Diamond v2.0

After a Diamond 81, an 88, a 93, two 96s, here is the second 1999 which will be released in 2014. It's difficult to follow everything, but let's remember in passing that this is surely one of the very last bottles from the Velier/DDL partnership, to the great displeasure of enthusiasts...

Price : 185€, 70cl and 64.7° and 1,411 bottles.

Age : 15 years of aging in the tropics, distilled at Diamond via the metal coffey still (double column still which offers continuous distillation). As Velier has accustomed us to for a few releases, we even have the angels' share, here higher than 72% (SVW mark).

After the 'disappointment' (everything is relative with a personal score of 80) of the Diamond released last year, here is a new bottling from Diamond, also from 1999, and aged...15 years, i.e. a score almost identical to the previous bottling, if not more strength (64.7 against 53.1), and a different recipe (understand different settings of the still with here the mark "SVW").

The color of this Diamond is amber, shiny copper, oily with legs of medium thickness.

The attack is striking, and necessarily rich, on the oak with very present tannins and leather that mix with spices, sometimes pepper, sometimes ginger, coffee and a pile of dried and candied fruits: once again on apricot, red fruits (the grenadine of the nose), all grilled. It is very rich in the mouth, invasive, it sticks to the walls, it attacks the palate to leave a fine powdery layer, and rather dry with all this wood and leather, which bring an assumed bitterness, not unpleasant.

The finish is long, still as powerful; on spices, leather, liquorice, candied fruits, and it will stay for a long time, on a hint of dryness (leather + spices).

Closer to a Diamond 96 (that's the good news), the alcohol is well integrated in the nose, less in the mouth where the rum appears quite powerful (surely a bit too much), with a good dose of tannins and leather, not very well balanced, but raw. It's still Diamond and therefore it's not super complex but still pleasant to drink (in small doses and without abuse). Better than the previous 99 and surely at the level of Velier's Diamond 96 (better or worse? that remains to be compared). Rating: 83

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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