THE VIEUX LABBÉ (BARBANCOURT) 1999 21 YEARS OLD 58,9% VELIER -20TH ANNIVERSARY

Distilled in 1999, aged 21 years in ex-cognac casks and bottled at Berling compound in Port-au-Prince in March 2020, this is a blend of the oldest and rarest rums of the distillery.

THE BRAND

Barbancourt is a rum distillery located in Haiti that was established in 1862 by Dupré Barbancourt, a Frenchman from the Charente region. Dupré brought with him a knowledge of double distillation techniques used in the production of cognac, and the distillery was passed down to the Gardères family after his death. In 1949, Jean Gardère modernized the operation by moving the distillery to the center of the sugarcane fields and replacing the old pot stills with a three-column continuous still. Despite losing a significant amount of stock during the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the distillery survived and remains an important player in the rum production industry. The distillery still uses the original double distillation regime.

THE BOTTLER

Velier was founded by the Chaix family in Genova in 1947 as a small traditional company specialised in the importation and distribution of wines, champagnes and spirits. In 1983, a young Luca Gargano, former brand ambassador for Saint James at that time, acquired shares in Velier. Under his influence the company began spacialising in the importation of outstanding spirits exclusively destinated to the Italian market. By the early 90s Luca heard about a legendary stock of Saint James rum dating back probably to 1885 and bottled in 1952. After a complex negotiation, he finally managed to acquire the entire stock. This was only the first of a list of legendary selections to come in the following years.