Velier Carrere Montebello Basseterre 1997

Velier Carrere Montebello Basseterre 1997 is a vintage Guadeloupe rum bottled by the Genoese house most associated with collectible single casks, drawn from the Carrere distillery that produces the Montebello range on Basse-Terre. Distilled in 1997 and aged around ten years, it comes in at 49.2%, flavourful but far softer than a full-proof release.

The base here blends cane juice and molasses, distilled on a column still and matured in ex-bourbon wood, which lends a herbal, grassy core wrapped in peaches, honey and gentle baking spice. It reads dry and elegant, with the alcohol tucked away and a long, fresh finish carrying grass and fruit. Certified unsweetened, it sits in the approachable middle ground between a bright blanc and a heavily oaked old rum, suited to slow neat sipping.