirits from the company such as this Demerara rum.

This was produced during the early period of the nationalisation of the Guyana sugar trade by the country’s government, which saw it acquire a controlling stake in the country’s three remaining distilling companies. It managed these using a holding company called the Guyana Liquor Corporation, and its portfolio included the Diamond, Enmore, Uitvlugt and briefly, Versailles distilleries (they closed the latter in 1978). One of its first orders of business was to begin laying down stock with a view to bottlings its own 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.

This was drawn from single cask #104 in 2003.

Caroni 1985 Velier 15 Year Old Blended 

Established in 1923 on the site of the sugar factory for which it was named, Caroni was a key ingredient of British Navy rations, where it's famous high ester 'Heavy' rums help to make up the signature flavour. Sadly, with the decline of the Trinidadian sugar industry, the Islands distillers became more and more dependent upon imported molasses, making distilling less and less economical. The writing then, was already on the wall when in 2001 the Trinidadian government sold a 49% share in the holding company to Angostura. Caroni was shuttered in 2002 and a behemoth of flavour was lost to the world.

Thankfully, in 2004, Luca Gargano discovered the ossuary of Caroni's warehouses filled of barrels of the legendary heavy rum quietly ageing. Since then we have seen a number of outstanding releases, proving increasingly popular with collectors and drinkers alike.

This is a blend of heavy and light rums from 8 casks distilled in 1985. The blend was tanked in 2000 to prevent further maturation, and bottled in 2005.

2,263 bottles were produced.