Velier Port Mourant PM 1975

Velier, the Genoa house that defined collectible Demerara under Luca Gargano, bottled this 1975 from the Port Mourant double wooden greenheart pot still, the heaviest and most storied marque in Guyana and the heart of old Navy rum. Unsweetened and at a full 56.7 percent, with 33 years behind it, it stands among the reference Velier Port Mourants.

The molasses spirit shows molasses, plum, raisin and leather on the nose, then a dense palate of leather, wood, tobacco and plum, closing long on black tea, coffee, oak and licorice. The dried fruit runs deep and the wood is heavy, yet the whole stays balanced and composed for its age and strength. This is a contemplative pour for drinkers immersed in old Demerara, the kind of dense, powerful Port Mourant that rewards a long evening and a little water, holding its depth right through the finish.