A Beenleigh 15 Year Old distilled in 2006, matured in bourbon casks and bottled in 2021. This was one of the first collaborations between Beenleigh and Velier. The rum was distilled first in a column still, then in a pot still, before being aged in vats previously containing brandy, followed by first-fill bourbon casks. Finally it was married in vats made from Kauri (Agathis australis), a New Zealand conifer tree. Velier was founded in Genoa by Casimir Chaix in 1947. It was originally a small, family-run business specializing in the import and distribution of wine and spirits. Luca Gargano, a former representative for Saint James and serious rum collector and enthusiast, bought the business in 1986 and began bottling whisky first in 1992 and then rum in 1996. Rums selected by Velier are only ever aged in a tropical climate, which explains both their concentration and the high angel’’s share. They are generally bottled at cask strength or just below. Its selections from Diamond’’s vaults, the Caroni bottlings and the bottlings from various distilleries in Jamaica, Barbados and other countries are key to rum’’s history and are today some of the most sought-after in the category.