Velier Last Ward 2007 Rum

This exceptional 16-year-old Barbadian rum is best savored neat or with just a drop of water to unlock its complex layers of tropical fruit, spice, and oak.

Nose: Opens with concentrated dark fruit—candied apricot and dried plum—alongside damp forest floor and earthy mushroom notes that signal serious age.

Palate: Rich molasses and raw cane sugar dominate at first sip, with an unexpected floral note of geranium cutting through the sweetness.

Finish: Long and layered, starting with fibrous sugar cane and dark roasted coffee before warming spices, ginger and cinnamon bark take over.

This exclusive Velier bottling is a triple-distilled pot still rum crafted from 13 handpicked barrels that were distilled in 2007 and aged for 16 years in ex-Bourbon American oak casks in Barbados' tropical climate, resulting in a dramatic angels' share of over 70%. What makes this release particularly special is that these barrels remained the personal property of Frank Ward after the distillery's sale, representing a rare glimpse into a private collection from one of the world's oldest continuously operating rum distilleries.

• Frank Ward held onto these 13 barrels as a personal treasure after selling the distillery, making this release essentially his private stash.
• Over 70% of this rum evaporated during its 16-year tropical aging in Barbados meaning for every 100 bottles that could have been filled in 2007, only about 30 made it to 2023.
• This rum underwent triple distillation in a pot still, an unusual choice that bridges the gap between the lighter style of column-still rums and heavier pot-still expressions—think of it as the rum equivalent of a perfectly balanced whiskey that delivers both elegance and power at a bold 60% ABV.