Velier Nine Leaves Last Drops

 22.03.2025 Retasting at Whisky Watcher tasting. ---------------------- 4842 Whisky Live in Paris 27.09.2024-30.09.2024. Another great event meeting a lot of RumX new and old friends. This year three weren't as many new releases as in 2023, but I still had a great time. Nose Complex, fruity, light honey, floral, sugarcane, light vegetal, anise, light medicinal. Palate Round, medium intense, fresh, sugarcane, fruity, light citrus, faint iodine, faint salt, light nutts. Finish Long and warm, sugarcane, light nutts, light citrus, light floral, light herbal. These bottles Mark the end of Nine Leaves in Japan and it's pretty sad because he really knew how to make and mature rum. If you get the chance you should try out the five releases which are pretty similar and still pretty different.

 Well, the last one I picked up from the series was unaged. Not bad in principle, but unfortunately nothing out of the ordinary that triggers a fomo in me. I flinched briefly the other day when it popped up again at LMDW, but I think the price is a bit too high for the 90€. But I can imagine that it can do something as a mixer.

 Tastes like a plum brandy. Or a yeast spirit from a southern German brewery. Compared to other high-class white rums, this one comes off as very unbalanced.

 Exceptionally good white rum! I definitely need a bottle of this in the house bar.

 last drops: pflanzlich, grasig und rauchig. Schmeckt wie eine Kreuzung aus Agricole und Mezcal. Interessant unf lecker. 81 Pkt. 2017 bourbon barrel 7yr: Die Nase ist sehr gut, sehr intensiv nach Bourbon. Am Gaumen ebenfalls sehr Bourbonlastig, die anderen Aromen gehen etwas unter im schlecht eingebundenen Alkohol. Hintenraus im Abgang kommen noch frische Früchte zum Vorschein. 72 Pkt. russian oak: Wesentlich vollmundiger und intensiver am Gaumen. Trockenfrüchte, Holz und Leder, dazu eine interessante süße Note, die ich gerade nicht zuordnen kann. Der Abgang ist mittellang und warm. Doch auch hier könnte der Alkohol besser eingebunden sein. 75 Pkt. american oak 2016: Von der Nase dem Bourbon Barrell sehr ähnlich. Am Gaumen dann bislang der geschmeidigste mit gut eingebundenem Alkohol. Der Abgang mittwllang, trocken mit getrockneten roten Früchten und Holz. 78 Pkt. ex-american oak 2014: Interessant fruchtig mit einer ähnlichen süße, die ich kaum definieren kann. Irgendwas mit karamell und Fruchtgummi aus Bonn. Der Alkohol ist gut eingebunden, der Abgang mittellang und trocken. 79 Pkt. Alles interessante Abfüllungen, die ihrem Hype meiner Meinung nach nicht gerecht werden. Wobei der Hype sich eher um die Geschichte der Destille dreht und nicht um den Geschmack der Rums. Was mich nach dem kleinen Tasting nicht wundert.

 The nose gives Agricole vibes and somewhat reminds me of unaged Neisson. Great delivery. Fruity (strawberries, citrus) with lots of power. Similar on the palate - high quality Agricole profile right here. Nice creamy texture. Citrus, some herbs and hints of overripe vegetables.

 Whisky Live Paris 2024 (trade fair evaluation, only overall rating and personal recommendation to buy): The nose impresses right from the start and the palate does not disappoint. The second best bottling in the Nine Leaves range. Would love to have a bottle of this. Small Nine Leaves Cross Tasting - 2025-03-11: Tasted today at my leisure and under "laboratory conditions". I was impressed by the bottling at WLP24 and the impression is confirmed, even though I remembered the rum as being sweeter. The nose and palate are reminiscent of an Agricole and also a Clairin. But the rum also has its own character, a note that I think I discover in all Nine Leaves. I don't know whether it's perhaps due to the yeast used there or the special sugar. I'm curious to see how it performs as a mixer.

 Northern Lights Meeting 2025: On the nose, it is reminiscent of an Agricol, definitely fresh and very fruity. In the mouth sugar, citrus fruits with a nice creaminess. The finish was creamy sweet and slightly salty. Very nice!

 Very agricole-like nose with lots of sugar cane, citrus, medicinal and herbal components, salt, and some honey sweetness. I don't like Agricole, but this doesn't smell as unpleasantly like whisky as the one Nime Leaves I once tried. On the palate, the malty sweetness that repels me is added very slightly. On balance, however, it's not too pronounced. But it's still not mine.

 One of the nicest surprises at Whisky Live 2024. This unaged Nine Leaves boasts a beautiful aromatic palette, as original as it is elaborate. The nose boasts fine medicinal and iodine notes, perfectly complementing the profile's vegetal and floral leanings, notably on sugarcane and basil. The profile is warm, spicy, salty and slightly fruity. The Japanese terroir is fully expressed here. The entry is intense, but the palate is quickly filled by unparalleled roundness. The profile is varied, rich and complex. There's an earthy, herbaceous and vegetal side, and a more animal side with musk, medicinal notes of iodine, sugar-rich cane, spices (chili, salt), nuts (almond, walnut) and citrus. The alcohol is sustained but largely excused by the richness of the profile. The finish is long, warm and leaves a very pleasant, fragrant trail on the palate. Dried fruit and yuzu-style lime open the last act with medicinal and herbal notes, then spice and umami arrive, before a touch of almond and toastiness graces the palate. An original but very successful profile, proof of a real savoir-faire that is unfortunately dying out with the distillery.

 Tasted at Whisky Live Paris 2024 - quick tasting notes, you've been warned. HUGE! I fell in love with this atypical white, with its strong cane, aniseed and mint flavors. I'd never smelled that before. On the palate, it's creamy, quite medicinal (not to everyone's taste, I think), and drifts over to almond. The last drops we'll ever regret... I need one!

 An der Nase elegant aber auch eher verschlossen nach Lakritze, Anis, gelbem Obst wie Birne und etwas Honig. Am Gaumen dann eine Explosion aus Mostbirne!🍐wie bei einem guten roten Williamsbirnen oder Mirabellen-Brand. Dazu mehr überreifes gelb-grünes säuerlich süßes Obst wie Mirabelle oder Reneclauden. Etwas Honig, Anis und Kräuter Noten. Leicht salzige Aromen die an Salzmandeln erinnern. Für mich ein wirklich gelungener japanischer "Agricole" style Blanc Rum. Lediglich die Alkoholintegration könnte besser sein, aber ist halt immer noch unaged... Ob der Preis gerechtfertigt ist wiederum muss jeder für sich entscheiden aber der Lost Distillery Hintergrund hilft hier natürlich enorm. Tolles Release! 💣

 WL24

 Wenn man noch nie Nine Leaves getrunken hat, ein geschmeidiger Agricole in der Nase. Für Bekannte von Yoshi bleibt aber diese unverkennbare Nine Leaves Note bereits in der Nase hängen. Im Mund entfalten sich aufgrund der Geschmackstragenden hohen ABV von 62% die exzellent eingebunden sind frisches Zuckerrohr, Zitrusfrüchte und erdige Noten einer Insel am Meer. Man muss hier wirklich nochmal betonen wie perfekt der Alkohol eingebunden ist und man darf von maximal optimierter Destillation ausgehen. Einer der besten weißen Rums der letzten Jahre! Funktioniert auch hervorragend in einem Ti'punch.

 The Last Drops of Nine Leaves. Herbaceous, floral, sugar cane, honeyed flavours are strong. We can also find anise, nuts and almond, very light butter, and salt. Nose smells alcohol pretty much, while palate is quite soft and creamy. Finish is quite long, though doesn't last forever. A very enjoyable white rum, these japanese Last Drops are a real success !