Velier Long Pond Cambridge STC❤️E 2005

What a board.... Overripe fermented mango, salty lime, subtle marzipan and slightly fleshy notes meet esters, varnish and glue. Incredibly dense and thick viscosity, salty, bitter fruity and heavy. I love this juicy lime aroma paired with umami bbq notes and overripe baked banana, as well as cinnamon and mint and mango lassi! Extremely long finish, incredibly delicious and complex! So delicious. Probably one of the best Jamaica rums of this year! Only the 2005 TECA is as great... For me probably one of the best and at the same time most extreme Long Ponds ever!

What an incredibly beautiful rum. Very intense as soon as it is poured, lots of wood, tropical fruit and a slight funk. An absolute explosion of flavor in the mouth. The ester influences are discreetly in the background here. Brilliant ❤️

Lots of marzipan and varnish on the nose. Incredibly intense and complex on the palate. Slightly acidic, spicy and fruity. The 18 years of tropical maturation produce an absolute top release. One of my highlights at Whisky Live Paris 2023.

Holy Moly ein wirklicher Höhepunkt! Was für ein geiles Teil!! Mega Komplex: Frucht, Gewürze wie Zimt, Vanille, ein bisschen Funk, toll eingebundener Alkohol! Ein richtiges Brett und jeden Penny wert! ❤️❤️

Funky, solvent, lots of fruit make up this juice of enormous quality 😍 First on the nose, it scents the room, then big explosion on the palate, and endless length, this Long Pond is a jewel 😍😍😍

Edit: tried it again today in MaiTai with the TWJ LP STC♡E. The mega hit Wow, what a great rum. Very tasty. I only tasted it briefly between sampling. Tasted it once shortly after pouring and then forgot to finish it. After more than an hour in the glass, I think it has improved a lot. But a comparison with the other Cambridge is still pending.

Today a cross-comparison with the new 18-year-old STC❤️E and the 13-year-old. At first I was surprised that the 18-year-old was a little lighter in the glass. I had expected the opposite after longer storage. The new one is clearly more present on the nose (but this may also be due to the fact that the 13-year-old has been open longer). The glue note and the ester are more clearly perceptible...otherwise the two are very similar. On the palate, the longer ageing is reflected in the stronger wood note, which is still very well balanced. In terms of appearance, I find the 18 a little softer and rounder than the 13. But these are only nuances. Ultimately, the differences are much smaller than expected. The finish is not quite as long. That's where the 13 scores. To sum up: both are excellent bottlings. Personally, I would prefer the 13

A direct comparison with the other two Camdridges (what's the correct plural here 😂) is still pending, but impatience has won out and I'm tasting this one on its own for now. As you'd expect, there's more wood over the fermented STCE fruit potpourri. The vanilla in solvents is also there, as well as the great umami note with curry leaf and bacon. It definitely needs a little longer in the glass and unfolds really nicely. You are rewarded with a very rich and opulent rum with a great balance of intense tropical maturity, umami and decadent fruit notes.

Glue, varnish, esters, solvents and some alcohol are very present at first. With more time in the glass, sweet, fruity notes and spices increasingly dominate. On the palate, esters, glue, tropical fruits. Fruits, but also wood, spices and bitter notes. A direct comparison with the younger brother (RX416) is still pending. Edit: In a direct comparison with the Cambridge 2005 13y (RX416), the two bottlings hardly differ from each other. The latter is perhaps a little more tamed overall and - surprise surprise - has a little more aroma from the cask. Both are excellent bottlings, but the younger brother is much more attractive in terms of price.

Wow this is just really good Jamaica! So complex and flavoursome, yet more rounded and mature compared to the little brother 2010 released earlier. Esters and funk, lots of Glue and solvents, then a mouthful of tropical & dried fruits. Perfectly aged with a touch of well balanced wood influence. A wonderfully long finish. A must try for jamaica fans!

12.05.2024 Retasting at home with more tranquility than at the Whisky Lige 2023 😊 Nose Light wood, round, balanced, complex, fruity, light mineral, faint mint, light coffee, faint chocolate. Palate Oily, balanced, elegant, light orange, faint mineral, faint mint, naturally sweet, light wood, spice. Finish Medium to long, naturally sweet, balanced, light chocolate, oily, light honey, faint caramel. Extra note. What a balance in all the elements this rum has, a pice de resistance in my mind. The empty glass has caramel, light chocolate, light floral and chocolate. -------------------- #4354 22.10.2023 Whisky Live 2023

A blind sample, received from Olivia as a Secret Santa and already tasted on 21.12. Let me say right away: I would never have thought of LP. Really great nose, very balanced, powerful and the dried fruit is almost reminiscent of Appleton.😀 Plenty strong and funky in the mouth. Blue cheese.😅 Spicy finish with bacon. Super! A great rum! 😀😀😀😀Thanks to Bavaria for this great sample!

Long pond never makes a mistake! It has a timbre that I really like! A mix of fermented fruit, varnish and wood! Despite many years of aging its timbre is still very recognizable!

Crazy Ester and taste bomb! Glue, rotting tropical fruit almost vinagre-y and barrel plus spices when drinking. Lovely but only in little sips, a full dram is really difficult to deal with, it brings easily your palate to fatigue.

One of the best Jamaican rums I have had in the last six months. A real gem in the Velier 23/24 catalog. Rich nose. Even better palate. Complex enough with a hint of wood but pleasant, not too strong. I drank the VSGB and will definitely buy the "regular" bottle as well.