What do we have here! What is said to be the last distillation at the Enmore estate in Guyana, before all of the consolidation that has led the country to have just one rum producing company remaining, operating out of a complex of distillation stills salvaged from estates that no longer exist. 

This is Velier's Enmore ELCR 1995 bottling that was released back in 2011, when Velier had still possessed a stake in Guyana'a Demerara Distillers Ltd (or DDL) - as mentioned, the country's sole rum producer. It was this stake that Velier had at the time (it would lose that stake in 2015) that arguably allowed for Velier to bring to daylight much of what is regarded as Guyana's best rums. Whilst these are some of the best examples of the country's rums, it certainly can't be said to be the sole success Velier's had, as the Italian distributor and co-bottler (as it prefers to call itself, as opposed to independent bottler, thus conveying a greater sense of collaboration between Velier and the rum producer) has gone on to produce many stellar rums across various countries and producers, cementing its legendary expertise as led by its chief Luca Gargano.

Guyana was once home to numerous sugar estates flanking the Demerara River, which would form the bedrock for its rum scene, where molasses (the by-product of sugar production) would be used to produce rums, typically with distillation stills located on the sugar estates itself or along the banks of the river adjacent to the estate. Nevertheless with time, as the sugar industry began to decline, these sugar estates would begin to shutter. At times the distillation stills from a closing estate would be shifted over to another estate, other times it would simply be tossed. Eventually Guyana would only have the Diamond complex of distillation stills pulled together from various estates that once existed, the rum which is produced is then marketed by DDL, typically classified by the distillation still used to produce the rum, or otherwise be simply labelled as "Diamond".

The Enmore estate was therefore one such estate that had previously existed, housing its Enmore wooden coffey still (Guyana's distillation stills are one of a kind, made from local Greenheart wood, one of the world's hardest wood varieties, which is then heated to distill the rum!). Enmore marked its final year in 1995 (although it is sometimes disputed, with some sources claiming that Enmore had closed in 1994, which would then make this Velier Enmore 1995 expression rather confusing as to its exact provenance) - and so this Velier Enmore 1995 is said to be the last distillations made at the estate before it was closed and its stills would be transferred over to the Uitvlugt estate (which would in turn close in 1999 and correspondingly have its stills moved over to Diamond). 

The Enmore wooden Coffey still.

The expression is made of a blend of 8 casks (for posterity, they are #7104-7105-7106-7107-7108-7109-7110-7111), which were marked as "ELCR", which refers to the rum style contained in them, and is taken to mean that the rum inside was distilled using the Enmore wooden Coffey still. However, peculiarly, the bottle itself states that it was distilled using a single wooden pot still instead. There have been several explanations that have cropped up for this - that perhaps the rum was distilled at Enmore, however it was distilled using the Versailles wooden pot still instead, which was brought over to the Enmore estate after Versailles had shuttered. Ha! If only the mysteries of Guyana's rums were that easily resolved! Others have nevertheless contested this alternative explanation by pointing out that Versailles distilled rums typically carry a mark that would at the least include a "V" somewhere in it - and thus most have settled on the likelihood that the Velier bottle had made a mistake, and that it was indeed distilled using the Enmore wooden Coffey still.

In the decade and more since the Velier Enmore 1995 has been released, these questions have gone un-answered, and appears that they will never be conclusively answered. But such is the case with Guyana's rum scene, one that carries many unsolved riddles which will likely remain as such, as a result of the decades of consolidation and fragmentation that took place.

What we do however know is that the Velier Enmore 1995 ELCR is bottled full proof (or cask strength) at 61.2% - a Velier trademark of quality - and has been aged for 16 years tropically in Guyana.

Let's give this expression - one of the pieces in Velier's legendary Demerara canon - a go!

Velier Enmore ELCR 1995, 16 Year Old, 61.2% ABV - Review

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Amber

Aroma: Opens to really rich brown sugar sweetness, a light glue-y note as well, along with some scoops of herbal cough syrup (Pei Pa Koa). There’s also this resinous note, along with that really deep and rich herbal sweetness. With time some peaches emerge in the form of peach gummies, along with cola syrup, sarsaparilla, desiccated coconut, root beer syrup and liquorice. It takes a much more lifted quality, and somehow has this clean lightness - it’s not all over the place. Some lacquered wood in the background, rather subtle but it’s there. Light bits of cinnamon and cloves. With even more time, ginger poached in rock sugar with a little bit of peach gum. Some juicy freshly sliced pineapples in the glass after. With more time, a deep mustiness of well aged musty lacquered wooden attic. 

Taste: It starts off honeyed and sweet, brown sugars and herbal cough syrups. It moves fast initially with this really surprising note of candied mangoes and candied peaches, herbal honey, some lacquered wood, along with more on vine peaches, lychees and longans, with some leafy elements reminiscent of cooked vine leaves. There’s also a hit of milk coffee too, tossed in with some cocoa powder. It moves really quick with this burst of tropical fruits that’s bright and intense - catching me off guard. It’s intensely fruity and candied but at the same time has a herbal and leafy tone to it, that tends darker but without and bitterness. It’s sweet without much in the way of bitterness or tannins, other than a slight medicinal note of herbal cough syrup. It’s medium-bodied with a moderate richness, almost that of a slightly dialled down cough syrup.

Finish: The finish keeps on evolving! At first it’s giving notes of candied ginger, black tea tannins, spicy honey, milk coffee, lacquered wood, herbal cough syrup. A light dryness. On second sip, I catch candied mangoes and candied peaches. But always a deep and satisfyingly soothing warmth. A third sip gives me a more herbaceous note of rosemary and mint jelly. It’s sweet and herbal here, and yet draws you in to this incredibly deeply tucked earthiness right at the back, of coffee grounds and soil. The finish is gentle and rich, with that deep warmth, ending on a herbal and sweet note.

My Thoughts

Sure enough this was an incredibly impressive Demerara rum - there’s so much complexity and evolution but in possibly the most understated manner. On first nosing, it’s almost simple? The standard fare of brown sugars, glue, herbal cough syrup - nothing mind-boggling for sure. Experience tells me that I’m better off giving it some time to open up, and indeed with a minute in, all these fruits and tropical scents begin to emerge. What’s most impressive is that it has a lifted quality that almost feels clean - in that it’s this cloud of scents that’s at the same time quite precise and structured.

On the palate, it’s not so subtle - it most so quickly and yet it flashes this big tropical fruit note that’s intense and grips you, and yet quickly moves on. It takes several sips - each time reliably delivering that big and intense fruity note - to nail down what it is. I settle on candied and vine fruits - peaches, mangoes, lychees, longans. It’s at once intensely fruity and fresh, and also candied, along with this herbal and leafy note that adds to its freshness. There’s very little in the way of tannins or bitterness aside from what you’d associate with herbal cough syrup, that sort of medicinal quality. Mostly sweet, herbal and fruity, with a good amount of richness without being dense or heavy.

The show doesn’t end! Where the palate was very consistent but hard to nail down because of the bullet-train cadence, the finish kept on evolving! A real shapeshifter. Multiple sips gives me a range of  flavour profiles ranging from spiced and earthy, to candied and fruit, or otherwise herbaceous. What’s consistent nevertheless is that end note of herbal sweetness that draws you in to the deep core of this tornado that is a gritty earthiness of coffee grounds.

This was completely impeccable! Such an understated complexity that is giving so much and requires time and attention to really appreciate. But boy, does it have so much to offer. It’s so ridiculously tasty and entertaining. Certainly a dram of a lifetime!

Kanpai!

@111hotpot