Simple & Savorful

One of the latest releases from Velier, while new ones will surely see the light of day again this year. It's hard to follow everything at the moment, but let's try to go there anyway, slowly but surely!

Price : 120/130€ for this rum, produced in 1,137 copies and with a strength of 53.1°.

Age : distilled in 1999 then bottled in 2014, i.e. a 15 year old rum with the Velieraine particularity of having aged entirely in the tropics (in Guyana of course).

The labels of Velier bottlings become a little more complete with time (they were already quite complete before), and more playful: we learn that the angels emptied 72% of the barrels and that the rum was aged in new barrels, and not previously used barrels as is generally the case. Wood should therefore be more present on this version. Then comes the information on the distillation tool: Metal Coffey Still, a double column still that offers continuous distillation and which has the particularity of being able to produce light as well as heavy rums, depending on the needs of the moment. By playing on certain parameters, the master distiller is able to produce more or less congeners (which add aromas and body) in the final product. ..

The color of our Diamond 1999 is a dark, deep mahogany, and descends to the bottom of the glass not without leaving a few traces, witnesses of a rather oily and thick rum (who still doubted it?), a sort of symbol and obligation in view of its tropical aging. This small golden disc that floats always adds a feeling of satisfaction, and what about its tears that seem to stick to the walls... as if they want to rise and run away.

And here is a heavy and concentrated but quite sweet nose, where molasses reigns supreme, a thick, woody and strangely smoky (braised) molasses, rather classy . The 53° is almost not felt, the alcohol is well integrated into a resolutely fatty and vinous mixture. We imagine a maceration of prunes, grapes, a sort of caramelized puree, with cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and the inseparable liquorice, grilled and always caramelized nuts.

The more the glass breathes, the more the rum knocks us out, it is so concentrated. We discover a little more fruit, acid this time (red fruits) but still trapped in an ocean of molasses, decidedly very sticky, and this smoky side which brings an animal side to the rum.

The attack is fat and frank, sweet, tangy and quickly bitter with a duo that recalls the fullproof side that the nose had made you forget: tannins and spices warm your mouth together, and the molasses takes care of fixing them on the palate. It reminds you of a Navy Rum, with a powdery side that remains stuck in the mouth. The liquorice is unsurprisingly present and we even find this rather enigmatic little smoky side. Once the fire is out, we find the fruit still candied and very ripe, but quickly eclipsed by warmer and toasted notes of coffee, chocolate and leather. The mouth is rich and concentrated, and excessively fat.

The end is in line with the mouth, rather long, lively and warm . We find the black fruit, the spices and this woody, always smoky, leather, liquorice, in a homogeneous whole from beginning to end. However, we would like it to last even longer...

Does the woody and more particularly smoky side come from the fact that the rum was aged in new barrels? If so, it is a blessing because it adds a significant plus to the tasting. As for whether the rum would have supported aging longer without it becoming a wood juice, that is another story…

But this is a rum that could serve as an example for what concerns aromatic concentration: it is old, but not so much compared to other Demerara from Velier, but yet so concentrated, fat, rich, where smells as different as fruity or animal are mixed. We would nevertheless like more complexity and less bitterness, but the alcohol is sufficiently well integrated for the rum to become a sort of gateway into the Velier universe, benevolent and effective, and suggesting much better omens for the following tastings. Note: 80

To help you (and me) find your way around, regarding the notes:

90 and + : exceptional and unique rum, it is the best of the best
between 85 and 89 : highly recommended rum, with that little something that makes the difference
between 80 and 84 : recommendable rum
75-79 POINTS : above average
70-74 POINTS : in the low average
less than 70 : not very good

Review courtesy of DuRhum.com.

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