Skeldon is a plantation founded by William Ross on the banks of the Demerara River in the early 19th century, whose distillery closed in 1960, just like La Bonne Intention and, a few years later, Blairmont and Albion. Its owner, the Brooker group, decided to focus on the more modern Uitvlugt distillery, which was updated in the same year. Its Coffey still was moved to Uitvlugt, then Diamond, before eventually being dismantled. Other sources claim it never survived Skeldon’‘s closure and that its style was reproduced by Uitvlugt’‘s Savalle still. As Velier’‘s bottlings of Skeldon (1973 and 1978) explicitly mention a Coffey still, we feel the first theory holds more weight. What is definitely true, however, is that it is Uitvlugt’‘s still that produces Skeldon rum at Diamond today, after Uitvlugt closed in 1999.

A 32 year old Skeldon distilled in 1973 in the Uitvlugt distillery’’s four-column Savalle still and bottled at cask strength in 2005. After Skeldon closed in 1960, Uitvlugt reproduced its style (SWR brand). This bottling contains rum from four casks selected by the Genoese independent bottler Velier in the period when Luca Gargano had access to the cellars of Demerara Distillers Limited thanks to his friendship with Yesu Persaud. These selections played a key role in building Velier’’s renown, alongside its incredible Caroni bottlings. Velier no longer has access to DDL’’s stocks and these rums are now some of the most sought-after by collectors and enthusiasts due to the unique flavours and concentration offered by their tropical ageing. A limited edition of 544 bottles.