Romdeluxe Long Pond Wild Series Rum Jamaica No. 26 VRW 2005 16yr 68,5%

"Direct comparison in a blind tasting between the two sister casks. Almost identical key data. Two outstanding bottlings. Both fight on the dark side of the force with wet wooden swords peppered with dark cherries and blackberries. A bit of funk shines through as the aromatic swords clash. The aromas explode when they clash until there is nothing left and both opponents lie exhausted on the ground. Then 12464 has the longer breath. RX12502 The finish seems to evaporate, but loops and comes out fruity and lingers. and lingers for a very long time. brilliant! RX12464 Brilliant. An absolute favorite of mine. Two excellent rums."

"First impression trough the nose: light ester, fruity, glue; just like a good old LP. But once you take of the cap of the glass this smells disappear quickly, only the smells of the barrel remain. Same thing on the palate… It’s a bit fruity (coconut) similar to a foursquare. After the fruity notes the barrel/roasted notes take the overhand. The finish is woody with a hint of fresg coconut graters. Second impression: Much Much better, found some licorice, minty and coconut notes. Very lovely. The finish remains woody. +2 in rating Although it’s not bad, it’s still a good balanced, complex rum. The alcohol is integrated well too."

"Day 9 of the Samples de Luxe calendar. A sweet nose with a little alcoholic spiciness. Tutto frutti with varnished wood and marzipan. You can feel the watts in the mouth, whoa! But it remains balanced. The finish seems short, but the marzipan and cola linger for a long time. A pleasure rum, but neither the most complex nor the deepest. But balance and power are there. I made a blind Foursquare bet. The empty glass lets sweet aromas develop. Delicious."

"Ich finde diese hochprozentigen Rums von Romdeluxe ja echt klasse, wobei dieser ja eher weniger %e hat. Egal, trotzdem geiler Long Pond, in der Nase und am Gaumen halt wieder viel Ester und tropische Früchte wie Mango. In der Nase auch noch etwas Klebstoff. Lecker."

"Highly unusual but delicious and aromatic long Pond 2005, very powerful, the alcohol is present but not overpowering and well integrated. The longer it stands, the better it tastes to me! 😄 Lots of roasted aromas, caramelized coconut chips, overripe mango, cocoa dust, raisin, pepper and vanilla. Great balance and overall surprisingly balanced for 68.5%. the tannin structure on the finish is demanding, but also ensures a long-lasting finish. Surprisingly good release from RdL!"

"Der Rum ist definitiv mal unfiltered. Im Glas sind noch deutlich schwarze Sedimente zu sehen. Für mich ein eher untypischer Jamaikaner mit Noten von Kokosnuss und Früchten. Trifft jedoch genau meinen Geschmack. Alkohol nahezu perfekt eingebunden. Blind wäre ich wohl eher bei einem Bajan Rum als bei einem Jamaikaner. Gefällt mir bei der 2. Verkostung nochmal etwas besser. Die Flasche ist inzwischen halb leer und nach wie vor gefällt er mir sehr gut. Edit: Nochmal gegen den TWB verkostet. An der Nase beide sehr ähnlich und kaum Unterschiede auszumachen. Anfangs bringt der RDL etwas mehr Klebstoff mit, was sich mit der Zeit legt. Am Gaumen kommt der RDL etwas würziger und mit mehr Fasseinfluss daher. Für mich beides sehr gute Abfüllungen!!"

"8,8:On the nose, the first impression we get is with glue and esters, the tropical fruits and wood are secondary, as we notice tempting, sweet marzipan, spicy vanilla, the coconut is toasted, the nuts roasted and molasses vegetal and dark with licorice. 8,8:On the palate, the attack is estery with tropical fruits like mango, intense because of high ABV and sweet with charred wood notes like caramel and nuts, spicy with vanilla and pepper.The coconut is again toasted, the molasses vegetal, herbaceous.Our tasting buds are screaming of delicious notes, when the rum becomes very balanced with yellow fruits, raisins and licorice.Menthol pops up later. 8,6:The finish is long with dark molasses, yellow fruits, spicy, roasted wood, toasted coconut, dried fruits and a bit tannic."

"Lots of sweet oak influence; reminiscent of the 1994 New Yarmouth vintage. Interesting that this similarity can sometimes be found in the Long Ponds from the mid-2000s. Very pleasing, the interplay of vanilla sweetness and tropical fruit as well as the barrel works perfectly."

"Wow! Alcohol very well integrated! Very complex taste with wonderfully fruity and tropical matured notes!"

"Beautiful, very intense VRW representative, in which the fruit is almost completely overshadowed by the wood."

"Very nice low ester Long Pond. It has a good balance of tropical fruits, wood and spices. I especially like the notes of coconut and allspice. The finish lingers with some dark chocolate and tannins. Needs to rest for at least 30 minutes."