Basseterre 1995 Velier 12yo 58,2%

This is a 1995 vintage rum from the Carrere distillery in Guadeloupe.

More commonly referred to as Montebello after its flagship rum brand, the Carrere distillery is located in Petit Bourg on the Basse-Terre island of the Guadeloupe archipelago. Established in 1930, it is a small operation run by the Marsolle family, and buys in sugarcane from local farmers to supplement the fifteen hectares of plantation that it owns. Carrere operates a two-column copper still, and its spirit runs at around 85% ABV, unusually high for the production of agricole in the region. Due to a government enforced quota system, the distillery is allowed to sell 350,000 litres of rum per year, but rarely operates at such a capacity.

The rum is titled, Basseterre, after its island home. The meaning of which is "Lowland." This and a 1997 vintage were bottled in 2008.