Velier Port Mourant UPM 1997

Velier bottled this 1997 Port Mourant at full tropical proof, and it carries the unmistakable signature of the double wooden pot still: oily, pungent and built around anise and varnished timber. From Luca Gargano's house, the defining name in old Demerara, it is a heavy rum that nonetheless drinks with unusual integration.

Distilled from molasses on the greenheart pot still and finished in Port casks after ageing in the Caribbean heat, it shows glue, caramel and tropical fruit on the nose, then woody intensity, caramel and spice on the palate, finishing on brown sugar, anise and coconut. At 65.7% it is huge, yet the balance and oily texture keep it from turning harsh. This is a slow, rewarding sipper for experienced drinkers who want Port Mourant at full force.