Rum Artesanal 1994 Enmore Vsg Rev 25-Year

VSG stands for the merge of three distilleries, Versailles, Schoon Ord and Goed Fortuin.
Of the original 300 distilleries, only three were left in 1975, Diamond, Enmore and Uitvlugt. The wooden Versailles Pot Still was moved 1977 from its original home in Versailles to Enmore and then to Uitvlugt. Diamond Distillery has owned the facilities since Uitvlugt closed in 2000.
The rum was probably still distilled at Enmore in 1994. According to Velier, the last distillation took place at Enmore in 1995. So far, there are two types of VSG, the white and the dark.
I find the DDL internal marks used by whiskey brokers more appropriate, they are MDX and MDXC. That stands for Main Diamond and the X for Versailles. C stands for Colored. Some marks were traditionally colored in Guyana, the Navy had a particular preference for dark rums.
MDXC has a very dark taste and mostly tastes like molasses and iodine. A rum that was popular with the Navy.
REV was used by Cadenhead on their 1994 bottling because hardly anyone knows what it means, it is believed that REV stands for Enmore Versailles. Since this rum also has a 1994 version, it also has the REV mark on the back.

Smell: A molasses-like smell escapes the glass, which reminds me of Last Consignment. At first it is a bit sharp in the nose. Burnt sugar, a lot of molasses, some iodine and some dried fruits can be noticed. Plums, blackberries, black currants and earthy aromas. I also smell the typical Enmore wood. This manifests itself here as dark, old wood with a little iodine. Normally this is connected with honey sweetness, here this connection comes out only subtly.
There is also an impression of cold black tea in the nose. If I didn't know better, I would say this is an old Navy rum.

Taste: It starts off sweet, a little bitter and slightly thin with burnt sugar. Blackberries and blueberries can be tasted in the background. The tannins are present with a bit of bitterness. Then the molasses comes out immediately and then the black tea. The sharpness increases, the wood becomes more present. Tannins, burnt sugar and molasses with dried fruit take over again.
The finish is a bit spicy, again with molasses, tannins, burnt sugar, blackberries.

Aftertaste: molasses, earthy notes, burnt sugar, black tea, blackberries

Conclusion: The rum is balanced, the maturation is nice and old. It is very reminiscent of an old Navy rum. It's better than the Last Consignment and for me represents an old Navy rum. It could probably have been even better a few years ago. The taste could be a little fresher and more complex.
I would rate it 91 points.

Overall rating: 91 points

Sweetness: 2/5
Fruits: 2.5/5
Spice: 3/5
Komplexity: 3.5/5
Value (350€): 3/5

This Rum Artesanal is a rum from Guyana, which was produced in 1994 in the Enmore Distillery in the Single Wooden Pot Style and bears the Mark REV. The rum was allowed to be stored in American bourbon barrels for 25 years and 10 months continental and was bottled at a cask strength of 51.4% alcohol. The single cask was filled into 249 bottles of 50cl each without additives or filtration.

The rum is heavy and the age is already evident in the nose. Notes of dried prunes, leather, herbs and a roasted spiciness are intense. It all seems heavy. On the palate, the rum again shows prune, dried fruit, lots of wood, old wet leather and roasted aromas. The texture is oily and heavy with an intense body. The finish is woody, with leather, bitterness and a musty old note like wet wood.

A fantastic rum if you are looking for old authentic bottlings that are heavy, oily and with lots of cask influence. The alcohol is perfectly integrated. The nose a dream. One of the best Afternose (empty glas) i had so far. The musty undertone and the herbal note bothered me a little...little. But they are integrated great and give the rum a authentic old Guyana vibe. But that's complaining at the highest level. Overall a dream rum.

Dieser Rum Artesanal ist ein Rum aus Guyana, welcher 1994 in der Enmore Distillery im Single Wooden Pot Style hergestellt wurde und das Mark REV trägt. Der Rum durfte 25 Jahre und 10Monate kontinental in amerikanischen Bourbon Fässern lagern und wurde in Fassstärke von 51,4% Alkohol abgefüllt. Der Single Cask wurde ohne Zusatzstoffe und Filtration in 249 Flaschen a 50cl abgefüllt.

Der Rum ist schwer und das Alter wird schon in der Nase deutlich. Intensiv kommen Noten von Dörrpflaume, Leder, Kräuter und eine röstige Würze. Das alles wirkt schwer. Am Gaumen zeigt der Rum wieder Dörrpflaume, getrockneten Früchten, viel Holz, altes nasses Leder und Röstaromen. Die Textur ist ölig und schwer mit einem intensiven Körper. Der Abgang ist holzig, mit Leder, Bitterstoffen und einer modrigen, alten Note wie nasses Holz.

Ein fantastischer Rum, wenn man alte, autentische Abfüllungen sucht, welche schwer, ölig und mit viel Fasseinfluss sind. Der Alkohol ist perfekt eingebunden. Die Nase ein Traum. Mich stört ein wenig der modrige Unterton und die ewige Guyana Kräuter Note. Aber das ist Meckern auf höchstem Niveau. Insgesamt ein Traumrum.