November 2024 Auction

Hampden OWH 2012 Single Cask 8 Year Old #671 / Trelawny Endemic Birds

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

This single cask release is part of the Trelawny Endemic Birds series from 2020. It is an OWH mark rum and was exclusive to The Whisky Roundabout of Milan.

One of 252 bottles.

Don Pancho 1996 Sansibar 21 Year Old

A single cask rum from the Las Cabras in Panama, bottled by Sansibar at 21 years of age. One of 285 bottles.

The Las Cabras distillery was originally established as a sugar mill back in 1919. Having settled in Panama 1993, the old warehouse was discovered by Francisco “Don Pancho” Fernandez in the mid-1990s, including an old copper column still built by Copper & Brass Works of Cincinnati in 1922. Don Pancho had a lifetime of experience in rum production as one of the leaders of the Cuban rum industry under Fidel Castro’s government, earning him the nickname, the Great Grandfather of Havana Club. Don Pancho left Cuba when Cubaron sold the distribution rights for Havana Club to Pernod-Ricard, and partnering with his friend, Carlos Esquivel, decided to rebuild the Las Cabras distillery. The 1922 Copper & Brass is now the final column in a five-column continuous still set.

Sansibar Whisky is a German independent bottler, specialising in Scotch, Japanese whisky and rum. Founded by connoisseur, Jens Drewitz, he tastes and hand-selects almost every cask he purchases, on site at the distilleries. An impressive eye for quality, Sansibar have also supported other small independents, acting as the exclusive German distributor for Glasgow's North Star, and Hidden Spirits in Italy.

Rhum Rhum Liberation 2017 Version Integrale

PMG is the brainchild of Italian master grappa-distiller, Vittorio Capovilla. An agricole rum, it is produced on a bespoke Bain-Marie pot still specially designed by Capovilla and built and installed at Bielle distillery in Guadeloupe by Andreas Muller. The rum is bottled and distributed by legendary Italian company, Velier, who's CEO, Luca Gargano, assisted in selecting Bielle as the ideal location for the home of the Rhum Rhum brand.

Aged in burgundy casks, this barrel proof Version Integrale rum was \"liberated\" from cask in 2017.

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.

New Yarmouth 1994 Flensburg Rum Company 28 Year Old / Kirsch

Located in the Clarendon parish of Jamaica, New Yarmouth is J. Wray & Nephew’s sister distillery to their globally renowned Appleton Estate. Although decidedly less prominent, it is far larger and also operates both pot and column stills, providing much of the rum for its parent company’s brands, including Edwin Charly, Coruba and Wray & Nephew Overproof.

This was distilled in 1994 and aged for 28 years, before being bottled at cask strength in 2023.

Hampden JMC 1993 Rom de Luxe 28 Year Old

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 was distilled in April 1993 and aged in single cask #8239. It was tropically and continentally aged for a total of 28 years before being bottled in September 2021.

Bottled as part of The Wild Series by Rom de Luxe. One of 145 bottles.

Long Pond HJC 1996 Plantation 22 Year Old Extreme No.3

Launched in 2003, Plantation Rum is a brand owned by the well-established cognac producer, Cognac Ferrand. Established in 1989, Maison Ferrand has used its extensive contacts in the spirits industry to source some exceptional casks of rum. The company also has privileged access to those in the warehouses of Clarendon and Long Pond in Jamaica, through its acquisition of the West India Rum Distillery (WIRD) and the shares in National Rums of Jamaica that came with it. Its ownership of the Bajan WIRD distillery has seen it increasingly involved in rum production as well as bottling in recent years. In June 2020 it was announced that Plantation Rum would be changing its name to support the global dialogue around racial equality, with the company accepting the hurtful connotations that the word “plantation” can evoke.

This is a 22 year old, the third part of the dosage-free Extreme series from Plantation. Distilled in 1996 on the John Dore pot still and barrelled with the mark HJC. This has spent 21 years in a bourbon cask in the tropics, and a further 1 ageing in Ferrand ex-Cognac wood in France.

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

Hampden JMLR 2000 Cadenhead's 8 Year Old

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 was pot-distilled in Jamaica at the famous Hampden distillery, one of only two on the island to produce rum on alembic stills. 

A 2000 vintage, this was filled into a cask marked JMLR and bottled by Wm. Cadenhead in November 2008.

Clarendon 1996 Corman Collins 25 Year Old / The Auld Alliance

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. Operating between January and October each year, the distillery produces around 12 million litres of alcohol each year. Clarendon is technically two distilling operations in one. National Rums of Jamaica has a 73% share, with the remaining 23% owned by their biggest customer, Diageo, who end up taking 90% of Clarendon’s total output for their Captain Morgan and Myers’s brands.

This Clarendon rum was bottled from a single cask 2021 by Corman Collins in collaboration with The Auld Alliance. 

Caroni 1998 The Auld Alliance 23 Year Old / Colheitas

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 was distilled in 1998 and bottled 23 years later by Colheitas for the Auld Alliance of Singapour.

One of 239 bottles.

Appleton Estate 1999 Velier 21 Year Old / Hearts Collection

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

A 100% pot still rum, this was distilled in 1999 and bottled 21 tropical years later from casks #407819 through #407830.

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.

One of 3,000 bottles.

Foursquare 11 Year Old Zinfandel Cask Blend

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.

Introduced in 2008, the Exceptional Cask Selection from Foursquare is an exemplar of the finest rum the distillery can produce. They have generally been aged to either side of a decade in cask, and bottled from bourbon casks, most of which are sourced from Jack Daniel’s, or from a variety of wood finishes. The latter is a speciality of Richard Seale, and releases have included lauded bottlings from a range of fortified wine and brandy barrels.

The fourth release, this was bottled in September 2015 after maturation in a combination of bourbon and Zinfandel wine casks.

Saint James 2004/2006 Velier 15 Year Old Magnum Series #1 / Elliott Erwitt

The Saint James brand was founded in 1765 in Saint-Pierre by the alchemist priest, Edmund Lefébure, who had built a sugar mill and distillery on the Trouvaillant estate to raise funds for the Hospitaller order, Fathers for Charity. The order lost all of their possessions following the French revolution, and the estate on Martinique passed from the state into private hands. The most successful of these was François-Paulin Lambert, who took over the Saint James plantation in 1890 having worked at its distributor for many years. It was Lambert who patented the now iconic square bottle in 1882. His family ran the Saint-Pierre distillery until 1955, surviving both the devastating eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902, and the rum market collapse following the first world war. The following two decades saw a period of transition for Saint James, which converted for the first time to the production of agricole rather than molasses-based rums, and in 1974, funded by new owners Cointreau, moved to the new distillery at Saint-Marie where this was produced. Today it is run by La Martinquaise (who bought it from Remy Cointreau in 2003) and is one of the largest rum producers on the island, operating six creole column stills to produce over 4 million litres of rum per year.

This rhum agricole was distilled in 2004/2006 and bottled by Velier in collaboration with La Maison du Whisky in 2021. The bottle features a photograph taken by Elliott Erwitt in 2005 in Rome, Italy.

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.

Foursquare 2005 Velier 16 Year Old Magnum Series #1 / Elliott Erwitt

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 was distilled in 2005 and bottled by Velier in collaboration with La Maison du Whisky in 2021. The bottle features a photograph taken by Elliott Erwitt in 1970 at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Japan.

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.

Appleton Estate 1995 Velier 25 Year Old / Hearts Collection

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

A 100% pot still rum, this was distilled in 1995 and bottled 25 tropical years later from casks #430287 through #430298.

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.

One of 3,000 bottles.

Long Pond STC❤E 2010 Cambridge 12 Year Old

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

This is part of the National Rums of Jamaica collaboration with European distributors, La Maison & Velier. A 2010 vintage, it was distilled at Long Pond distillery and is a reproduction of the \"STC❤E\" cask mark used at Cambridge Estate distillery, which closed in 1947.

This is a Continental Flavoured style rum, one of four classifications used in Jamaica, identifying rums with 700/1600 gr/hlpa. The STC❤E mark specifically refers to rums with 550/700 gr/hlpa.

Bottled from a stock of 15 barrels distilled in the double retort pot still, this was fully aged for 12 years in the tropics with an angels' share of 55% leaving enough for 4,900 bottles.

Foursquare 14 Year Old Velier Sassafras

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.

Sassafras is part of the distillery's collaboration with Italian distributor, Velier. It  is a vatting of rum aged for 3 years in ex-bourbon casks and a further 11 in ex-cognac wood. Bottled in November 2020 as one of 6000 bottles. 

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.

Foursquare 11 Year Old Zinfandel Cask Blend

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.

Introduced in 2008, the Exceptional Cask Selection from Foursquare is an exemplar of the finest rum the distillery can produce. They have generally been aged to either side of a decade in cask, and bottled from bourbon casks, most of which are sourced from Jack Daniel’s, or from a variety of wood finishes. The latter is a speciality of Richard Seale, and releases have included lauded bottlings from a range of fortified wine and brandy barrels.

The fourth release, this was bottled in September 2015 after maturation in a combination of bourbon and Zinfandel wine casks.

Bacardi Superior 150th Anniversary Limited Edition

A limited edition Barcardi bottled at 37.5% abv.

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.

Depaz 2003 Brut de Fut Rhum Vieux

The Depaz estate was established back in 1651, but its modern history begins in 1917 when Victor Depaz returned to the area to rebuild it following the eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902, which had devastated the area. The first to do so, Victor was ridiculed at the time, but his faith was rewarded when it transpired that the difficult but sought-after Blue Cane was particularly well-suited to the fertile volcanic soil that had been left behind. This highly flavoursome sugarcane turned Depaz into one of the most revered rum producers on the island. When Victor died, his son Andre took over, partnering with long-term customers, Bardinet, producers of the Negrita and Old Nick brands. Bardinet was bought by La Martinquaise in 1993. Depaz is produced on the distillery’s two stainless steel column stills, however the copper column still from Dillon is also in operation there as of 2005.

This rhum vieux was distilled from pure sugar cane juice in 2003.

One of 450 bottles.

Foursquare 11 Year Old Zinfandel Cask Blend

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.

Introduced in 2008, the Exceptional Cask Selection from Foursquare is an exemplar of the finest rum the distillery can produce. They have generally been aged to either side of a decade in cask, and bottled from bourbon casks, most of which are sourced from Jack Daniel’s, or from a variety of wood finishes. The latter is a speciality of Richard Seale, and releases have included lauded bottlings from a range of fortified wine and brandy barrels.

The fourth release, this was bottled in September 2015 after maturation in a combination of bourbon and Zinfandel wine casks.

Santiago de Cuba 20 Year Old Extra Anejo Gran Reserva

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 also manufactures smaller brands like this. 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 is a 20 year old blend from Roneras Santiago de Cuba, bottled in 2023.

Long Pond CRV 1996 Plantation 24 Year Old Extreme No.4 / Germany

Launched in 2003, Plantation Rum is a brand owned by the well-established cognac producer, Cognac Ferrand. Established in 1989, Maison Ferrand has used its extensive contacts in the spirits industry to source some exceptional casks of rum. The company also has privileged access to those in the warehouses of Clarendon and Long Pond in Jamaica, through its acquisition of the West India Rum Distillery (WIRD) and the shares in National Rums of Jamaica that came with it. Its ownership of the Bajan WIRD distillery has seen it increasingly involved in rum production as well as bottling in recent years. In June 2020 it was announced that Plantation Rum would be changing its name to support the global dialogue around racial equality, with the company accepting the hurtful connotations that the word “plantation” can evoke.

This has spent 22 years in a bourbon cask in the tropics, and a further two years ageing continentally in a Ferrand cask. A German market exclusive, this is part of the fourth dosage-free Extreme bottlings from Plantation.

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

Port Mourant 1991 Dream Catcher 30 Year Old

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

This was distilled in 1991 and bottled at cask strength in 2022.

One of 144 bottles drawn from ex bourbon cask #003.

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.

Trinidad Distillers 1991 Sansibar 31 Year Old / The Auld Alliance

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 1991 and has been aged for a total of 31 years, mostly in Europe. One of 156 bottles produced by Sansibar in collaboration with the Auld Alliance of Singapore. 

Sansibar Whisky is a German independent bottler, specialising in Scotch, Japanese whisky and rum. Founded by connoisseur, Jens Drewitz, he tastes and hand-selects almost every cask he purchases, on site at the distilleries. An impressive eye for quality, Sansibar have also supported other small independents, acting as the exclusive German distributor for Glasgow's North Star, and Hidden Spirits in Italy.

Trinidad Distillers 1991 Sansibar 31 Year Old / The Auld Alliance

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 1991 and has been aged for a total of 31 years, mostly in Europe. One of 156 bottles produced by Sansibar in collaboration with the Auld Alliance of Singapore. 

Sansibar Whisky is a German independent bottler, specialising in Scotch, Japanese whisky and rum. Founded by connoisseur, Jens Drewitz, he tastes and hand-selects almost every cask he purchases, on site at the distilleries. An impressive eye for quality, Sansibar have also supported other small independents, acting as the exclusive German distributor for Glasgow's North Star, and Hidden Spirits in Italy.

Savanna Traditionnel 2003 Single Armagnac Cask Finish 16 Year Old #988 50cl / 150th Anniversary

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.

This 2003 vintage rhum traditionnel was distilled from a molasses wash and finished in an Armaganc cask. This celebrated the distillery's 150th anniversary in 2020 and, titled Maputo, is part of the Collection Metissage.

Foursquare 2007 Velier 12 Year Old Plenipotenziario

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.

Plenipotenziario is part of the distillery's collaboration with Italian distributor, Velier. A blend of heavy and light rums distilled in 2007, this was fully matured in ex-bourbon casks for 12 years and bottled in October 2019. One of 6000 bottles.

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 1998 The Auld Alliance 23 Year Old / Colheitas

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 was distilled in 1998 and bottled 23 years later by Colheitas for the Auld Alliance of Singapour.

One of 239 bottles.

Caroni 1998 The Auld Alliance 23 Year Old / Colheitas

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 was distilled in 1998 and bottled 23 years later by Colheitas for the Auld Alliance of Singapour.

One of 239 bottles.

Dictador Best of 1983 32 Year Old

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

One of the big players of the Rum world and a well established luxury brand, Dictador is still shrouded in mystery. Perhaps owing to a misalignment of expectations these Best of bottlings are a the subject of a lot of spilt digital ink. Consensus seems to be that the vintage and any age statement refer to the Solera they are drawn from and that the liquid also includes some younger spirit from more recent vintages, rather than being a pure single vintage. Regardless of the exact make up of the liquid, Dictador is none the less an incredibly popular brand and this is one of their premium expressions, a great chance to see what Destileria Colombiana is all about.

This 1983 vintage is one of 336.