I could say without doubt that the Habitation Velier Last Ward 2009 is by far my favourite rum!
(Image Source: @weixiang_liu)
Distilled at the Mount Gay distillery in Barbados, the Last Ward represents a slice of Mount Gay’s history. Since 1918, the Ward family had owned Mount Gay distillery up till its acquisition by Remy Cointreau in 1989. Fast forward to 2009, Frank Ward began crafting his own liquid at Mount Gay for his own brand Mount Gilboa, albeit one that has undergone triple distillation, which is rare in rum-making.
Since 2014, Frank has sold his oldest casks to Velier, who have in turn blended and bottled them to give us this peach of a rum. The 2009 is the second rendition of the Last Ward, and is a gorgeous Bajan rum to drink. It is complex with so many layers of notes, starting with rich ripe fruits, bananas, apples, soft vanilla, then folding into a slightly sharper and tart middle palate, citrusy, but returning to its full-bodied mouthfeel at the finish with lots of oak and honey!
Your occasional rum addict!