Velier Cabeza Llena 1948

Velier is the most revered name in collectible rum, and this Cabeza Llena is a genuine piece of history: a single cask distilled in 1948, before the Cuban revolution, and tropically aged an extraordinary seventy seven years before bottling at a natural 49.1%. Survival at this age in the heat and humidity of the tropics is striking in itself, and Velier's purist, additive free approach lets it stand entirely on its own.

The ex-bourbon ageing and immense time have built a profile defined by old, varnished wood and rancio rather than fruit or sweetness. The nose is woody and dry with caramel, plum and a faint rancio note, the palate turns dry and lightly bitter with caramel and leather, and the finish carries wood, caramel, a sour edge and a wine like tone. Tasters describe an elegant, concentrated and contemplative spirit that wears its age with dignity, refined rather than explosive. This is a rare, dry historical curiosity for the most experienced palates.