Ever desiring to elevate the great rums of the world to the same status as high art, in 2022, pioneering Italian rum co-bottler and distributor Velier led by its chief Luca Gargano, had set forth on creating the Magnum Series.

The Magnum Series is so named after the legendary Magnum photographers cooperative, which was founded in Paris in 1947 by several notable photographers including Henri Cartier-Bresson. The idea was for the world's leading photographers to join the cooperative as both an owner and member - unlike traditional photography agencies, those in the Magnum Photos collective would retain all copyrights to their own work, with the collective thus owned and administered wholly by its member photographers. Thus a photography collective by photographers, for photographers. It remains the most illustrious photography group today.

Find Reviews of the Velier Magnum bottlings at Drink-X below.

Velier Magnum Series #1 Elliot Erwitt: 14 Year Old Mount Gay, 16 Year Old Foursquare, 15 Year Old Saint James and 5 Year Old Hampden. 

Velier Magnum Series #2 Alex Webb: 8 Year Old Beenleigh, 12 Year Old Saint James, 10 Year Old Clarendon and 13 Year Old Hampden.

The Magnum Series of Velier would thus feature a set of rums selected by the Italian co-bottler, with each iteration of the series featuring the photographic works of an illustrious photographer who is part of the Magnum cooperative - each bottle of said edition would thus feature a photograph from the photographer in collaboration. 

In 2022, Magnum Edition #1 featured four rums from four distilleries donning the work of French-American photographer Elliot Erwitt, whilst in 2024, Magnum Edition #2 would feature also four rums (from also four different distilleries) with the work of American photographer Alex Webb.

And now in 2025, it appears we have the first sneak peek at Magnum Edition #3, which will feature the work of Spanish-Belgian photographer Cristina de Middel, and just as interestingly, will feature four rums all selected from only Jamaica's Hampden Distillery.

Cristina de Middel whose work is held in the Tate collection, had first served as a photojournalist at a Spanish newspaper before eventually making headlines for her work documenting the short-lived Zambian space program (having delved into the African nation's staged re-enactments that have thus challenged viewers' perceptions on what is real and what is staged). Middel would become a full member of Magnum Photos in 2022, and would also become the first Spaniard elected as President of Magnum.

In the Magnum Edition #3 rum series with Velier, four Hampden rums of varying ages from 4 Years Old to 9 Year Old will carry a series of photographs by Middel capturing the beauty of the Hampden Distillery in Jamaica.

The four Hampden rums of the Velier Magnum Edition #3 Cristina de Middel are as follows.

Velier Magnum Series #3 Cristina de Middel Edition Hampden 2021 4 Year Old

Distilled in 2021 and bottled in 2025, with 4 years aged in oak barrels. Bottled at 60% ABV. This carries the artwork RISTO of the Hampden Distillery, by Cristina de Middel, taken in 2025. Find the Velier Hampden 4 Year Old Cristina de Middel Magnum on Drink-X here.

Velier Magnum Series #3 Cristina de Middel Edition Hampden 2018 7 Year Old

Distilled in 2018 and bottled in 2025, with 7 years aged in oak barrels. Bottled at 60% ABV. This carries the artwork JUNJO of the Hampden Distillery, by Cristina de Middel, taken in 2025. Find the Velier Hampden 7 Year Old Cristina de Middel Magnum on Drink-X here.

Velier Magnum Series #3 Cristina de Middel Edition Hampden 2017 8 Year Old

Distilled in 2017 and bottled in 2025, with 8 years aged in oak barrels. Bottled at 60% ABV. This carries the artwork GYALIS of the Hampden Distillery, by Cristina de Middel, taken in 2025. Find the Velier Hampden 8 Year Old Cristina de Middel Magnum on Drink-X here.

Velier Magnum Series #3 Cristina de Middel Edition Hampden 2016 9 Year Old

Distilled in 2016 and bottled in 2025, with 9 years aged in oak barrels. Bottled at 60% ABV. This carries the artwork RAATID of the Hampden Distillery, by Cristina de Middel, taken in 2025. Find the Velier Hampden 9 Year Old Cristina de Middel Magnum on Drink-X here.

Find Reviews of the Velier Magnum bottlings at Drink-X below.

Velier Magnum Series #1 Elliot Erwitt: 14 Year Old Mount Gay, 16 Year Old Foursquare, 15 Year Old Saint James and 5 Year Old Hampden. 

Velier Magnum Series #2 Alex Webb: 8 Year Old Beenleigh, 12 Year Old Saint James, 10 Year Old Clarendon and 13 Year Old Hampden.

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team