Velier Diamond SVW 1996

A Diamond from Velier, the Genoa house that defined collectible Demerara through tropically aged, full-proof, additive-free single casks. Distilled in 1996 off the Savalle column still and aged fifteen years in the Guyanese heat, this is the workhorse still pushed to its richest extreme.

The tropical ageing drives deep oak extraction and a dense, oily body, with caramel, dark chocolate, coconut, dried fruit and polished wood. Bottled unsweetened at 64.6%, it is enormous in strength yet stays balanced, the kind of nose and finish that reward long, patient sipping. The Savalle is usually the lightest Guyana still, but in Velier's hands and after years in the tropics it becomes one of the most layered and complete Demeraras of its era.