Habitation Velier Chamarel 2017

Habitation Velier Chamarel 2017 is an 8-Year-Old Pure Single Rum from the island of Mauritius sourced from Rhumerie de Chamarel. The distillery is located on Domaine de l’Exil in the southwest of the island. The Couacaud family acquired the estate in 1996 and built their own distillery here in 2008 to continue cultivating sugarcane and support local employment.

Chamarel works with sugarcane grown directly on approximately 220 hectares of its own fields. La Maison du Whisky lists three hand-harvested varieties – blue, yellow, and red sugarcane. For this edition, fresh sugarcane juice is used, which according to Velier ferments for two days.

This is followed by double distillation in two 20-hectoliter pot stills. This process is inspired by the Charentais method used in cognac production, which is relatively unusual in the rum world. The result is a fuller and aromatically concentrated distillate.

The rum was distilled in 2017 and then aged for a full 8 years in cognac casks. The aging took place in the tropical climate of Mauritius. The long tropical aging has taken a significant toll – the label of this bottle indicates an angel’s share of over 45%.

In 2026, the rum was bottled at a natural cask strength of 64% alcohol. The label also states “No sugar added” and “Barrel proof,” meaning no added sugar and no adjustment to a lower proof.

The result is a distinctive Mauritian rum with a rich profile of tropical fruits, sugarcane, honey, and spices. Aging in ex-cognac casks brings additional layers of vanilla, chocolate, and spicy notes. The official tasting notes from La Maison du Whisky emphasize primarily tropical fruits, honey, medicinal, spicy, chocolate, and vanilla tones.