Velier Nine Leaves Last Drops 2023

Velier Nine Leaves Last Drops is a Japanese rum selected by Luca Gargano's Velier, the Genoese bottler synonymous with full proof, additive free spirit, and it marks a closing chapter for the Nine Leaves distillery. Bottled unaged and at a vivid 62%, it is a raw, white cane spirit in the agricole and clairin mould, showcasing the distillate itself rather than any cask influence.

The nose is intensely floral and fruity with a strong lemon overtone and a huge whiff of fresh sugarcane juice, the palate carries that cane sweetness alongside citrus, pear, herbs and a medicinal, herbal edge, and the finish turns saline and umami with olive and more sugarcane. It is wild and singular, the kind of high intensity, terroir driven pour that fans of bold agricoles and clairins seek out. Sipped slowly neat or built into a Ti Punch, it is a memorable, uncompromising farewell to a small and distinctive producer.