Distilia Long Pond The Sins Avarice by Robert Bauer

"Edit Edit: 24.12.2024 added to the bottlekill. After 3 months in the open bottle, it has once again developed positively in my opinion. Rightly voted Rum of the Year 2024. Edit: now tasted again from the fresh bottle. Simply brilliant. Tasted calmly and with time. For me, it's one of the best I've ever had in a glass. If nothing better comes along in the near future, I'll give it another better rating. Tasted together with Chris2302 some time ago. Many thanks to the donor at the time who made this possible for both of us 😀 (a little tip: it was on the 2nd GAF, so it's not difficult to find the donor 😉 ) I thought the smell was bomb. After the first sip, we agreed that this is a drop that will easily break the 9! Anyone who has the opportunity to try it. Do not hesitate! Insane part!!! Drink of the gods!"

"This is honestly an excellent bottling. Rich and complex with a very nice depth to it. Compared to other bottlings of the vintage I had so far, this bottling does not feel watery but delivers significant power and richness. Very much on the top of my list of very long aged LPs."

"An unbelievable grenade... Fruity, complex and lengthy - these are probably the key characteristics. Wonderfully full-bodied and harmonious as the aromas unfold in the glass. In May Tai a reference as far as Long Pond is concerned, actually even as far as Jamaica rum in general is concerned. I am really enthusiastic."

"All I can say is: Hands off! 😜 Dangerous stuff! Dangerously drinkable. Alcohol never noticeable. Fruity on the nose like straight juice, with an elegant tingle on the palate. Congratulations, Rob and Distilia! This rum really has everything you could wish for in a rum. That there are still bottlings like this nowadays ..."

"Jamaica is no longer necessarily at the top of the popularity scale for either of us, but these perfectly aged Jamaicans are always in a class of their own. Especially when the balance of fruit and wood is so harmonious and complex in the glass. Unfortunately, the bottle is not in my price range, but for those who can and want to afford it, this rum is highly recommended."

"Thank you Rob for this cool opportunity! It’s a very balanced LP with a very lovely low ester note. The barrel and also the alcohol are perfectly integrated. I enjoyed this one a lot! Unfortunately, the (high) price tag didn’t convinced me to buy a bottle."

"Very classic Long Pond. Smooth and everlasting finish. I think it lacks that certain something extra and a justifiable price for very high ratings."

"I was able to taste this at Whiskyfair Limburg with Robert. Right from the start, the Nose finds all the right places. It is a perfect integration of brown butter, yellow fruits, mid level esters and some sour blueberries. On the initial palate there is again the beloved browned butter, the esters are present, but never overwhelming, than we get to a sweetness you get from very good shortbread. The esters linger and are met by a whiff of tannines from a very dry cask, that dont really get all that bitter. The finish is incredibly long and focuses on the sweetness that developed later. Ester is again all along the journey and a hint of that dry casks wants to remain as well. It almost gets a little malty at the end, but that is after a long lingering aftertaste that slowly fades in a lovely memory of what you just sipped. This is a superior choice by Robert and i seriously love these buttery/buteric acid LP. Well done, my wallet hates you a little bit!"

"I've been looking forward to tasting this sample for a while! The color is a little pale for its age. Nose: quite reserved from a distance and initially closed up close. Long pond umami and citrus fruits are immediately present. Little wood and roasted notes for its age. After 30 minutes in the glass, the fruitiness and the sweetness associated with it seem to increase (summer honey, floral). I find the intensity very pleasant and not overpowering. On the palate, I again experience the wonderful process of the rum "taking a swing" for one or two seconds and then throwing itself at the taste buds with full force - wonderful! I was a little shocked at first, because the rum seems really thin at first, but then a constantly changing aromatic backdrop builds up - incredible! On the palate you can really sense the age with intense barrel and roasted notes. However, the fruitiness is not lost. The finish is eternally long and very harmonious with the flavor experience and goes into the fruity-dry with a lot of barrel flow. "

"Now I have to try the Rum of the Year quickly too... at the beginning it almost seems like a Hampden on the nose, there's a lot of fermented fruit and an amazing amount of power, I can hardly believe that it's only 51%. It needs a certain amount of time to stand, then it releases aromas of stewed plums, wax, polish, dried herbs, toffee, balsamic vinegar, vanilla sugar, very complex, difficult to capture everything. Somehow you don't even notice the 40 years in the barrel. Tropical fruit on the palate, chewing tobacco, wonderful balance between acidity and sweetness, long finish. Great bottling! Be sure to give it enough time and concentration!"

"Now, with some distance, I tasted it again in peace (on the GRF I had it with Savanna HERR Heartburn and between the 1999 Diamond S and the CH KFM ... the taste buds may have been a bit preloaded) ... now as a single sip again a touch better. Super part ... much more intense than the Charles Vane (which I found to be quite meagre and stale). In addition to the higher intensity, this one also brings butteriness (nom nom), elegance and opulent fruitiness. The best continental longpond I've tasted. Not quite my cup of tea, but more than just very good and with an incredible variety of aromas."

"First nose of glue and solvents. Opens up to exotic fruits, papaya? Wood with a patina quietly shows its nose without forcing it; with an impression of milk chocolate, walnut, hazelnut. The alcohol is imperceptible, balanced and elegant. Surprisingly, melon, peach and lime are also present after a while, with herbaceous and medicinal notes taking over after 15 minutes of aeration. Round and oily on the palate, exotic, candied fruits are ultra-present, roasted, sticky. Beautiful butter, hazelnuts and spices. Once again, the alcohol is imperceptible, and all that's left is the pleasure of tasting. A little twist on the finish, where a slightly more woody, full-bodied aspect joins the fruit, all in balance, but to remind us a little of the venerable age of this juice."

"9,2:On the nose, there are a lot of esters at first, with overripe buttery tropical and yellow fruits, citrus. So, some pineapple, banana, guava. Strange, for a second, a note of Maggi appears, quickly gone then. Roasted wood, burnt sugar come out after.They bring vegetal notes as grass, honeyed molasses, vanilla and pastries after airing the rum. The wood surely is dry due to long ageing in bourbon casks. The fruits become dried and the rum acidic, like we scent some vinegar.... All balanced and round. 8,8:On the palate, the attack is fruity with esters, overripe tropical fruits, citrus, spicy, dried fruits and the wood is roasted and intensively dry. There are some pineapple, dried fruits, prunes, pastry. It becomes acidic/bitter with tannins and for short, salty. Fortunatelly, molasses does its job, neutralizing tannins with herbal, flowery notes and honey, perhaps some umami. With some rest, it certainly becomes musty, mineral. After a while, we could again find some more acidity with rhubarb, perhaps vinegar notes. This unpleasant acidity downgrades the tasting marks a bit... 9,1:The finish is woody, dry, balanced with ripe tropical, yellow and dried fruits, a bit spicy, musty and sweet with honeyed biscuits."

"Very beautiful golden color. Initially varnish and solvent. After a short wait, a very deep and complex nose. Fruits (pineapple, mirabelle plum), fine spice, earth and tobacco. The esters I dread are held back (plus point 😀). Very oily in the mouth, rarely (or never) tasted such good plastic. 😂 The Jamaican devil's stuff isn't really my thing, so this rum doesn't quite suit my taste either. But still, chapeau! Benchmark in terms of maturity, depth, complexity and still drinkability. Benchmark also in terms of branding and design. Very well done 😀😀 The music to go with it: Lennie Hibbert "Real Hot". And now I'm eagerly awaiting the Agricole from this series."

"Amazing Long Pond! On the nose, I would have guessed Hampden. On the palate then more Long Pond with a good amount of wood and a nice complexity. Reminds me a bit of the Long Pond 1941 with less herbs. Great!"