Versailles Rumclub Private Selection Ed. 50

 I have to admit that during the premiere tasting of Ed. 49 and Ed. 50, the Jamaican simply picked me up more. But this is really not due to the poorer quality of the old Versailles, but rather to the flavor of this style in general, which doesn't appeal to me as the rum is too "bright" and too "spicy" overall. Specifically, I can taste aniseed and pepper here, only a little graphite. Fruit? No, not really. At least not at first. I only get a hint of light yellow fruit after more than an hour. A challenging rum, not easy to drink, whose strength for me clearly lies in the pronounced finish, it tingles so beautifully on the tongue. But due to its bulkiness, the rum also has something majestic and sublime about it - a worthy representative for the anniversary bottling. Congratulations, Spirit of Rum! Update 2025-02-15: 4 hours (!) of standing time have really done the rum good. The nose in particular would be hard to beat by other Versailles. In this respect, the 83 points I had previously awarded it were not entirely justified. Versailles is still not my favorite marque, but this rum is a big hit!

 At first I was a little disappointed after the first sip. That's why I left it for a good hour and devoted myself to the cigar. It has developed nicely and actually delivers what you would expect after a while. But it requires a lot of attention, definitely not an easy sipper.

 8,6:On the nose, citrus and minty notes are the first impression we get, as wood is roasted, spicy with vanilla and cinnamon. Molasses brings pencil shavings, but a feeling is fresh.Yellow fruits join citrus fruits to balance the rum. On aeration, nuts and confectionery, caramel join the party, metallic and dirty, mineral notes and glue. 8,5:On the palate, the attack is woody, a bit dull, with roasted notes like nuts, marzipan and spicy vanilla, cardamom, some saltiness. Pencil shavings still present, fruity notes are next in line with dried fruits like raisins, figs, yellow fruits and later lime. 8,2:The finish is a bit out of balance, dry and astringent with strong tannins, palate notes continue the journey, with pleasant bread notes, some bacon..

 Fair evaluation Village Nuremberg 2025. Beautiful mineral Versailles with pencil, burnt notes, licorice and salt. Very reduced, but also very good. Super rum that needs some attention when drinking.

 Probiert und Sample abgefüllt auf der HanseSpirit‘25. Sehr gut, dass Dirk für die besondere, 50ste Abfüllung einen wunderschönen und alten Versailles ausgewählt hat. Und ich kann gut verstehen, warum… Nase: herrlicher Duft, intensiv, elegant und total rund. Süßlich-saure Zitrusfrucht, Stachelbeere und Physalis mit ordentlich Bleistiftspähne und Bleistiftmine. Hat fast etwas Frische von Limetten-Spüli. Hinzu kommt eine feine, karamellisierte Süße. Beeindruckend harmonisch, könnte ewig dran schnuppern. 9,0 Gaumen: konzentriert und elegant, metallisch-salzig-bitter zu Beginn, geht dann ins Speckige und Verbrannte über, bevor die typische intensive Bleistiftspähne kommt. Dazu leicht Muskat und etwas von dieser nussig-bitteren Haut gerösteter Haselnüsse. Dahinter wieder speckig und eine feine Marzipan-Süße. Bleistiftspähne weit in den Abgang. Ein ganz feines Tröpfchen. 9,0

 Surprisingly unexpected when you drink the rum and have not read anything beforehand except that it comes from Guyana. Not the typical molasses notes and definitely no plum like the much-loved SWR or REV. It's almost slightly dirty, so that you could also think of Trinidad. Alcohol perfectly integrated, you can spend a long time with the rum which keeps changing (for the better).

 I was very pleasantly surprised by the new bottling. I would have expected bitterness and a lot of wood due to its age. However, both on the nose and on the palate it is very elegant and rather fruity, pleasantly sweet, balanced, a hint of marzipan, nutty, yellow fruits and full-bodied, with a plum/raisin note, which is very subtle and even after the second glass I couldn't work out for myself whether it was plum or raisin. In any case, I like this note. The alcohol is sensationally integrated. An excellent bottling for me personally, if you have the opportunity, definitely try it.

 Versailles in top form. Rich minerality and wood, licorice, subtle pepper aromas. Lush yellow fruit, oily sweetness and a hint of fresh citrus fruit and toast. The profile is impressively balanced in terms of both complexity and balance. Excellent.

 Outstanding Guyana rum! Pencil, herbs, marzipan, yellow fruits, wood. Extraordinary complexity - you wander through worlds here. Long, beautiful finish. I wasn't so enthusiastic at the release party. Fortunately, I bought a bottle and drank it again in peace. You really have to take your time with this challenging rum, then it's really fun! Exactly my taste!

 Sehr schöner Versailles, der da von den Jungs aus Berlin zum Jubiläum abgefüllt wurde. Bleistiftspähne, Klebstoff, Gewürze, mineralische Noten, gelbe Früchte in der Nase. Am Gaumen setzt sich das so fort. Hinzu kommt noch eine feine Marzipannote und feine Nussigkeit. Im langen Nachklang zusätzlich salzig, pfeffrig und Röstaromen. Ein toller Rum mit gut integriertem Alkohol, aber ich werde am Ende desbTages auch ein wenig anstrengend, da er die volle Aufmerksamkeit benötigt.

 The long maturation period gives it a particularly soft and elegant taste profile. Notes of yellow fruit, fine oak and marzipan as well as a subtle hint of herbs create a seductive bouquet. On the palate, the rum develops an impressive fullness and intensity from the very first moment. Its richness and complexity offer an incredibly rich taste experience. The first associations on the palate include yellow fruits, plums and fine herbal nuances, followed by a subtle citrus fruitiness and the characteristic aromas of pencil shavings.

 Very good '90 Versailles! Even if the profile doesn't appeal to me as much as many other Demeraras, it has to be acknowledged that this representative in particular is very good. Yellow fruit and herbs, plus a hint of lead pencil and a mineral salinity are really fun here. In contrast to most other Demeraras, this profile still seems fresh and almost young despite its age, which I personally find very interesting. Finally, I would like to mention the slightly dirty notes, which together with a herbaceous mint almost create a little Trinidad flair. Good bottling, chapeau to Rum Depot for the cask selection!

 Der Rum durfte 1h atmen. Vergleichsweise helle Farbe für das Alter. An der Nase noch sehr verschlossen, am Gaumen dann wunderbar hell - würzig mit Aromen von schwarzem Tee, etwas Banane, leicht Menthol. Sehr rund, der Alkohol ist gut eingebunden. Etwas Wasser hilft auch hier den Rum noch mehr zu öffnen. Der Abgang ist mittellang mit Tee und Gewürzen.

 Messebewertung The Village 2025, Nürnberg: Ein Rum dem ich mit einer Messebewertung vielleicht Unrecht tue und den ich in Ruhe nochmals verkosten muss. Er braucht lange Zeit im Glas. Ich habe das Glas am Stand von Rum Depot unter der Theke fast eine Stunde stehen lassen und bekam da erst die Aromen geboten die ich erhofft hatte.Trotzdem hat er mich auf der Messe noch nicht genug begeistert um eine Flasche zu dem Preis mitzunehmen. Ein Fehler?

 Not 100% to my taste. Ranks somewhere between KFM 91 and REV 94 but without the great fruity notes of the REV nor the brutal barrel influence of the KFM. But for what it is, the rum does everything right.