Habitation Velier 2005 Forsyths WP 10-Year

This is my first Habitation Velier, so I carefully picked one that I thought would compliment my preferences. You all probably know at this point, but I have become a big fan of Worthy Park. This, however, is a unique rum in that it is the first batch of rum produced at the Worthy Park Estate in more than 50 years since it had initially shut down. The distillery shut down in 1962 and only reopened in 2005. This rum is stated to be from the first rum produced in 2005 when the distillery reopened after the 50 year hiatus using their new Forsyths Double retort pot still. It was then aged in oak on estate in Saint Catherine, Jamaica until 2015 when somehow Luca Gargano managed to finagle some and bottle it under his Habitation Velier label. To say I am excited to have been able to acquire a bottle of it is an understatement. I do wonder, however, how it compares to the Worthy Park Single Estate 2006 bottling that I rated fairly highly (8.5). This rum contains no additives of any kind and is bottled at 57.8% ABV. With that in mind, cheers to greatness and my first Habitation Velier:

Letting sit in the snifter, on the nose I get Black Cherry sherbet, cracked black pepper, Blackberry pie over vanilla ice cream, acetone, homemade fruit punch, raw vanilla bean (not vanilla flavor...but like if you picked up an actual aged vanilla bean and took a whiff). A very nice start.

Taking a sip this is simply outstanding; there is no other way to put it. This may be the smoothest rum I have ever had. The mouthfeel itself is incredible. Then the flavors roll in and its like tasting a full five course meal in a single sip. Every time I take a sip I get a different combination of flavors and nuances. Most prominently, running through the palate consistently is salted caramel and dried figs. But I also get strong savory notes of roasted lamb, red wine (Syrah maybe), fine aged port, grappa, and under-ripe black cherries, specifically the part near the pit. Sometimes at the top of my palate I get something like Sprite and other times I get a slight essence like Tigerbalm in my nostrils. Occasionally, I get blackberry pie. Surprisingly, and to my delight there are no sour notes. In fact, despite the multitude of notes and changes, all of them synchronize in flawless harmony.

If the palate was stunning the finish is somehow even more impressive. The finish starts slow but it builds to a crescendo. It begins with a light note like the smell of old furniture. Then it morphs to salted caramel chocolate (kind of like the note in the middle of a salted caramel mocha coffee). Every now and then I get just a hint of something like fermented, candied Orange peel. Underlying the notes is a musty earthiness. As I take more sips the finish begins to grow longer and change. Now I am getting savory notes the strongest of which is prosciutto and capers. Every now and then after a while I get a slight hesitant note of chlorine that reminds me of spending the day at the pool as a kid. No other way to say this, but this is pure awesomeness.

I am going to run out of superlatives at some point, but this is fantastic. It ranks up there as maybe the best rum I have ever had alongside Foursquare 2007 (but it is very different from that). I have nothing more to say other than I am floored; this is a rum I will be saving for only the most special occasions. To answer the above question on how this compares to the Worthy Park Single Estate 2006, this is better hands down and by a country mile...and I had that rated an 8. Aged sugar cane distillate just doesn’t get any better than this. This is just incredible. Bravo to Luca Gargano and what a way for Worthy Park to announce its return to rum. Wow!

Nose: 10
Palate: 10
Aftertaste: 10
Smoothness: 10
Versatility: 10
Price: 10

Total: 10

Des l'ouverture de la bouteille c'est du bonheur. Le nez est très fruité (poire, banane) avec une touche de vanille.
La bouche est fraiche, on sent du sirop de pêche et la vanille est toujours présente, ainsi qu'un boisé parfaitement maitrisé.
Ce rhum est une vraie réussite. Un délice.

Velier has done it. I wish - WISH - Appleton would release their rums like this. Cask strength, no filtration. This is BEAUTIFUL. Almost cognac-like, but a Rum, of course. Rich, decadent notes of fruits. Amazing.

Double retort pot still by Forsyths installed at Worty Park in 2005. The first distillation made there since 1962!

Distilled in 2005, bottled in 2015. Angel share is 64%, Sugar free, Barrel proof

This is the best Jamaican Rum i have ever tasted. Velier meets Forsyths Worthy Park, It is a match made in heaven. This has the distinct, high ester, dunder-Jamaican personality that you would expect from a great Jamaican Rum, only very much better than any other Jamaican Rum I have tried yet. This is world class craftsmanship! It is fresh, it is fruity, it is extremely pleasing, and I am going to buy every bottle I ever find of this.

Bought a bottle of Habitation Velier Forsyths WP 2005 while vacationing in Martinique. Very nice and high end packaging, bottle and label design. Golden color. Traditional Jamaican funk complemented with citrus fruits and plenty of oak to the nose and palate. Strong and dry burn at the end.

57.8% ABV. Bananas, caramel, pepper. Amazing.

My tasting notes are sparse because I was having too much fun learning about and enjoying this rum. It's funky and refined. One of my absolute favorites. (If you can't get this one, seek out Worthy Park's own Single Estate Reserve—the "poor man's version" of this lovely rum.)

9+

Complex yet elegant. So much going on from the beginning till the end.

Caramel, toffee, cigar box. Rich chocolate cookies with chocolate chips, ripe banana with candy floss, funky aroma of sour cherry schnapps.

Dark chocolate ganache with cigar box woodiness. Dried apricot, dried mango and fresh guava juice. Sour marinated papaya slice with Vinegar and sour plum.

Dry finish with tobacco and rich dark chocolate with sea salt, follow with Jamaican funk.

Lækker rom. Helt klart endnu et godt produkt af Habitation Velier serien.

Here we go again here with a great Jamaican, lots of Cask strength in it...with style and roundness
Ten drops of distilled water were not enough to cope with this beast, bottled at significant degrees... but your Havana Lancero will help keeping the faith
Definitively you need a quite place and please do not think to accomplish other tasks then thinking about your day and whole life while sipping it ahaha
Nose: bananas, all sorts of exotic fruits not available at the supermarket
Colour: dark yellow
Palate: very pungent at first(consider drops of water), then quickly and pleasantly fading into amber and raisins. Surprisingly you’ll soon taste strawberries at the very end .gooood ...and lemon herb
Very very good expression, it woluld deserve a 9 ++ if not for the difficulty of taming.
Conclusions: not an everyday masterpiece, final mark 8,7