Velier's Tasting Gang is a 1996 Caroni, distilled in Trinidad and aged 23 years, bottled in 2019 at 63.5%. The word Guyana on the label refers to where the casks finished their maturation, not where the rum was made.
About This Rum
The name comes from a group of Caroni enthusiasts who tasted through the last barrels Velier held and designed this blend. They chose 22 casks, mixing light and heavy marks, all distilled in 1996. The barrels sat in Trinidad until 2008 and were then moved to the Diamond warehouses of Demerara Distillers in Guyana for the rest of their ageing. The result was bottled at full proof in 2019, in an edition of 5,083 bottles.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Molasses and tar with dried fruit, fresh herbs and warm baking spice.
- Palate: Dense and textured, a petrol note from the heavy casks softened by dark sugar and oak.
- Finish: Firm and lasting, with resin, clove and lingering molasses.
Serving & Food
At 63.5% it wants a patient pour: a small measure in a tulip glass, a quarter of an hour to breathe, then a little water if needed. Sip it alongside roasted chestnuts, a slice of fruit cake, or bitter espresso.
How to Enjoy
A rum club tasting built around the last Velier Caronis, or anyone curious how a blend of light and heavy marks compares with a pure HTR.
Product Details
Producer: Caroni / Velier
Distillery: Caroni, Trinidad
Maturation: Trinidad until 2008, then Guyana
Style: Full proof blend of light and heavy marks, 22 casks
Vintage: 1996
Age: 23 years old
Bottled: 2019
Edition: 5,083 bottles
ABV: 63.5%
Volume: 700mL
About the Distillery
Velier was founded in Genoa in 1947 by the Chaix family as a small importer of wine and spirits. Luca Gargano, previously a brand ambassador for Saint James rum, took over the business in the 1980s and turned it into an independent bottler, first of whisky and then, from 1996, of rum.
His rule was simple: rum should be aged in the tropics and bottled at or near cask strength, with nothing added. Alongside the Demerara releases from Guyana, the Caroni stock he bought in 2005 made Velier's name among rum drinkers.