Background: an old Guyana rum from the acclaimed independent bottler, Compagnie des Indes, more affectionately known as CDI. Serge suggested that this is from the Versailles pot still, but the official description states that it came from the Enmore (wooden coffey) still. I have not tried anything from Versailles, but the other old Enmore I know had less bitter notes on the tongue. On the other hand, this does seem a little thin on the palate for an old pot still, so I don’t know… Hey, who cares if it smells and tastes good, right?

Nose: a rather unusual start; medicinal patch; chinese ointment (Tiger balm?); bleached hospital floor; seawater; sour dough; warm gose; all things grilled and smoked and porky -- heavily caramelised char siew; pork floss; smoked ribs glazed in sweet barbecue sauce; with some time it becomes redolent of an old cognac -- boozy dark fruits, sensuous yet refined; fresh apples, grapes and plums; tropical fruits like passion fruit and mangoes; cantaloupe; sugarcane juice; brown sugar on marzipan; coconut pastries, such as the Peranakan kueh bangkit; the green, woody notes of a Port Mourant make up much of the base -- chinese liquorice, salty liquorice, anise and camphor; jackfruit and creamy sandalwood perfume round things up nicely.

Palate: sweetened celery juice on entry; baked cashews and almonds; a sour tinge follows, like a blend of spoilt almond milk and makgeolli; wet wood and damp lichen; molasses and cane sugar; sweet liquorice; savoury and briny, like canned tuna or anchovies; fresh lemon juice on fatty cuts of smoked meat -- perhaps even grilled salmon or suckling pig -- with plum sauce at the side; white grapes; rum-soaked black cherries, or maybe a fruity cognac; unsweetened milk coffee; torched cream; the mouthfeel is thinner than I would like it to be.

Finish: more cashews; salty liquorice; something grassy and herbaceous and bitter; ginger candy; mint sweets; more liquorice; some sweet coconut shavings; overripe mangoes and papayas; chocolate; sandalwood incense; lime juice, white grapes, and more salty liquorice linger for what seems like an eternity.

Conclusion: what a rum! I might just like it more than my benchmark Caroni, were it not for the herbaceous bitter note in the finish, and the slightly less-than-ideal mouthfeel. Objectively though, the quality is undeniable, and dare I say, legendary.

Score (assuming a normal distribution with mean 50): 92/100

Image Courtesy of u/zoorado. 

u/zoorado