Roots Damoiseau Bellevue 1998

"A discovery! A nose of varnished wood, banana, carambola, cinnamon stick and spices. A frank attack on the palate, but the alcohol never takes over. The aromas develop harmoniously: applesauce/banana, yellow fruit, pink grapefruit with a hint of herbs. A very complex wine. The finish is long, with all the aromas present. A delicious, expressive and complex rum with perfectly integrated alcohol. It's noted as being made from cane juice, but I think it must be made from molasses too. Tasted again and still as good, balance being the key here."

"Wieder mal eine sehr gute 1998er Abfüllung aus diesem Land. Habe von diesem Jahrgang schon einige probiert und fand diese bis immer als sehr gelungen. Der Alkohol ist super integriert. Ein sehr geschmeidiger Tropfen."

"Nicely balanced, has a bit of everything. Great fun! For me, it's a little ahead of The Rum Cask Bellevue 1998, which is slightly more complex, but not by much, so it only gets 1 point more."

"Damoiseau... the expectation is high: The nose is very pleasant and somewhat restrained. I perceive light yellow fruit, some sweetness and spices. The palate is light and smooth. The alcohol strength is well chosen and aromas of coffee, wood, dark chocolate and again yellow fruits are perceptible. The finish is initially dominated by darker aromas until dried fruit takes over very late on. A great rum, but not the top of Damoiseau"

"Wow, really good! Very similar in direct comparison to the TRC Bellevue. But this one is a bit more complex with more depth."

"Superb rum! Great balance between dark, roasted notes, red fruits, bit of wood and a slight farminess. Nothing is overpowering the other things, alcohol well integrated. Only downside is the medium long finish, would love for it to stay a bit longer on the tongue to bring it over the 90 points mark"

"A crisp peach-passion fruit bomb. In itself a Bellvue as you might expect. The finish is a little too one-dimensional and fruity for me, with little variety. I know it differently. The gummy frogs are too dominant for me."

"Bislang der am längsten gereifte 98er Bellevue den ich im Glas hatte. Nach 24 Jahren Reifung bringt er deutlich mehr Holznoten mit ohne jetzt bitter zu sein. Ansonsten die typischen 98er Bellevue Noten aus roten Früchte (Johannisbeeren) und Gewürzen. An die Kill Devil kommt er zwar nicht ran, ist aber trotzdem eine sehr schöne Abfüllung."

"Bellevue 1998 is a classic. Molasses based Damoisseau rum. In my book better than most Caroni. This was bottled by the Belgium bottler Roots. Nose: red fruits. Cherry. Menthol. Port + a somewhat dirty/tarry edge. Excellent. Taste: very thick and syropy. Heavy yet balanced. Dry. Still lots of red fruits. This is not unlike TDL or New Grove. Lot's of flavours densely packed. Go big or go home. Loving it. As far as Bellevue 1998s go, this is a gently one. But I really love it."

"Toller Agricole! Holz, Würze und eine leichte grasige Frische bzw. Minze, alles sehr harmonisch. Alkohol sehr gut integriert, sehr mild, lässt sich ganz entspannt sippen. Abgang mittellang, viel passiert hier nicht mehr, aber das muss es auch nicht. Gute Abfüllung, für die ich aber auch nicht mehr als 160 Euro ausgeben würde."

"Leider geil: sehr guter Vertreter der eh schon guten 89iger Abfüllungen. Am Anfang das klassische Profil mit Kräutern, Leder und etwas Leder. Hinten raus dann zur Abrundung eine leichte Schokoladennote."

"I hate sour rums, but this one - tasty, mild, full, integrated, round.. Amazing!"

"A little nail polish at first, then develops into banana stewed with grapes. Slight woodiness, very mellow but with tannin and a slight astringency that lingers. Luscious, warm and very pleasant."

"Cane sugar with cinnamon, sweet tropical fruits, but not fresh, laid back, overripe bananas. The second wave is a cocktail based on rum and pineapple juice, a little lemon juice. General background of nail polish remover. The body is very dense. The flavor has more spicy and woody notes, dried bananas, oak bitterness. The aftertaste is lingering, spicy and varnishy. In an empty glass, warm pineapple and cinnamon. This is a cool rum, but in the light of recent discoveries it seems ordinary, although with elements of funk."