Rum & Cachaca

• • Nick's Import

  2006 The Colours of Rum Foursquare 15 Year Old Edition No. 16 Cask Strength Barbados Rum (700ml)

  BARBADOS

  $299. 00

  Bottle

  $3588.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 61%

  More than a few rum afficionados consider Barbados an ideal introduction to the category. Bajan rum is enjoyable and “rummy” without veering into the bolder (and let’s face it) more polarising flavours found in funky Jamaicans, grassy agricoles or the wild fermentation-induced complexities of Haitian Clairin. The most popular exported Barbadian rums are typically blends of column and pot distilled spirits. Fans of additive-free styles will find many choices here. Three key distilleries are Foursquare, Mount Gay and The West Indies Distillery (which produces Cockspur rum). However, it's Foursquare that's fast becoming one of the brightest stars in the Caribbean  firmament.  For anyone seeking high quality 'malternatives' without breaking the bank, look no further. The fourth generation venture is headed by Richard Seale, one of the most vocal spokespersons for pure and unadulterated rums in the region. His talent and drive led noted spirits authority, Fred Minnick to describe Foursquare as "the Pappy of rum." No surprise then that Foursquare is the feature of this shipment.  

  This 2006 distillation was drawn from a single cask matured for 14 years in the tropics in an ex-Bourbon barrel. According to one report, it's very similar to Edition No. 15, "...with more coconut and a bit more pot still nuance on the nose with less wood. On the palate it's much more fruity and less spicy...definitely a top tier Foursquare..." Natural cask strength of 61% ABV. 264 bottles. Non chill filtered.

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• • Nick's Import

  1992 The Colours of Rum HD 29 Year Old Edition No. 5 Cask Strength Jamaica Rum (700ml)

  JAMAICA

  $599. 00

  Bottle

  $7188.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 58.1%

  Always on the hunt for 'malternatives', this delivers another Hampden gem according to Serge Valentin at whiskyfun.com (review below). 250 bottles were released at a cask strength of 58.1% ABV. Non chill filtered.

  Other reviews... Naturally, 'HD' could also mean Harley-Davidson, high-definition, or heavy-duty, but we do believe the mysterious acronym means 'Hampden'. Colour: pale gold. Nose: no wait, this is even greater, with more subtle herbs, teas, smokes of all kinds, mints (spearmint, peppermint, chocolate mint et al), earths, fermented sauces including Chinese ones, brines (fish, olives)… Wow! With water: like a great Meursault of great age by a great winemaker. Mouth (neat): just evident. Salted tar, liquorice and lemon juice. Extremely focused and tight. With water: astounding brininess. I'm also finding notes of sorrel soup, cress, melissa and a rather moderate tar this time. Finish: long, tarrier again. Would you believe me if I said it's reminiscent of some Port Ellens? Comments: something Bowmore-y in this one, actually, forget about Port Ellen. I find it even greater than its sister bottling, but that would rather be like 92.99 vs. 92.01, so both 92, let's not puzzle over numbers. 92 points - whiskyfun.com

  ...Nose: those lovely overripe fruits at first. Fermenting pineapple and banana, with spiced orange, green sugarcane as well as some gummy bears, vanilla and nail polish remover. Minty freshness. Thai basil leaves. Hints of cod liver oil and herbal tea. Excellent. Mouth: the banana / pineapple combo is still there, but the hints of salted liquorice, tar and black olives are bigger. Then some mango, leathery dryness and thyme. A faint hint of rubber. Anchovies and resinous notes in the end. Finish: long and drying, with salty notes, olives and liquorice. 92 points - whiskynotes.be

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• • Nick's Import

  1992 The Colours of Rum HD 29 Year Old Edition No. 4 Cask Strength Jamaica Rum (700ml)

  JAMAICA

  $599. 00

  Bottle

  $7188.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 58.2%

  Jamaica is an island that has several seats at the head of the table when it comes to true rum exotica. Sometimes difficult to describe, their aromas and flavours can evoke an almost visceral response: Rotting bananas, overripe tropical fruits and industrial or petroleum-like notes, often referred to as 'hogo' or 'funk' mean that they're polarising, but for those who are “down with the funk,” it simply doesn't get better. The more extreme examples contain elevated levels of organic compounds - esters and higher alcohols - supercharged in long fermentations by wild yeasts and dunder (residue from previous runs). We colloquially call them high ester rums. Because they're so powerful and mostly reserved for blending, you could think of them as the single malts of the Caribbean. Today, just six distilleries make various styles, some owned by large companies, some are smaller independent operations. When bottled all-natural, they offer some of the most exciting rums on the planet.

  Distilled in 1992 at a Hampden distillery in Trelawny Parish, this stems from one of the world's most traditional rum producers, renowned for some of the very highest quality high ester rums on the planet. The outturn was 251 bottles at an impressive 29 years of age without any dilution or filtration. 58.2% Alc./Vol.

  Wealth Solutions are better known in Europe as bottlers of some of world's greatest spirits, including stunning investment oriented whiskies like 1940s Glen Grants and old Karuizawas. They’ve now introduced a new collection called The Colours of Rum. With a multi-hued minimalist presentation mostly based on country flags, these rums are released in batches -  all kinds of distilleries at once, usually at significant age statements. Coinciding with an increasingly critical recognition of the rum category, the collection is attracting enthusiasts who otherwise devoted their attention to high-end single malts. Every bottle comes from a single cask, at cask strength with no sweeteners or other additives. Maturation may take place in the Caribbean or in Europe or both.

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• • Nick's Import
  • Reduced

  1998 The Colours of Rum Montebello 23 Year Old Edition No. 1 Cask Strength Guadeloupe Rum (700ml)

  GUADELOUPE

  Reduced from $599.00

  $399. 00

  Bottle

  $4788.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 43.3%

  Martinique, Guadeloupe and the adjacent island, Marie-Galante represent the very heart of Rhum Agricole, although contrary to popular belief, not all rums from those islands are strictly agricole. Montebello is one that makes a bit of both. Originally called the Carrère Distillery, it was founded in 1930 on the western side of Guadeloupe and primarily produces column distilled agricole using only hand-harvested canes from the volcanic regions of Petit-Bourg, Goyave, Basse-Terre, Lamentin and Sainte-Rose. It is also one of the last distilleries in the Caribbean to employ steam engines, using dry bagasse (cane residue) as fuel to run the cane crushing presses. Since December 2011, Gregory and Dominique Marsolle have taken over the business. Mostly what gets exported are very, very young rums, so this continentally aged 23 year old ranks as a genuine novelty. Matured exclusively in used rum barrels, the outturn was just 155 bottles. 43.3% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

  Other reviews... The old Carrere distillery in Guadeloupe is agricole in all but name. Produced from hand harvest cane grown on volcanic soils, Montebello is one of the last distillers to use steam engines in the process. Founded in 1930, not a whole lot has changed there in the last 90 years. It's extremely unusual to see products of this age from here and even more so to be offered a single cask. Let's taste it! The color is light gold. Extremely unusual nose of wild flowers, fresh lavender, sweet fresh dill, honeysuckle, cured green olives and persimmon skins. On the palate it's medium bodied with a powerful exotic herbal character, fresh ground matcha, olive oil. The finish builds around the herbal and sundry driven flavors. A totally wild and gorgeous experience incomparable anything else... - David Othenin-Girard, K&L Wines.

  Notes from the bottlers... Aromas of citrus, honey, and grass, with spices and wood in the mouth.

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• • 96

  • Limit One per customer

  2007 The Drunken Master SNK Samurai Showdown Foursquare 14 Year Old Single Cask 011 Cask Strength Barbados Rum (700ml)

  BARBADOS

  $480. 00

  Bottle

  $5760.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 57.2%

  If you are in Taiwan, The Drunken Master Whisky Bar in Kaohsiung has a following for its prolific collection. Evidently rum is not far behind. Several single barrel bottlings are now on offer. Cask #11 nicknamed 'Samurai Showdown' leaves a lasting impression, with powerful, complex aromatics evoking caramel fudge, dates, vanilla bean and roasted nuts, leading into fresher notes of raisins, cinnamon and orange spice cake; the alcohol balance at natural strength is breathtaking, managing feline composure in a slow, luxurious cascade of raw sugar, over-ripe banana, moist molasses cake, wild honey, cafe-creme and high-cocoa dark chocolate flavours that rebound over minutes. Released in collaboration with Japanese video game hardware and software company, 'SNK corporation', it's rum for the lucky few: 260 bottles are available for the world. Tasted from a 20ml sample. 57.2% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

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• 2004 The Whisky Agency Barbancourt 12 Year Old Rum (700ml)

  HAITI

  $190. 00

  Bottle

  $2280.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 49.2%

  One of the oldest Haitian rums we've been able to source: Distilled in 2004 and bottled in 2016, it's an indie selection from "The Whisky Agency" and limited to 154 bottles. Bottled at a higher than normal strength of 49.2% Alc./Vol., we have less than a handful to sell. The Barbancourt family is of French origin and their sugar cane is hand cut between November and June, thrice milled, then fermented for about 72 hours with a proprietary yeast strain.

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• 1990 The Whisky Jury Enmore Single Cask 32 Year Old Cask Strength Guyana Rum (700ml)

  GUYANA

  $899. 00

  Bottle

  $10788.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 50.9%

  Just arrived from 'The Whisky Jury' - a well-aged rarity from Guyana's legendary wooden pot still yielding 222 bottles from a single re-fill barrel. All natural, cask strength and non chill filtered. 50.9% Alc./Vol.

  Other reviews... Nose: elegant Versailles. It opens on a mix of dried herbs – oregano stands out, but also thyme and fennel seeds. Then hints of pencil shavings, green tea with lemon. Very subtle olives in brine. Also fabrics, dried flowers and the lightest whiff of glue and wax in the background. Lovely and unique. Mouth: quite assertive and thick, but again firmly un-fruity. It’s entirely on salty liquorice, a kitchen drawer full of dried herbs, pine needles, with hints of sea salt and camphory earth. Bitter almonds and some medicinal hints, like menthol. Later more pencil shavings. Then ink, black olive tapenade and faded hints of petrol. Not exactly easy sipping rum, but nicely complex. Finish: long and herbal. Slightly less special now, just a refreshing finale. Excellent Enmore, a good benchmark for this style and age. No ester bomb, not a fruity rum either, but a unique mix of herbs and this specific woody style. - whiskynotes.be

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• 1998 The Whisky Jury Bellevue Single Cask 24 Year Old Cask Strength Guadeloupe Rum (700ml)

  GUADELOUPE

  $450. 00

  Bottle

  $5400.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 54.4%

  Other reviews... There's a wee flag with fleur-de-lis on the label, what's that, Quebec? Remember there's a Bellevue in Guadeloupe and a Bellevue on Marie-Galante, while Marie-Galante is administratively part of Guadeloupe. Did you get it all? Colour: deep gold. Nose: kerosene and olive oil, plus brake pad dust and dried mackerels, that's what I'm getting. Also black-olive focaccia. It's true that Bellevue can get pretty extreme. With water: stunning heady flowers, wisteria, jasmine, honeysuckle… Plus this feeling of having just opened the Kardashians' own family-pack of liquorice allsorts. Mouth (neat): totally grand Bellevue, full of menthol, liquorice, salt, rotting bananas, acetone and varnish. What does the people want? With water: more, much more salty liquorice, Scandinavian-style. Finish: very long, salty and full of liquorice, with some kind of smoke in the aftertaste. Juniper wood? Also blood oranges and pineapples. Comments: sure this wee Bellevue doesn't go in for subtleties, but should you be a member of the Liquorice Maniacs, you'll just need this bottle. Love it while frankly, those 24 years don't really feel. Hurray. 90 points - whiskyfun.com

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• 1998 The Whisky Jury Caroni Single Cask 23 Year Old Cask Strength Trinidad Rum (700ml)

  TRINIDAD

  $799. 00

  Bottle

  $9588.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 58.2%

  Other reviews... Colour: amber. Nose: a softer Caroni, with some chocolate, mocha, sawdust, walnut shell and just one black olive. With water: chocolate and pinecones. It really is an easier Caroni. Mouth (neat): much bigger, tighter, more compact than on the nose. Salted nuts and acidic coffees, plus black and bitter chocolate. With water: very good but down, salty but with a thinner body. Tea tannins, white chocolate. Finish: medium. Sugar cane, not much else. Very light tar. Comments: as we all know, there are various kinds of Caronis; this might well be one of the lightest. As they say in Putin's army, nothing to write home about. 84 points - whiskyfun.com

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• • 95

  2001 The Whisky Jury SPD Single Cask 20 Year Old Cask Strength Fiji Rum (700ml)

  FIJI

  $350. 00

  Bottle

  $4200.00 Dozen

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  ABV: 55.2%

  As diverse as the descriptors sound, Serge Valentin from whiskyfun pretty much nails the notes found in this freaky Fijian that draws comparisons with high ester Jamaicans. Big on complexity, balance and tropical verve, it is a spirit that consolidates Fiji's place on the rum map. Our tasting was limited to a 15ml sample. Full review from Serge below.

  Other reviews... We've tried an excellent one the other day, by The Rum Cask in Germany. Jamaica in the Pacific! Colour: gold. Nose: olives, anchovies, tar, seawater, new rubber, hand cream, a little 'good' soap. Superb. With water: soap gone, enter liquorice wood and engine grease. And more anchovies. Mouth (neat): textbook Jamaican. I mean, Fijian. Sublime bananas and pineapples, on top of tar, rubber, olives and sardines (perhaps, not too sure about those sardines). Stunning rum in any case. With water: fruity like an early-1960s Laphroaig. Finish: pink grapefruits all over the place, with an admirable salty aftertaste. Comments: Fiji amongst the best of the best. Have we ever heard them brag? 91 points - whiskyfun.com

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• 1995 The Whisky Jury Clarendon MM Single Cask 25 Year Old Cask Strength Jamaica Rum (700ml)

  JAMAICA

  $550. 00

  Bottle

  $6600.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 61.3%

  Described by the bottlers as "A tropical fruit bomb", this limited edition was a run of 270 bottles from an American oak cask at 61.3% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

  Jamaica's Clarendon Distillery (est.1949 and initially owned by the Monymusk Sugar Factory) is a large plant, home to about 5-6 column still marques and about 20 pot still marques. Amongst these is Monymusk, named after one of the oldest sugar cane plantations in Jamaica, located in Lionel Town, Clarendon. To confuse matters, there's also a brand called 'Monymusk', but that has only been around since 2012. The historical connection remains, as Clarendon is located on six acres in the Monymusk Estate. About 90% of the total output goes to Diageo's Captain Morgan and Myers brands, which in total accounts for about 60% of all Jamaican bulk rum exports. In short, Clarendon is a hybrid set up - on the one hand churning out industrial column still distillate for global brands, while on the other creating various esoteric and highly-regarded light and heavy ester pot-distilled rums. The count should be around 270 gr/hpa for this marque. Reviews have praised its profile, boasting notes of tropical fruit, liquorice and menthol.

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• 2012 The Whisky Jury HD MJH3 Single Cask 9 Year Old Cask Strength Jamaica Rum (700ml)

  JAMAICA

  $250. 00

  Bottle

  $3000.00 Dozen

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  ABV: 55.8%

  Other reviews... With all these Hs, I would wager this is Hampden. Sure I deserve a medal. Colour: gold. Nose: fresh paint, barley water, pistachio oil, black nougat, stout, new Kia garage, Tesla batteries, gherkin brine. With water: carbon dust, Muscadet, new tyres, cucumbers, floorcloth… Mouth (neat): sublime, best-in-the-Caribbean, of Ardbeg 1972-1975 quality. Do they use purifiers at Hampden? High-precision smoky and briny unfolding, very coastal too, balanced, mildly tarry, with a few acidic fruits (star fruits, lemons, green gooseberries)… I'm trying very hard and yet I cannot find any flaws, this is perfect spirit. With water: a blade. Tarry and smoky olives, plus wild garlic (bear's) and smoked oysters. There's something irresistible in here. Finish: very long, salty, with the expected liquorice and then just kippers and sardines. Comments: this Jury sure isn't out. Holy Bob Marley, what a rum! By the way, one day someone will tell you the story about Bob Marley, the Wailers, snow, and Scotland. In the meantime… 91 points - whiskyfun.com

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• 2005 The Whisky Jury Long Pond Single Cask 15 Year Old Cask Strength Jamaica Rum (700ml)

  JAMAICA

  $299. 00

  Bottle

  $3588.00 Dozen

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  ABV: 62.1%

  A high-ester rum from Long Pond distillery. Fans of Jamaican styles will enjoy the intensity on offer here. Just 290 bottles have been filled from a single American oak barrel.

  Other reviews... The Whisky Jury Long Pond Rum was distilled in Jamaica in 2005. The rum was then allowed to be stored tropically for 16 years. The rum was bottled in cask strength with 62.1% alcohol without dyes and sugar as single cask rum with 290 bottles. In the nose, the rum is not a typical Jamaican for me. But it's also my first Long Pond. So what do I know. The nose is heavy. The ester is more present through a lot of dark fermented fruit and dirty glue notes. The scent is very beguiling and addictive. Here the rum makes a precision landing. On the palate you notice the 62%. It brings a pleasant thick molasses sweetness with lots of wood with some heat. The barrel influence is enormous. The dirty note is not quite as pronounced but comes back in the finish. It is also fruit there but it dominates the wood. The finish has many bitter substances and some dirty notes. The reverberation is long and characterized by the barrel influence. An exciting rum that I like very much. But you should like strong wood influence. It could be a bit too dominant. Very different from Hampden or WP. Definitely delicious. - rumratings.com

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• • 94

  Tiki Lovers Pineapple Rum (700ml)

  GERMANY

  $84. 99

  Bottle

  $1019.88 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 45%

  A new rum label created by Stephan Berg and Alexander Hauck, the founders of the highly successful brand ‘The Bitter Truth.’

  This bottling has its roots in the past when Caribbean distillers would macerate fresh pineapple in high-proof sugar cane spirit, thereby adding an extra dimension of delicious fruitiness to the rum. Based on all natural pineapple extracts sourced from South America, the fruit is harvested at peak ripeness and the juice extracted by pressing. The unfermented juice is then stripped of some of its water content to create a complex pineapple extract. Making up the blend are aged & unaged Jamaican pot-still rums from Hampden Estate and Worthy Park, three year old Barbados rum from Foursquare Distillery and some young column-still rums from both Trinidad and Guyana. The blend is then infused with the pineapple extract and allowed to rest for several weeks giving the sugar cane flavours time to mingle with fruity layers of juicy pineapple, all while maintaining elements of the rum.

  The upshot is that this is not your usual kind of flavoured rum. It’s bold, it’s funky with loads of Caribbean personality.

  Tasting note: Glossy copper colour. Aromatically, an essence of pineapple pudding captured in a silky rum base. Taste wise, it's a little confected. But more husk than ripe pulp at the finish and the overall authenticity of flavour counters the sugary rush. Try it with ginger beer, in a Daiquiri or a Pineapple Sour. 45% Alc./Vol.

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• Tin Shed Distilling Co. Requiem SS Ferret 6 Year Old Australian Pot Still Rum (700ml)

  Welland, South Australia, AUSTRALIA

  $170. 00

  Bottle

  $2040.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 46%

  WINNER: Tasting Australia 2020 Rum Trophy.

  A requiem is a final mass or tribute. In this case, we have a series of rums tributed to ships and to the seafarers who sailed in them. The first Requiem bottling is named after the 'SS FERRET'. An odd title for a ship, it was built of iron in 1871 in Glasgow and owned by the Highland Railway Co. In 1880 the ship was stolen as part of a conspiracy in which it disappeared from its home in Scotland and mysteriously reappeared several months later in Australia under the new name of “India”.

  Constable James Davidson, who had recently arrived from Scotland, was at his post on the pier at Queenscliff as the India steamed past. At the time, he happened to be reading a copy of The Scotsman newspaper which included an article taken from the Glasgow Evening Citizen and which described the mysterious disappearance of the Ferret from the Clyde". The thieves were arrested, convicted and imprisoned. The Ferret remained in Australia for the remainder of its working life owned and operated by the Adelaide Steamship Company, engaged in the Gulf trade in SA waters. Almost 100 years ago, the Ferret was wrecked on 14 November 1920 after running onto a beach during a storm at Reef Head near Cape Spencer on the south coast of Yorke Peninsula.

  This is described as a rum for grown-ups. The sickly sweetness so common in many mass-produced commercial examples is missing. So too is the presence of added spices and other ingredients. Distilled from a molasses base then matured in American oak x Port casks, at just six years of age it's already garnered significant acclaim. 2020 Taste Australia Show Judge, Graham Wright summed it up as, "A superbly put together spirit, such balance between the spirit, the right amount of oak and the clean, serious and yet intriguing taste of molasses. This rum is just impeccable".

  Already sold out at the distillery, we have a tiny volume available. Comes non chill filtered and bottled at 46% ABV.

  Official notes read, "Seville orange with matcha Japanese green tea bitterness and chocolate. This is a rum for grown-ups. The sickly sweetness so common in commercial rums is missing, so too the presence of added spices. It is smart, graceful and sophisticated".

  Other reviews... Nose: Salted caramel, figs, banana, and a hint of ginger candy. Big hit of oak and tawny next to allspice and Christmas cake. Palate: Leather, demerara, dark chocolate and then lots of oak. Burnt sugar, tar and a slight hint of BBQ smoke. Luscious. Finish: Long. Tawny and oak lingering. Comments: I've always been a huge fan of the old Southern Coast Distilling rums. Very similar in structure and character here, but the cask influence is a bit more pronounced in this new Tin Shed bottling. Tasty stuff, already looking forward to next year's. 87 points - ozwhiskyreview.com.au

  ...Sipping Requiem Rum SS Ferret Australian Pot Still Rum, is a very pleasant, easy going experience. The notes of orange and chocolate, on the nose come through on the initial sip. It’s quite easy going and very, very easy to drink. It has a lovely hit of orange and dark chocolate. Please note this is a million miles away, however from the nonsense that is Pyrat! The sweet chocolate and orange notes on the initial sip, gently move into a mid palate which has more of slightly bitter notes of tea and a very gentle slightly smoky note of tobacco and leather arm chairs. Requiem SS Ferret Australian Pot Still Rum review by the fat rum pirateAlthough this has been aged in ex-Port Casks it is not as sweet as some other Port Cask rums I have tried. Their is definitely an influence from the cask but this rum is not a typical example of a Port Cask finished rum. It’s different and unusual but very good... The finish is light and easy going with notes of orange, chocolate and a touch of molasses. It’s light but at the same time has a complexity to it. The best thing about this rum is its balance. It’s not overly boozy and has no off notes to it. At the right price this would be a wonderful every day sipper in the ilk of the the likes of Appleton 8 and Doorly’s XO. Does Australia have better rum than Bundy out there? Well this was real bonzer... 4.5 Stars - thefatrumpirate.com

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• Transcaribbean Rum Line Flying King 3 Year Old Jamaica & Dominican Rum (700ml)

  $74. 99

  Bottle

  $899.88 Dozen

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  ABV: 42%

  A tropically aged rum, blending the high-ester profile of Jamaica with the attractive roundness of the Dominican style. With its highly expressive aromatics, this edition is created with versatility and mixology in mind. The title references a member of the British Royal Navy’s fleet. The Flying King followed the adventurous life of its Captain, Robert Sample, a pirate who didn't hesitate to beach his vessel to escape his capture. 42% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

  Notes from the bottlers... Ester nose, roasted banana, dried fruit, light licorice and cinnamon.

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• • Reduced

  2015 Transcontinental Rum Line Australia (Beenleigh) 4 Year Old Australian Rum (700ml)

  Queensland, AUSTRALIA

  Reduced from $150.00

  $120. 00

  Bottle

  $1440.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 48%

  Queensland's Beenleigh Distillery is making a mark globally, having recently featured in several high profile rums, including the Black Tot Master's Reserve. This time it's a four year old pure single rum (one distillery, all pot still) produced via Beenlieigh's unique copper 'vat still' (the only one in Australia). Bottled in 2015 by the reputable 'Transcontinental Rum Line Co.', the rum was rested in historic wooden maturation vats that once held Australian Brandy, and then in a variety of used American oak casks at Beenleigh for two years, before it was transported to Europe for a further 24 months ageing. Purity is important for this label, so bottling with no added sugar and at a higher ABV comes as standard. The result smells like the tropics, the savoury oak is well-balanced with the fruity notes (melon, pineapple and a touch of raisin). The palate also has a lovely sweet/savoury balance and a voluptuous mouthfeel. The oak is also beautifully integrated here, providing nuts and spice rather than sweetness. The finish is long, dry, and laden with hazelnuts and just a whisper of vanilla. 48% Alc./Vol.

  Transcontinental Rum Line is the creation of a partnership between venerable French independent bottler La Maison du Whisky and Velier (an Italy-based Rum innovator that developed its own Caribbean Rum line in the 1980s). Established in 2017, the project is inspired by the historic, cross-equatorial journeys made by Rum barrels from individual islands to the rest of the world during the spirit’s golden age, at time when Rum was a major commodity. To date, TCRL has released over 30 limited edition bottlings and created quite a stir among Rum aficionados.

  La Maison du Whisky was founded in 1956 and quickly established itself as an important and influential Whisky importer and bottler. In fact, founder Georges Bénitah was one of the original importers of Scotch Whisky into France. Naturally, since that time the business has (very successfully) diversified into other spirits. When it came to revamping their Rum offering, they turned to category pioneer and specialist Luca Gargano at Velier.

  The inspiration for Transcontinental Rum Line lay in the age-old tradition of Island Rum being purchased in its youth and transported and matured on the European continent. The bottlers point out that continental-aged rums traditionally display richer and sweeter characters than the more ester-forward island expressions. So, the idea is that a combination of these two aging methods will produce something unique. Through an intensive selection process, Luca Gargano and Thierry Bénitah carefully select only the finest barrels they believe warrant the small-batch nature of their product. Less than 10 casks are chosen for each Rum, so batches rarely exceed 2000 bottles. The Rums complete their aging at LMDW’s facility in Cognac.

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• 2003 Transcontinental Rum Line Guyana Single Cask Rum (700ml)

  GUYANA

  $270. 00

  Bottle

  $3240.00 Dozen

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  ABV: 60.4%

  The TCRL single cask series represent the oldest rums ever bottled by La Maison du Whisky. Molasses based and pot distilled in Guyana in 2003, cask #MDK0367 was aged nearly 16.5 years in the European climate before being bottled at its natural proof with an outturn of 251 bottles.
  

  Notes from the bottlers... Profile: Mellow and refined. Nose: Demerara sugar, white fruits, elegant nose. Palate: Straight and vegetal, cooked mango. Final: Peppery notes. 60.4% Alc./Vol.

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• 2001 Transcontinental Rum Line Trinidad Single Cask Rum (700ml)

  TRINIDAD

  $260. 00

  Bottle

  $3120.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 59.9%

  After seventeen years in Trinidad & Tobago, this ex-Bourbon barrel sailed across the Atlantic where it was matured for 1.8 years in Europe. Distilled in a column still from molasses, mostly aged under tropical weather, this is a marvellous woody, dry and complex rum. The outturn was 273 bottles. Very little has made it to Australia. 59.9% Alc./Vol.

  Notes from the bottlers... Profile: Dry and complex. Nose: Very complex, dunder, rotten fruits, rancio, polish, redcurrant. Palate: Polish, peppermint, damp wood, dryness. Final: Varnish notes.

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• • 93

  • Nick's Import

  2011 Transcontinental Rum Line Panama Rum (700ml)

  PANAMA

  $79. 99

  Bottle

  $959.88 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 43%

  Direct import pricing. Elsewhere pay $100.

  Tasting note: Matured for six years in tropical conditions, close to the Panama Canal, followed by one year in Europe. We tasted the 2010 release and it was a delicious, poised and textural rum. This is a great follow up. Molasses-based and made via column stills, the lightness of the distillate is immediately apparent on the nose which smells like very good, very pure single grain whisky: Vanilla slice, cut grass and wafer biscuit aromas lead into something more tropical, reflected on the palate which is silky, linear and elegant with the sugars controlled. Flavours of dried banana, mango, liquorice and sticky date are juxtaposed against the gentle astringency of the Bourbon wood. Vanilla and pineapple pudding run through the aftertaste. In short, a graceful, finely-tuned gem that literally melts in your mouth. 43% Alc./Vol.

  Notes from the bottlers... Profile: Lush and gentle. Nose: Round and engaging. Licorice and dried fruit. Palate: Unctuous and flavorful. Coconut milk, clove, salted butter. Finish: Elegant and simple. Vanilla, exotic wood.

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• • 92

  • Nick's Import
  • Reduced

  2013 Transcontinental Rum Line Guadeloupe Rum (700ml)

  GUADELOUPE

  Reduced from $84.99

  $69. 99

  Bottle

  $839.88 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 43%

  Direct import pricing.

  Tasting note: Cane juice rums (agricoles) are the norm for Guadeloupe and the French Caribbean in general, but since they can only be produced seasonally, distilleries have always processed molasses rums to make ends meet. This one was aged for three years in the tropics and for close to one more year in Europe (making it 3.9 years old). The nose has presence without being heavy, developing aromas of banana cake, icing sugar, candied fruits and faint menthol. The palate is oily and mouthfilling, with caney / grassy freshness and off-dry fruity flavours hinting at papaya and plantain. Ends delicate and nuanced. Molasses based but tastes a bit funky and 'agricoley' - along the lines of a middle-aged Damoiseau with complexity beyond expectations. 43% Alc./Vol. No additives.

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• Transcontinental Rum Line Panama 15 Year Old Rum (700ml)

  PANAMA

  $115. 00

  Bottle

  $1380.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 40%

  Edition No.29 in the 'Rum Line' series is a molasses based rum, column distilled and aged in x Bourbon barrels for 15 years in a tropical climate using the solera system. It completed its maturation for almost one year in a European climate. Released after 2018, just over one thousand bottles were produced. 40% Alc./Vol.

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• 2013 Transcontinental Rum Line Jamaica WP (Worthy Park) 5 Year Old Navy Strength Jamaica Rum (700ml)

  JAMAICA

  $165. 00

  Bottle

  $1980.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 57.18%

  Launched in 2016, 'Transcontinental Rum Line' is a new brand from the French retailer, LMDW (La Maison du Whisky). Aimed at seducing lovers of high-end rum, the colourful packaging is inspired by rum trader's trips between the New World and the Old Continent. Evaporation rates were found to be lower when barrels were matured en route, rather than in the hot Caribbean climate, hence the trips were considered to have an economic advantage.

  Similarly, LMDW's bottlings are first aged first in a tropical climate for 4-5 years then for up to 12 months in Europe. The cooler conditions slow the maturation process. This natural strength Jamaican edition is from the highly regarded Worthy Park distillery which re-opened in 2005. 57.18% Alc./Vol.

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• 2005 Transcontinental Rum Line (Foursquare Distillery) 13 Year Old Cask Strength Barbados Rum (700ml)

  BARBADOS

  $240. 00

  Bottle

  $2880.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 59.2%

  Another addition to the the 'TCRL' label from La Maison & Velier, launched in 2016. This time, it's a full-bodied blend of Barbadian pot still and column still rums from Foursquare. Distilled in 2005 and tropical-aged in ex-bourbon casks for eleven years, it was finished in ex-rum casks in the Continental climate for a further two years. All natural and cask strength.

  Notes from the bottlers... Profile: the deep initial nose wavers between spices (pepper), camphor, chilli and heady florals (geranium). Allowed to breathe, it becomes vegetal (sugarcane) and tertiary (mushroom). The lively attack is characterized by notes of pipe tobacco, gillyflower and spice (curry). The more unctuous mid-palate is milky (coconut), honeyed (bay leaf) and syrupy (cane sugar). The long finish is oriental (Turkish delight) and apricoty. Ginger gradually coats the sides of the mouth. 59.2% Alc./Vol.

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• • 95

  2012 Transcontinental Rum Line WP (Worthy Park) Navy Strength Jamaica Rum (700ml)

  JAMAICA

  $135. 00

  Bottle

  $1620.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 57.18%

  Launched in 2016, 'Transcontinental Rum Line' is a new brand from the French retailer, LMDW (La Maison du Whisky). Aimed at seducing lovers of high-end rum, the colourful packaging is inspired by rum trader's trips between the New World and the Old Continent. Evaporation rates were found to be lower when barrels were matured en route, rather than in the hot Caribbean climate, hence the trips were considered to have an economic advantage.

  Similarly, LMDW's bottlings are first aged first in a tropical climate for 4-5 years then for up to 12 months in Europe. The cooler conditions slow the maturation process. This effortless, natural-strength Jamaican beauty is from the highly regarded Worthy Park distillery which re-opened in 2005. Distilled entirely on columns, the aromas are bold, bittersweet and sweeping, ranging through dried banana, spiced fruits (figs, pears?), mango chutney, papaya, cut grass and more… In the mouth, the poise is nothing short of superb. Entry delivers a wallop of estery goodness; mid palate is creamy and thick with bittersweet fruits, raw sugar and oak followed by a cleansing rush of alcohol. The aftertaste turns vibrant, spicy and prolonged evoking pickled ginger, semi-ripe pineapple and light molasses. What's incredible is that this near 60% ABV bomb comes without the slightest burn. If you want to introduce yourself to Jamaican marques, start here. A stand-out bargain in its category. 57.18% Alc./Vol. 

  Notes from the bottler...  Nose: full-bodied, pulpy. The very original initial nose is characterized by notes of agave and brioche. Slightly earthy, it allows glimpses of juicy pear, beeswax and candied lemon once allowed to breathe. Warm, it gradually becomes increasingly spicy (pepper, nutmeg), aniseedy and honeyed (acacia). A delicious note of milk chocolate suddenly appears. Palate: lively, elegant. Ripe fruits (Mirabelle plum, plum, yellow peach) bring lots of freshness and creaminess to the attack. The mid-palate is enveloped by precious honeys (heather, lavender) before noble spices (cinnamon, ginger) take over. These are accompanied by notes of latte and spice bread.  

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• • 94

  2010 Transcontinental Rum Line Panama Rum (700ml)

  PANAMA

  $99. 99

  Bottle

  $1199.88 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 43%

  A blend of seven year old Pot Still and Column Still rums, part matured in the tropics before a finishing period in Europe.

  Tasting note: Deep gold. Captivating fruity aromas also hinting at golden syrup, peppermint rock lollies and butter menthol lozenge. Brief exposure accents sticky date and dilute molasses. Starts off dry with the controlled sugars developing as banana fritter, dried mango and vanilla-cream ending with a flourish cinnamon warmth. Delicious, elegant, textural rum. 43% Alc./Vol.

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• • 93

  2012 Transcontinental Rum Line (Foursquare Distillery) Barbados Rum (700ml)

  BARBADOS

  $120. 00

  Bottle

  $1440.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 46%

  From the Foursquare distillery comes this column and pot still rum, aged for over five years, mostly in the Caribbean then in Europe.

  Tasting note: Brilliant gold. Soft bouquet of raw sugar, crème caramel, light molasses and vanilla. Further air contact releases suggestions of banana bread and cinnamon. Superbly creamy delivery with medium bodied flavours of banana, orange zest, cinnamon and a silky, vibrant finish evoking mandarin and vanilla. Lipsmacking! 46% Alc./Vol.

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• Trois Rivieres Rhum Blanc Agricole Rum (700ml)

  MARTINIQUE

  $89. 99

  Bottle

  $1079.88 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 50%

  Trois-Rivières is a village on the southwest coast of Martinique, located within the commune of Sainte-Luce. It's known for its distillery and plantation, established in Martinique in 1923. The operation presently extends over 600 hectares, out of which 120 are dedicated to sugar cane and livestock farming.

  This is reputedly a punchy and lively agricole blanc that's eminently mixable. 50% Alc./Vol.

  No tasting notes available.

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• Trois Rivieres Rhum Blanc Agricole Rum (1000ml)

  MARTINIQUE

  $110. 00

  Bottle

  $1320.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 55%

  Trois-Rivières is a village on the southwest coast of Martinique, located within the commune of Sainte-Luce. It's known for its distillery and plantation, established in Martinique in 1923. The operation presently extends over 600 hectares, out of which 120 are dedicated to sugar cane and livestock farming.

  This is reputedly a punchy and lively agricole blanc that's eminently mixable. 50% Alc./Vol.

  No tasting notes available.

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• Trois Rivieres 5 Year Old Rhum Vieux Agricole Rum (700ml)

  MARTINIQUE

  $115. 00

  Bottle

  $1380.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 40%

  Trois-Rivières is a village on the southwest coast of Martinique, located within the commune of Sainte-Luce. It's known for its distillery and plantation, established in Martinique in 1923. The operation presently extends over 600 hectares, out of which 120 are dedicated to sugar cane and livestock farming.

  This agricole rum was distilled from fermented fresh sugar cane juice and aged for at least 5 years. 40% Alc./Vol.

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• 2006 Vale Royal Wedderburn (Long Pond) Full Proof Jamaica Rum (700ml)

  JAMAICA

  $400. 00

  Bottle

  $4800.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 62.5%

  The VRW or Vale Royal Wedderburn 2006 is a Jamaica Pure Single Rum of rare beauty, a reproduction of the old brand of this distillery now closed in 1959. Released 12 years after the distillation, which took place in 2006 in the so-called Double Retort Pot Still at the historic Long Pond distillery in Trelawny, it is one of the four classifications used in Jamaica. The Wedderburn style identifies rums with 200/300 gr / hlpa of esters at the time of distillation. The VRW brand specifically refers to rums with 150/250 gr / hlpa, a quantity of esters equal to a world first.

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• Velier Foursquare Raconteur Cask Strength Barbados Rum (700ml)

  BARBADOS

  $399. 00

  Bottle

  $4788.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 61%

  From a total of 4800 bottles produced - 1440 of which were allocated to Italy - 'Raconteur' is Foursquare’s longest-aged rum from Velier to date.  The name of the new release is a tribute to two great rum raconteurs: Luca Gargano (the man behind Velier) and the late Stephen Remsberg, a great collector who passed away in December 2022. It's a Single Blended Rum assembled from a blend of rum from copper double retort pot stills and traditional twin column coffey stills. The result are two single and double-matured rums, the first was aged for 17 years in ex-bourbon barrels, while the second was initially aged for 5 years in ex-bourbon barrels, then for a further 12 years in an ex-Oloroso sherry barrel. Bottled in 2023, allocations are tiny. Act sooner than later if you are keen on continuing your collection. 61% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

  Other reviews... Rich and chewy with lots of extremely dark flavours. Oak and burnt sugar come through on the palate with some spiced pineapple. Well-integrated alcohol. Deep and brooding, and a sweet and lingering finish. Complex and assertive. 95 points - International Wine & Spirits Competition 2023

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• • 96

  • Reduced

  2010 Velier National Rums Of Jamaica Long Pond Cambridge STCE Jamaica Cask Strength Pure Single Rum (700ml)

  JAMAICA

  Reduced from $350.00

  $275. 00

  Bottle

  $3300.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 57%

  "Astounding...a brown bomber that showcases the island, the distillery, the marque and the ester-laden profile." - lonecaner.com

  A reproduction marque based on Cambridge Distillery, originally located in Trelawny Parish but closed in 1947 - hence this 'replica' was actually distilled at Long Pond in 2010. It's part of a quartet under Velier's National Rums of Jamaica series first issued in 2018. The intention is to capture Jamaica's key styles via four different expressions. It's not known if Velier obtained an antique bottle of Cambridge and attempted to reproduce the flavour profile, or if this is more about matching historical ester counts (the chemical compounds that smell and taste of fruit and flowers). Either way, this expression falls under the Jamaican classification of "Continental Flavored style" equating to rums with 700/1600 gr / hlpa of esters (the other three classifications are 'Common Clean 50-150 gr/hlpa', 'Plummer 150-200 gr/hlpa' and 'Wedderburn 200-300 gr/hlpa' - all probably derived from an earlier British classification). The counts refer to the esters after distillation (i.e.- before maturation), so they would differ after years of tropical ageing. It should also be noted that exceptionally high ester rums are generally not marketable (nor palatable), instead they're reserved as blending agents. Thus, in the grander scheme of things, Cambridge is a mid-level ester style, but most Jamaican rums are much, much lower. Further confusing matters, Velier's label carries a secondary marque: 'STCE' standing for 'Simon Thomsom Cambridge Estate' which is a reference to Long Pond's in-house measuring system, the title incorporating the name of one of Cambridge's historical owners. Whether this implies that Cambridge's stills had been brought over to Long Pond, or that the Cambridge style was being copied with Long Pond's existing stills is not clear.

  We received a 50ml sample. Overall the nose has a dry, unadulterated feel, the opening aromas of balsamic, nail varnish and shellac giving way to a core of poached fruits, vanilla, crushed papaya seeds, roasted almonds, muted raw sugar and coffee cake. The palate unfolds in stages: Entry accents 'industrial' notes evoking gunshot, acetone and pickled ginger; The mid-palate attack turns intensely estery, bittersweet and pleasingly astringent then breaks loose with a rush of ripe tropical fruits leaving banana bread, fruit cake, light treacle and plenty of residual funk. The length is just what you'd expect. Mouthfilling, idiosyncratic, intoxicating and 'out there', it's a clinic on extreme Jamaican styles; Some may find the industrial notes too quirky, or too much - or both, but if purity and provenance are important to you, there are few like this. Fifteen barrels equate to 4900 bottles globally. 100% tropically aged. 57% Alc./Vol.

  Other reviews... What makes the rum so astounding – and it is, you know, for all its off-the-wall wild madness – is the way it keeps developing.  In many rums what you get to smell is pretty much, with some minor variation, what you get to taste. Not here. Not even close. Oh the palate is forceful, it’s sharp, it’s as chiselled as a bodybuilder’s abs, and initially it began like the nose did, with glue, ammonia and sweet-clear acetone-perfume bolted on to a hot and full bodied rum.  But over time it became softer, slightly creamy, a bit yeasty, minty, and also oddly light, even sweet. Then came the parade of vanilla, peaches, ginger, cardamom, olives, brine, pimentos, salty caramel ice cream, freshly baked sourdough bread and a very sharp cheddar, and still it wasn’t done – it closed off in a long, dry finish laden with attar of roses, a cornucopia of sharp and unripe fleshy fruits (apricots, peaches, apples), rotting bananas, acetones, nail polish and lots and lots of flowers...Luca Gargano, if you strain your credulity to the limit, can conceivably make a boring rum…but he’s too skilled to make a bad one, and I think what he was gunning for here was a brown bomber that showcased the island, the distillery, the marque and the ester-laden profile.  He certainly succeeded at all of these things…though whether the rum is an unqualified success for the lay-drinker is a much harder question to answer. You see, there’s a reason such high ester superrums don’t get made very often. They simply overload the tasting circuits, and sometimes such a plethora of intense good things is simply too much.  I’m not saying that’s the case here because the balance and overall profile is quite good – just that the rum, for all its brilliantly choreographed taste gyrations, is not entirely to my taste, the ammonia-laden nose is overboard, and I think it’s likely to be a polarizing product – good for Jamaica-lovers, great for the geeks, not so much for Joe Harilall down the road. I asked for new and spectacular and I got both.  But a wonderful, amazing, must-have rum? The next Skeldon or 1970s PM, or 1980s Caroni? Not entirely. - the lonecaner.com

  ...The rum has a lot of esters for the nose and should be allowed to breathe for 15-30 minutes. I find typical ester notes like fermented tropical fruit, solvent and varnish. In addition, nice roasted aromas, vanilla, nuts and burnt sugar. A nice thick funky nose that is powerfully intense. On the palate, the rum appears light and fresh at first. Almost flowery. But then it quickly becomes more powerful and full-bodied. Overripe fruit, esters, a nice nutty spiciness with roasted aromas and a good portion of wood. It's all creamy and dry. The finish then becomes woodier with leather and bitterness, solvents and a slight astringency. What can I say. A great rum that has everything I expect from a high ester Jamaican. The tropical maturation is on point and the barrel influence is super successful. The rum doesn't quite have the complexity and depth of the TECA from 2007. Still, it's hits my taste and it's really fun. - rumratings.com

  ... A vatting of fifteen (15) bourbon barrels. That's almost as many as in a batch of Johnnie Walker Blue, no? Now, as for this little rum and as I understand it, the name Cambridge refers to an old distillery whose make they're replicating at Long Pond, the marque STCE meaning 'Simon Thomsom Cambridge Estate'. Good, and the name 'continental flavoured' refers to one of the four styles they're making altogether, namely a rather high-ester one (500 to 700 gr/hlpa). Good, hope I've got everything more or less right, let us proceed… Colour: full gold. Nose: varnishes, acetone, polishes and carbon dust (a Porsche after the Nürburgring, as they say). Gosh they'll cancel us too one day. Then the expected rotting (well, rotten) bananas, artichokes, black olives, and Scotch tape. With water: more of all that, with perhaps a different balance. More Scotch tape. Mouth (neat): massive loads of rotting tropical fruits, with a feeling of ammonia, and certainly more varnish, plus coal tar and just diesel oil (right, a feeling of diesel oil, or rather something reminiscent of diesel oil). With water: sorrel juice (yep) and guava juice taking over. Very unusual – well I'm not familiar with these makes anyway. Acidic and rather sour. Finish: long, with more tart fruits of all kinds. Sour, gherkiny aftertaste. More liquorice in the aftertaste. Comments: extreme. Quaffing dressers often comes with a challenge, this is an excellent (and actually excellent) example. 88 points - whiskyfun.com

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• • Reduced

  2007 Velier Isautier 15 Year Old Cask Strength Reunion Rum (700ml)

  FRANCE

  Reduced from $299.00

  $250. 00

  Bottle

  $3000.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 57%

  A traditional molasses-based rum from a little-known distillery: Generally categorised among ‘French-Indian rums', Isautier was founded in 1845 by brothers, Charles and Louis, who landed on La Réunion island in 1832. Located in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar, the island is a department of France. After the Isautier brothers died, Charles’ wife Antoinette took charge of the distillery in 1865. By 1878, they had presented their rum for the first time outside of La Réunion at the third Universal Exhibition in Paris and were awarded a medal. Real success didn’t kick in until Antoinette’s grandson, Alfred Isautier bought up his brother’s shares in 1910. He increased the product range, added a column still and started to distribute Isautier Rums around the world. Through the 1960s and '70s, Alfred diversified, using the sugar industry’s by-products to create goods such as chocolate, jam, vinegar, perfumes, wax polish, candles and more, opening the way for more than sixty new companies on the island. In 2011, the distillery was closed and moved to a new site in Saint-Pierre, where it was rebuilt in a more sustainable fashion, including a solar air conditioning system.

  Unlike the French island of Martinique, for example, La Reunion doesn't have its own AOC designation. Regardless, both molasses-based and Agricole / cane-juice distillates are produced via at least one steam-injected column still (more specifics on Isautier's equipment are not available). They occasionally mix and match their blends from both, as well as making a variety of flavoured punches. This 'small batch' edition was barrelled in May 2007 and bottled in March 2022. Three casks make up the composition, namely, ex-Isautier rum casks which held the liquid from 2007-2009, and ex-cognac casks which were employed for the period between 2009-2019. A final 'finishing' took place until 2021 when the rum was returned to the Isautier casks. Reviews are variable, but when Velier chooses to bottle anything to do with rum, it's worth paying attention. 991 bottles are on offer at 57% Alc./Vol.

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• 2015 Velier Beenleigh Arid / Desert Ageing 5 Year Old Cask Strength Australian Rum (700ml)

  Queensland, AUSTRALIA

  $199. 00

  Bottle

  $2388.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 59%

  Rum chasers seeking the unusual and collectable will snap up this first edition from Luca Gargano of Velier fame and the Australian distillery Beenleigh. It's a molasses based rum that was first distilled in a column, before being re-distilled in a pot-still. Notable on the label is that this was subject to an 'Arid / desert maturation' in first-fill ex-bourbon casks - obviously not in Queensland, but in the dry South Australian Riverland region. Bottled in 2021 at a natural strength of 59%, nothing has been added.

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• 2006 Velier Beenleigh Tropical Ageing 15 Year Old Cask Strength Australian Rum (700ml)

  Queensland, AUSTRALIA

  $330. 00

  Bottle

  $3960.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 59%

  Two recent Velier bottlings of Beenleigh have landed. It's difficult to say which is more desirable. Considerably older than the first edition, the 2006 distillation was also produced via a single column still, then re-distilled in a copper pot still. Reported to be the oldest Beenleigh ever offered, a spell in large brandy vats was followed by first fill x bourbon barrels and a final finishing in historic Kauri pine vats at the distillery in Eagleby in Queensland. A genuine landmark for Australian rum and an obvious collectable, over 43% was lost to the angel's share during its lengthy tropical maturation. Nothing was added before bottling at natural strength of 59%. Very limited stocks.

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• • 94

  Velier Foursquare Plenipotenziario Cask Strength Barbados Rum (700ml)

  BARBADOS

  $299. 99

  Bottle

  $3599.88 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 60%

  Tasting note: [20ml sample] These all-natural, high strength bottlings from Barbados have become sought after. This one's made by Richard Searle at Foursquare and bottled by Velier. They've continued a traditional naming convention - in this case the latin 'plenus' means “full”, and 'potens' means “powerful” - appropriate given the 60% ABV. Produced from a blend of light rums distilled in a triple column still and heavy rums distilled in Foursquare's famous double retort pot still, 'Plenipotenziario' is full-term tropical aged in ex-bourbon casks for twelve years. Some may find the oak overpowering, especially in the opening stages. Further air contact shifts the focus from cedar and sandalwood towards walnut fudge, raisin cake and rum-soaked pipe tobacco; drier, spicier notes of oak shavings and peppercorns follow. It moves into fifth gear on the palate with an intense, bittersweet attack of sweet oak, dried banana and baking spices finishing with an evocative 'tropicality' that extends for minutes into the aftertaste. Hugely flavoursome, water brings out more fruity sweetness, but it demonstrates good balance uncut. 6000 bottles are on offer world wide. Very limited stocks.

  Other reviews... This one was blended at birth indeed, and entirely aged at the distillery. The name would suggest that the good people involved are willing to engage in smooth diplomacy, unless I’m not getting it right. I suppose I am not getting it right, am I? Colour: amber. Nose: pumpkins, ripe mangos, and pencil shavings all over the place. As usual, rums aged in the tropics are more extractive and display more oak tones, sometimes towards cedarwood, as is the case here. Whiffs of geraniol (bees love that!) and brown liquorice. A curious wee meatiness too. Beef jerky? With water: thin strips of duck slow-cooked in orange juice and honey and further flavoured with cedarwood extracts. Or something like that. Mouth (neat): perfect, just too strong. But that’s easy to fix… With water: works. Oak in abundance but that’s sweet fruity oak, plus liquorice, figs and pipe tobacco. Notes of citronella and basil sauce, Thai-style. Hold on, give me a world map… Finish: long, not thick, with good coffee and triple-sec. Kaffee-Schnapps, as my ancestors used to say. Liquoirce in the aftertaste. Comments: still young and straight (years aren’t actually any longer in the tropics, as Einstein found out), but as a child-rum it’s pretty perfect, this little Plenitopen… hold on, Peltinozent… I mean, Pinelpota… No, wait, let’s gather our forces… Plenipotenziario! Phew! 90 points - Serge Valentin, whiskyfun.com

  ...another cracker…..not quite my favourite of their output but with a bar set this high, we have to be picky. Blends rely on skill and knowledge to continually create new and different expressions whilst also keeping core ranges consistent. This ex-bourbon release is a big, brooding and woody affair steeped in the familiar Foursquare vibe but offering a new extension to the familiar with the use of the heavier column distillate. It’s a massively enjoyable ride where layers reveal themselves on the nose and palate and they keep developing whilst retaining complete coherence during the transition. It’s unlike other ex-bourbon releases such as 2004, 2005 and 2007. It’s also unlike the recently released Nobiliary…though they feel connected…this will be reviewed soon. With such a wealth of barrel types now at Foursquare plus the installation of their new cane crusher and distillations using cane juice, there’s plenty more to come. - Rum Diaries Blog

  Notes from the bottlers... The complex first nose is particularly exotic (mango, banana). Spicy (pepper), once allowed to breathe, it develops notes of vanilla and chocolate. Gradually, citrus fruit (lemon, orange) refreshes the palate. The concentrated attack is smoky and aniseedy. The spicy (nutmeg) and floral (carnation) mid-palate gradually becomes spicy (cayenne pepper). The silky start of the finish is fruity (apple) and candied (apricot). Very mineral (slate) and powdery (cocoa), it is then heady (lilac). The retro-nasal olfaction is a subtle mix of nuts (almond) and sweet spices (cinnamon).

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• 2014 Velier Indian Ocean Stills Chamarel 4 Year Old Cask Strength Mauritian Rum (700ml)

  MAURITIUS

  $154. 99

  Bottle

  $1859.88 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 58%

  Part of a new range from Velier that brings together agricole expressions from Indian Ocean-based distilleries. This one's from Mauritius, however it doesn’t (yet) have license to use the term “agricole” on the label the way Martinique, Guadeloupe, Reunion and other classified agricole producing regions do.

  Owners of the Beachcomber Hotel chain (one of the largest companies in Mauritius) are behind the venture which was founded in 2008 by the Couacaud family and named after an historic French landowner. Positioned on the south of the island surrounded by 35 hectares of sugar cane fields, hand harvests are the norm. Chamarel can produce lighter distillates in their Barbet single column still, or heavier styles using either their pot still 'Cognacaise' or 'Armagnacaise' still. This one's from a single column still. As mentioned, it's an agricole style, so it's entirely from fresh pressed sugar cane juice, not molasses. Following four years of tropical ageing it was bottled at 58%. Production was capped at 2284 bottles. The Chamarel rums have already received positive reviews from the likes of Serge Valentin at whiskyfun.com. Very limited stocks.

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• • 93

  Velier Foursquare Patrimonio Cask Strength Barbados Rum (700ml)

  BARBADOS

  $399. 00

  Bottle

  $4788.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 58%

  A new Velier made in collaboration with the renowned Richard Seale of the Foursquare Rum Distillery. 'Patrimonio' means ‘Heritage’, although the reference here isn't clear, you'd guess it's to do with the production: Copper double retort pot still and traditional coffey still rums distilled in 2004 and bottled in 2019 were entirely matured in the tropics, initially in ex-bourbon barrels before being transferred to first fill ex-Oloroso Sherry barrels for a further four years. Nothing has been added. Extremely limited stocks.

  Tasting note: [15ml sample] Bright topaz. Redolent of hot cross buns, banana cake and raw sugar with a strong cinnamon accent, this is pure and intense delivering a medium dry attack of sticky-date pudding and plantain flavours. Caney and spiced-up to finish, the aftertaste turns mildly fruity (ripe banana(?) with the sugars recovering late. A beauty, but give it time to show its best. Non chill filtered. 6000 bottles. 58% Alc./Vol.

  Other reviews... Patrimonio for me, is the one that can rival the experience of the legend that is 2006. A faultless display of rum making utilising traditional techniques and perfectly employing the heritage associated with historical maturation of Rum in Barbados. All of this is being done in a fully compliant manner with the proposed Barbados Rum GI which some are calling stifling and a barrier to innovation…..Amazing eh… - Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog 2019

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• • 96

  Velier Royal Navy Very Old Cask Strength Rum (700ml)

  $270. 00

  Bottle

  $3240.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 57.18%

  Created by Luca Gargano, this must-try natural strength Navy bomb will be for the lucky few.
  Reportedly the oldest blend of British Caribbean rums from the 21st century and with a pedigree that includes 20 year old Caroni, British Guyana rums over 15 years old and Jamaican pure single rums over 12 years old (Worthy Park, New Yarmouth) - it's easy to understand why this beauty is so spellbinding.

  Tasting note: Brassy gold. Fabulous tears. Beautiful depths to the nose, on the drier side with scents of golden syrup and molasses, dovetailing into raisin cake, vanilla bean, coffee cremes, boiled lollies and continuing to develop over 5 minutes of swirling. Impossible to believe this is near 60% ABV, showing remarkable delicacy and restraint in a mildly bittersweet, drier styled attack, buidling superb waves of baking spice, raisins, orange spice cake, late liquorice strap and more through a never-ending aftertaste. Brilliantly blended. 54.18% Alc./Vol. Very limited stocks.

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• • 95

  Velier Royal Navy Tiger Shark 100 Proof Rum (700ml)

  Caribbean,

  $299. 00

  Bottle

  $3588.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 57.18%

  Tasting note: [15ml sample] This is the second edition of Tiger Shark, a blend of Worthy Park and Demerara Distillers Pot Still rums aged entirely in the tropics. The nose is wonderfully estery with heady scents of banana fritter, dates, mango chutney and milk chocolate developing over drier notes of cigar box and cedar. Astringent and woody on entry then gently bittersweet: Plantain, molasses and raw sugar flavours flood the mouth with a warm rush of alcohol. Well balanced uncut, the finish is fruity, woody, resiny and sustained over several minutes. A very impressive assemblage from Luca Gargano. 57.18% Alc./Vol.

  Other reviews... I like the presentation and it does look quite Naval and official. Even if it isn’t. As with all Velier releases there are no additives. All the rums have been aged in ex-bourbon barrels.... All in all this is a really excellent rum. One which will please Navy Rum fans and connoiseurs of Worthy Park and DDL as well. A really well balanced and well put together blend of aged rums. It’s heavy but not overly so and has enough sweetness and lighter elements to make this work really, really well. It’s still available so I would strongly recommend picking up a bottle. I prefer it over last years release. Last years release was a heavy on the Caroni as this is the Worthy Park. I feel this is a much better balanced rum. It suits my palate more as it is sweeter. Note we are aren’t talking sweet as in dosage – this rum as the front label attests is “Sugar Free”. Great stuff...
  4.5 stars - thefatrumpirate.com

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• Velier Foursquare Sassafras 14 Year Old Cask Strength Barbados Rum (700ml)

  BARBADOS

  $299. 00

  Bottle

  $3588.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 61%

  Part of the distillery’s collaboration with Italian distributor, Velier that began in 2016, this double-matured rum spent three years in ex-bourbon oak and a further 11 years in ex-Cognac casks. a Blend of Pot and Column distilled rums, the name refers to the well known aromatic flower, traditionally used to flavour root beer. According to Foursquare proprietor, Richard Seale, no Sassafras was used in the making of the rum - it's just “a symbolic link”. It's reported to be another superb blending effort with just 6000 bottles on offer gloabally. Fully matured in the tropics.

  Notes from the producers... Bold and dry. Nose: Condense and vigorous. Nuts, citruses, toasted notes. Palate: Wide and generous. Coco, caramel with spices, elegant oak notes. Finish: Complex and pronounced. Precious wood, pepper and hints of roasted coffee beans. 61% Alc./Vol.

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• Veritas White Blended Barbados Rum (700ml)

  BARBADOS

  $99. 99

  Bottle

  $1199.88 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 47%

  A collaborative spirit, blending traditional Coffey column still and two year old pot still rums from Foursquare (Barbados) with unaged rum from a double retort pot still from Hampden in Jamaica. The significant pot still component combined with a high ABV makes for a robust, aromatic style that's one of the most assertive in its category. Perfect for all manner of cocktails, Drinks Master, Simon Difford, claims its grassy, cream-of-soda and pineapple notes particularly shine in Daquiris. Veritas means 'truth' in Latin. 47% Alc./Vol.

  Other reviews... A white blend of ex-column Foursquare and Hampden (ex-pot still, obviously) poured into an old Chartreuse V.E.P. look-alike bottle. A tribute, I suppose. Let’s see if we find some wormwood, or artemisia in there…  Colour: extremely pale white wine. Nose: the Jamaican seems to be having the upper hand, as we’re finding obvious notes of new wellies, Ardbeg (yep), some burnt sugar, and some kind of sweeter olive brine. Some shoe polish and burnt sugar too. Mouth: lemons, limoncello and lemon marmalade at first (nope that’s not kind of the same thing), then fresh ginger and pepper. It’s very spicy, much spicier than spiced rum, which is usually very sweet (don’t ask, the world of rum is full of contradictions). What’s troubling is that I’m also finding notes of aniseed-led herbal liqueur that, indeed, may hint at Chartreuse, but I’m sure that’s just my mind playing tricks on me. Finish: rather long, appropriately roughish, and pretty sweet, if not a tad sugary, quite curiously. But after all, Chartreuse is sweet too. Comments: in rum as well, veritas veritatis et omnia veritas (way too easy, S.)  85 points - whiskyfun.com

  5 stars - diffordsguide.com

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• 2017 Vieux Sajous 4 Year Old Lustau Oloroso Casks Cask Strength Clairin Rum (700ml)

  HAITI

  $160. 00

  Bottle

  $1920.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 56.7%

  Following on from the unaged and young Clairin Ansyen releases, this is the second time independent bottler, Velier have released a four year old. Distilled from fresh sugar cane juice (i.e. via the agricole method) at Haiti’s Chelo distillery and matured in a Lustau oloroso sherry casks for four years before being bottled in 2021, 1200 bottles are available worldwide. The impact of the casks takes Clairin's primary notes on a different trajectory. Natural strength and 100% tropically aged. 56.7% Alc./Vol.

  Notes from the producers... Aromas of cherries, apricots, liquorice, chocolate, paprika, black pepper, heather honey and juicy oranges fill the nose, complemented by notes of mango, cinnamon, roasted coffee beans, wildflower honey, barbecued pineapple, banana fritters, cigars and apricot throughout the palate.

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• Vieux Sajous 4 Year Old Cask Strength Clairin Rum (700ml) - 2nd Release

  HAITI

  $160. 00

  Bottle

  $1920.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 56.3%

  This is the second in a series of rums totally aged in Haiti for over four years. Produced at the Chelo distillery (St Michel de l’Attalaye), owned by Michel Sajous and then bottled by Velier at cask strength, like its predecessor, this Clairin-style is a blend of twelve casks (some previously containing single malt; others Caroni rum). Typically made in runs of just over 2000 bottles, the first release was exceptional (95 points). Expect something similarly engaging here. It will be fascinating to see how these remarkable spirits develop at five years and beyond. Once again, kudos must go to the dedicated rum importer who continues to source these truly exotic distillates for Australian rum enthusiasts. Distilled in 2017 and bottled in 2021. 56.3% Alc./Vol. Very limited stocks.

  Other reviews... [First release tasted] This ‘vieux’ clairin  is technically well rum and has been matured in a dozen casks such as ex-Benriach or ex-Caroni. So this one too is pretty ‘meta’ or ‘cross’, but I doubt Benriach had much impact on it, unless that was peated Benriach. Let’s see… Colour: straw. Nose: more linseed oil and picture varnish that at any painter’s, really. Goes then towards almonds, both bitter ones and regulars, then the much expected olives and benzine, and finally some softer, vanilla-driven notes, with touches of camphor and menthol. Feels older than 4! With water: we’re off to Jamaica! Plastics, petrol, tar, olives, camphor, goat head soup (not too sure about that one, but cheers to The Stones!…) Mouth (neat): very salty, brine-y, full of liquorice, earth, parsnips, petrol and olive oil, and of course sugarcane. It’s pretty rich, with very good clean power, while retaining some of the clairins’ much appreciated ‘soft dirtiness’. With water: goes on and on like that, with added citrus and star fruit. Finish: a notch less heavy, but still very salty. Notes of graphite oil, fusain… We’re at a painter’s indeed. Plastics are back in the aftertaste – typical! Comments: I would tend to enjoy the best white ones even better, but I just love this very characterful style. Basquiat (and the Rolling Stones) in a bottle. 87 points - whiskyfun.com

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• • 95

  Vieux Sajous 4 Year Old Cask Strength Clairin Rum (700ml)

  HAITI

  $140. 00

  Bottle

  $1680.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 50.6%

  Being the first rum totally aged in Haiti for over four years, this has caught the attention of more than a few rum chasers, quickly selling out in several markets overseas. Produced at the Chelo distillery (St Michel de l’Attalaye), owned by Michel Sajous, and then bottled by Velier at cask strength, this Clairin-style is a blend of twelve casks (some previously contained Benriach single malt; others held Caroni rum). It offers a fabulous intermingling of Clairin vs. aged agricole aromas, opening with heady grassy / caney notes alternating between fennel, cumin, maraschino, dried banana and light molasses. It's surprisingly soft at 50.6% ABV and while some of the vivaciousness of unaged Clairin is lost, what's most impressive is the sheer persistence: flavours of plantain, grilled pineapple and thyme are followed by lingering, caney sweetness that stays with you over several minutes. It will be fascinating to see how these remarkable spirits develop at five years and beyond. A dedicated rum importer snuck a small allocation into Australia. As a first release it should also be on collector's radars. Very limited stocks.

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• • 95

  2009 Whisky Age No. 005 Foursquare 12 Year Old Single Cask No. 16 Cask Strength Barbados Single Rum (700ml)

  BARBADOS

  $290. 00

  Bottle

  $3480.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 61.5%

  In an industry dominated by corporations, marketing hype and additives, Foursquare has become a byword for unadulterated quality. Here, a column still contribution lightens the nose, though not without retaining considerable pot-still richness in the form of moist fruit slice and banana cake. Leave it longer to coax out complexing nuances of dried grass, vanilla and fruit 'n'nut chocolate. The palate takes a sweeter tangent: Citrus lozenges, vanilla wafer, orange spice cake and light molasses dovetail into bourbon-soaked vanillas. The finish is satiny, oily, then deliciously bittersweet, closing understated with dried coconut and late tropical fruits. Skilfully balancing light and heavy distillates results in a style reminiscent of first-rate single grain whisky. Tasted from a 20ml sample. 61.5% Alc./Vol. 250 bottles. Very limited stocks.

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• • 94

  2006 Whisky Age The Whisky Blues Whisky Picnic Bar (Worthy Park) 15 Year Old Single Barrel No. 21 Cask Strength Single Jamaican Rum (700ml)

  JAMAICA

  $380. 00

  Bottle

  $4560.00 Dozen

  Sold Out

  ABV: 55.5%

  Leave this superb Worthy Park for at least five minutes to get the most out of the fabulous bouquet that alternates ripe mango, papaya, banana and pineapple pudding with whiffs of varnish, lemon barley sugar and Bounty bar. Beautifully harmonised flavours echo the key-notes, accenting mango sorbet, also hinting at dried apricot, coconut and banana. Though not especially complex, the weight, purity and definition of this bottling impresses, even from a 20ml sample. The high ABV barely registers. A private release for the Whisky Picnic Bar, from Bourbon Barrel #21. 246 bottles. 55.5% Alc./Vol. Very limited stocks.

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