Velier Diamond Old Demerara Rum 1988

The perfect rum for me! Incredibly intense, complex, yet balanced and round. Lots of strawberry, some glue, wood. Differs very clearly from the other Diamonds.

Stands out in the blind tasting of all Velier Diamonds with its comparatively very fruity-sweet nose. On the palate, bitter notes are added and the typical profile of Velier Diamonds becomes recognizable, however, the fruit notes remain very present, reminding me of overripe red berries (strawberries). Excellent drop and meanwhile a privilege to be able to taste it - great cinema.

Nose Rex tremendae majestatis! The first sniff literally explodes and manifests what's making these Velier Demeraras so special. It's the unbelievable fatness, richness and the exotic jungle associations, hence the pure uniqueness. Meaning the most addictive Patexx glues, pure coconut mark, Jasmine flowers from India and Ylang Ylang from China. A crazy load of strawberries and raspberries alright (what?!). Slightly reminiscent of the 1991 Caroni (Samba) at this point. First Velier Demerara delivering red fruits! Very very unusual. Fried manioc roots in coconut butter and some undefined jungle herbs. Fine cedar wood. On top: very pronounced notes of wood polish and new leather. Now it even feels a bit like Pibous 1996. After a while the sweetness develops into candyfloss and the leatherness into the smell of a freshly opened Montecristo Cigar Box. Rafinesse, elegance and a monstrous complexity, all in one distillate, ergo a to-die-for-bouquet. Palate Yes, almighty! Welcome to the jungle! Sweet fermented mangoes and plantains. Manioc roots in abundance. Bounty bar and all kinds of glues. Super sweet initial start and absolutely balanced. The distillate is fat and super heavy. Overripe Raspberries and Straweberries indicate a slight sourness. But paired with the gentle bitterness of dark chocolate it just adds to the complexity. These fruity and berried components are simply stunning. The alcohol is wonderfully integrated, almost non-existent. Have we mentioned an oily texture? Pure oil. Every little sip holds another surprise. In terms of column still rum it actually can't get any better. Finish 1300 pages long, like The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky, but way more lingering on the bright side of life. All on lovely raspberry and coconut mark, glues and rubber.

Insanely balanced, complex and well integrated. Powerful yet elegant and completely different to all the other Diamonds from Velier!

Totally awesome strawberry yogurt flavor! 🤯

Luckily this was the last rum of the evening or all the other samples would have failed horribly in comparison. A great rum and again one that was hidden in the back of a top shelf at a tiki bar., where they had a rum aficionado. The nose is complex and well balanced with fruits, smoked Wood, vanilla and chocolate. The chocolate and vanilla really come out if you leave the empty glass for a while. The palate takes off where the nose finishes. Complex and well balanced with fruit, smoky wood, vanilla and a hint of coffee/mocha. The finish is incredibly long with wood, cherries, chocolate and vanilla. I know this is a rare bottle, but my oh my, what a great rum.