Legendary rum bottler Velier is bringing back its coveted Magnum Rum Series for spirits house La Maison du Whisky’s (LMDW) 2025 "Foundations" catalogue.

In 2021, Velier collaborated with Magnum Photos to create the iconic Elliott Erwitt Magnum Rum Series which features a series of bottlings with the work of iconic photographer Elliott Erwitt, renowned for his striking black-and-white photography. Each rum bottle in this series features a label adorned with one of Erwitt’s evocative photographs, combining visual storytelling with an appreciation for fine rum.

The rums are all limited edition single cask spirits and are coveted by both rum lovers and collectors of fine art due to their limited production and the distinct intersection of two artistic worlds: photography and spirits.

Now Velier is returning with Magnum Series #2, which pays tribute to American street photographer Alex Webb. Born in 1952, Alex Webb’s photography spans regions often subject to strong socio-political tension.

One of Webb's most iconic works is this photograph of a little boy in a southern Mexico town who "seems to have the world spinning on his fingertip" (Source: Alex Webb / Magnum)

His photographs capture in high contrast the serendipitous moments of ordinary life in regions as Haiti, Istanbul, the Mexico-United States border and more recently cities in America. His work has been featured in The New York Times Magazine, National Geographic and Life magazine.

“I only know how to approach a place by walking. For what does a street photographer do but walk and watch and wait and talk, and then watch and wait some more, trying to remain confident that the unexpected, the unknown, or the secret heart of the known awaits just around the corner.”

– Alex Webb, Award Winning Photographer

The Magnum Series #2 features 4 rums from renowned distillers, – the Hampden LROK 2010, Saint James 2010 and Clarendon MBS 2014 and Beenleigh 2015 from Australia.

Let’s take a closer look

Hampden LROK 13 Years 2010 Jamaican Rum, 60% ABV

This Hampden LROK sports an ester content of 200-400 grams per hectolitre of pure alcohol after distillation, this version falls into the LROK (Light Rum Owen Kelly) mark created by the Hampden distillery in 1952. It is aged in ex-bourbon casks and said to have an initial smooth profile that gradually makes way for more heady and mineral notes, before transitioning to diverse fruits.

This expression has an outturn of 1,080 bottles.

Official Tasting Notes

Colour: burnished gold.

Nose: refined, distinguished. Notes of beeswax, candied fruit (pear, Mirabelle plum) and camphor form a lively first sequence. Allowed to breathe, heady fragrances of geranium, hyacinth and iris elegantly fill the air.

Palate: full-bodied, well-structured. The powerful flavour palette opens with liquorice and chocolate. Saturated with flavours of petrol and smoked bacon, it becomes increasingly empyreumatic, while maintaining a lovely smooth, fruity character (pineapple, banana).

Finish: long, intense. Particularly compact, the tasting continues with densely packed notes of sugarcane, hot brown sugar and tarmac. New candied fruits (kiwi, quince, apricot) make for a sweet finish very typical of Hampden.

Saint-James 12 Years 2010 Martinique Rhum Agricole, 45% ABV

Saint-James Rhum hails from Martinique and is owned by La Martiniquaise, the leading producer and distributor of AOC rhum agricole. This expression is said to display a broader palate, and apparently evokes Scotland’s most unique single malts.

This expression has an outturn of 2,088 bottles. 

Official Tasting Notes

Colour: orange copper.

Nose: fleshy, rich. At first, sugar and honey literally surge from the glass. A full expression of root notes (gentian), chocolate and vegetable aromas (carrot, turnip) follows. This combination is undeniably charming.

Palate: delicate and creamy. The flavour palette is just as original, revealing medicinal notes (ointment), spices (curry, turmeric) and herbal infusions (bay leaf, chervil). Some aspects bring to mind the energy of Scotland’s Ben Nevis malt. Cocoa powder and candied ginger gradually spread across the taste buds.

Finish: long, serene. Staying close to sugarcane, the tasting then develops more tertiary notes (mushroom, grilled walnut, moss, chestnut). The milky retro-nasal olfaction (soya, almond) reveals jammy aromas (quince jelly, apricot), while the empty glass offers spices (nutmeg) and gentian root.

Clarendon (Monymusk) 10 Years 2014 MBS Jamaican Rum, 45% ABV

Clarendon Distillery’s history began in the Monymusk Sugar Estate of Jamaica, where it bottles some of its rums under the Monymusk brand.

While clarendon is home to two double retort pot stills used to produce heavy rums with ester levels as high as 1,500 grams per hectolitre of pure alcohol, this expression is primarily produced by its column stills and falls under the MBS marque, with an ester content of about 10-60 grams per hectolitre of pure alcohol.

This is said to have an impressively long finish, with the palate gradually revealing aromatic oak and herbal notes.

This has an outturn of 1,140 bottles.

Official Tasting Notes

Colour: burnished gold with copper tinges.

Nose: full, distinguished. Opening with apricot, creamy coconut notes and unctuous vanilla, the aroma palette quickly develops floral notes (iris, broom), honey (geranium) and medicine (ointment). Allowed to breathe, noble spices (cardamom, ginger) and a fine layer of liquorice fill the air.

Palate: elegant, dynamic. The tropical flavour palette (pineapple, ripe banana) shows delicate, fibrous tannins (sugarcane). Candied citrus fruits (lemon, grapefruit) gradually refresh the taste buds with their tangy juices.

Finish: long, complex. With sophisticated notes of liquorice (liquorice stick), the tasting then moves towards the world of rye whiskey. Revealing a lovely mouthwatering and root-like bitterness (gentian), it lingers on notes of praline and tobacco. The rich retro-nasal olfaction invites us to taste delicious, still-warm cane sugar.

Beenleigh 8 Years 2015 Australian Rum, 60% ABV

Finally, we have a Magnum Series debut from Australia’s up-and-coming Beenleigh Distillery which was in fact founded way back in 1884.

This limited edition expression was first distilled in a continuous column still before a second round in a traditional pot still named “Old Copper”. It is then aged in bourbon casks.

This expression is characterised by balance, with ample fruits, vanilla, honey, spice, but maintaining remarkable freshness.

Official Tasting Notes

Colour: golden yellow.

Nose: fresh, subtle. The abundantly fruity aroma palette (banana, pear, Mirabelle plum) also displays incredible balance and fullness. Very fine notes of honey and wax form a deeply smooth profile. With time, vanilla, syrup (cane sugar) and roasted pineapple notes appear.

Palate: lively yet generous. The generous flavour palette is just as well-balanced, revealing candied citrus fruit (lemon, grapefruit), white peach and courgette tempura. A sprinkling of sweet spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg) seep into the taste buds.

Finish: long, silky. The finish is powdery (ginger, rice, semolina) and lingers on beautiful flavours of William’s pear and Golden Delicious apple. These are followed by notes of freshly cut sugarcane. The retro-nasal olfaction is rich and herbaceous (pipe tobacco).

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team