Jump to content

Velier Caroni 17yo


Kpiz
This topic has been inactive for at least 365 days, and is now closed. Please feel free to start a new thread on the subject! 

Recommended Posts

The first Velier bottling of Caroni has hit our shores and landed at Astor: http://www.astorwines.com/SearchResultsSingle.aspx?p=2&search=38119&searchtype=Contains

 

Not exactly value priced at $215 but I’m guessing it will still sell quickly. Per some info on FB it is a blend of 7 barrels for the US market, all tropically aged. Some quick math tells me that this means there aren’t a ton of bottles. Has anyone heard about this reaching other US retailers?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

TTB filing: https://www.ttbonline.gov/colasonline/viewColaDetails.do?action=publicFormDisplay&ttbid=17261001000345

 

According to the label, angel's share was 80% across the 7 casks and there are 2700 total bottles available. Even taking into account dilution (barrel proof was probably >130, and it's bottled at 110), those must have been very large casks.

 

Quick math:

Yield: 2700 bottles/7 barrels = 385 bottles per barrel, or 288 liters

Assuming barrel proof of 130, the final contents at BP must have been:  288 * (110/130) = 243 liters

243 liters / 0.2 yield = 1215 liter cask capacity

 

Can this be right? I hope I didn't embarrass myself on the math. Maybe they combined casks before importing or something.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I want, but this one will be out of my range.


You and me both. It sold out already anyways, so that makes the decision even easier. Not sure how many bottles of the 2700 they received though.

It’s sounding like this will only be in NY for the time being so if anyone who wants one will probably have to order it from there.

Apparently Duke’s Liquor Box is getting some mid-next week and also ships. I’m just relaying info from FB now.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Kpiz said:

TTB filing: https://www.ttbonline.gov/colasonline/viewColaDetails.do?action=publicFormDisplay&ttbid=17261001000345

 

According to the label, angel's share was 80% across the 7 casks and there are 2700 total bottles available. Even taking into account dilution (barrel proof was probably >130, and it's bottled at 110), those must have been very large casks.

 

Quick math:

Yield: 2700 bottles/7 barrels = 385 bottles per barrel, or 288 liters

Assuming barrel proof of 130, the final contents at BP must have been:  288 * (110/130) = 243 liters

243 liters / 0.2 yield = 1215 liter cask capacity

 

Can this be right? I hope I didn't embarrass myself on the math. Maybe they combined casks before importing or something.

I suspect that casks are consolidated with rum from the same period of distillation over time as they lose volume so that these 7 casks may represent many more when it was initially distilled. Certainly seems to be common practice in Martinique distilleries. 243 liters is about 64 gallons which is about a hogshead. A butt is over 100 gallons. This seems more realistic than a 1215 liter/320 gallon cask!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suspect that casks are consolidated with rum from the same period of distillation over time as they lose volume so that these 7 casks may represent many more when it was initially distilled. Certainly seems to be common practice in Martinique distilleries. 243 liters is about 64 gallons which is about a hogshead. A butt is over 100 gallons. This seems more realistic than a 1215 liter/320 gallon cask!


You are almost certainly correct, of course. It’s just strange that Velier would state the number of consolidated casks instead of the original number of casks since they seem ultra concerned with transparency and details. There could be extenuating circumstances, so maybe they don’t even know the original number, but it’s still weird to me.

Not sure why I’m dwelling on details of a rum I probably won’t buy nor will I have the occasion to try...I guess I just can’t help myself.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well you were right about how long it would last based on the Astor website despite the price. Appears to be sold out!

 

I do like the blurb on the website.

 

"Caroni is the stuff of legend in the rum circles."

 

My recollection is that it was more like the stuff of chance and fate creating an accidental "legend" when it was discovered again many years after having been shuttered. I know little of the history or quality of the rum that the distillery was bottling when it was still operating (assuming there was much and it wasn't mostly used as cheap blending rum...) but I am not sure it was any great shakes and was apparently good enough to cause the enterprise to go belly up in the first place. Of course the disaster that was (is?) Trinidad in the first place probably didn't help much either.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, tanstaafl2 said:

Of course the disaster that was (is?) Trinidad in the first place probably didn't help much either.

 

Probably makes the S***hole list.  :lol:

  • I like it 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Jamie76 said:

It is back in stock for those interested...

The Astor site is weird this way. I have given up trying to figure out what is reliable information on their site. It is like they put a few on the virtual shelf, sell them out and then put a few more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, tanstaafl2 said:

The Astor site is weird this way. I have given up trying to figure out what is reliable information on their site. It is like they put a few on the virtual shelf, sell them out and then put a few more.

Having spent some time in the store looking for things listed on the website, this is not far off, a few months back they got in 6 bottles of a SAOS SB that were "a pre-release for their next Private Barrel" which I found odd since that program was suspended, I went there and tried to buy them but no one could find them in the store. I left placed the order online and they showed up at my doorstep. I think their store inventory and online inventory are to some degree separate to avoid having an issue when someone picks up a bottle in the store to buy while someone else is ordering online at the same time, and that they balance the inventories out from time to time. I have also on occasion picked up things in the store that were not in stock online.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
Ah, thanks.  Interesting interview.  He kinda pulled a Jimmy The Greek there, though towards the end...:lol:  


That came out of left field eh? I guess you can get away with a lot more if you have a charming Italian accent. Or even a middling one!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.