Versailles El Dorado Rare Collection VSG 2002 13yr 63%

"A rum decried by the RumX community and praised by Serge Valentin. So I had to buy it and taste it. I was rather disappointed when I opened the bottle, but I'm familiar with the phenomenon... A nose of old leather, flambéed banana, brown sugar and tea, with good concentration. A slightly peaty palate with fat and brown sugar. The finish is abrupt, but honey and cask reappear after a while. The empty glass is splendid with previously hidden aromas. Apart from the fact that this rum is too lively when opened, I find nothing but good in it. It's perfectly balanced and deep. It could have a slightly broader aromatic palette, but then it would be one of the great Demerara rums. Buy it before it disappears from the shelves."

"I have the entire series in more than one copy and I really like them because the releases are good in general. Love the citrus note from nose to finish and the wood and tannins with other fruits in the mix. Lightly dry on the palate. The flavours are still in the glass the day after 😊"

"Very intense and concentrated! lots of resin, licorice and some citrus and caramel on the nose, then milk chocolate, strong espresso, prunes and gingerbread, salty caramel and treacle with tangerine peel. Nevertheless, aromatically very exciting!"

"An intense, full-bodied Versailles on the nose, with a changing profile: there's the dark side, with baked caramel and Demerara sugar, spicy wood on licorice, pepper and vanilla, cocoa and coffee, prunes, raisins and orange. A touch of alcohol is noticeable and disturbs the nostrils a little. Aeration does it good. The palate confirms that this Versailles has nothing to do with the alembic profile as we know it when it was at Enmore: gone are the heavy, herbaceous fruity notes, there are citrus notes on orange, dark oak, spices and bitter notes on licorice, cocoa and coffee. Caramel, molasses and burnt sugar add roundness, accented by a pleasant saline touch. The alcohol, however, could be better integrated. The finish is long, dark, spicy, woody and bitter, tannic and caffeinated. Spices, cocoa, caramel and molasses offer opulence on the finish, accompanied by raisins, prunes and orange. An unusual profile, not unpleasant, but a little unbalanced, especially when compared with other Versailles or the other rums in the Rare Collection range."

"Tolle Nase wie man sie aus der Rare Cask Serie kennt, auch wenn sie nicht so kräftig ist wie von anderen ED Rare Cask. Sehr fasslastig mit dunklen und röstigen Aromen. Am Gaumen süß und dunkel würzig, also Vollrohrzucker und Lakritz, sowie andere intensive Geschmäcker. Reicht insgesamt nicht an die anderen heran, aber dieser Rum muss sich nicht verstecken."

"Schöne VSG Noten! Sehr gutes PLV."

"A nice Versailles, not as deep as a Rev but still highly enjoyable. The sugar/caramel added is not disturbing and overall the rum is not that dirty. Not all Guyana are rums that I find pleasant, this one though is one that I liked"