SVW
Seasoned Demerara fans and high-ABV lovers who enjoy gluey/technical notes, roasted oak and a dark coconut–chocolate profile, and who are willing to pay collector prices for old Velier bottlings.
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How does this rum taste?
Most adore its massive, layered Demerara profile, long finish and coconut-chocolate combo; some find it rougher, slightly herbal/licorice and poor value versus other Diamonds. Consensus: a world-class, intense rum.
If you already enjoy Velier 1996 SVW, Skeldon-style depth or DDL Rare Collection, this turns everything up: more power, darker roast, plenty of coconut and glue—but it asks for experience and budget.
Beginners, anyone sensitive to alcohol burn, drinkers expecting soft sweetness, or value-focused buyers comparing against more affordable El Dorado Rare Collection or other Diamonds.
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About the Diamond distillery
The Diamond distillery is located in Guyana. Rums from Diamond have been reviewed 4,846 times with an average of 8.3/10.
By rum lovers, for rum lovers
I'm Oliver – together with Jakob, Robert, and Lukas, we started RumX in 2018 as a small passion project in Stuttgart, back then under the name Rum Tasting Notes.
What began as a digital tasting diary is now the world's most comprehensive platform for rum fans: over 24,000 bottlings, 270,000+ independent reviews, and an active community with 50,000 members. We combine the collective intelligence of our community with an integrated marketplace, allowing you to shop securely and manage your collection directly from the app.
The goal? To offer you, the rum connoisseur, a place where you can choose with confidence—without paperwork, detours, or expert jargon.














Top rum, but it does not come close to the level of Velier's 1996 SVW. The aroma profile is almost identical, but is somewhat stronger in the spicy notes and at the same time has less expression in the vanilla notes that were so famous in the 1996 SVW. For me, therefore, just below the magic 9.0-point mark, but of course still an exquisite release.
Not quite at the level of the Velier 1996 SVW full proof and not quite as fine in the creaminess and the gourmand and vanilla notes. But with very nice stickiness with coconut, raisin and chocolate as well as nice wood. Not at all dissimilar to the CBH or DMD from the ED rare collection. Of course too expensive nowadays, but very tasty. Nevertheless, I would rather take 3 bottles of CBH for the same money.
Incredibly cool and atypical Guyana diamond. Glue, dark chocolate, roasted nuts and a good load of cinnamon! Really cool😍♥️ really great vintage Demerara, alcohol is just a little dominant overall.
... The Old Velier Demerara rum is the best thing you can taste in the rum world. The rums were aged in the tropics for several years by mistake and nobody refilled the barrel. The Andel tax was 90% or more, which is why the taste is especially full and intense. Even though it is an extra expensive product, I recommend to taste a rum from this series at least once in your life.