Damoiseau 1995 15-Year

Damoiseau Rhum Vieux Millesime 1995 Full Proof 66,9%.
I expect this one to be very good. Let's see.

The nose is sharp and saturade, starts with leather, grassy and floral notes but also sweet with caramel, cocoa and some grains. I get also some earth from the toasted cask. It's not very smooth first, we are talking about 67%. But a great nose, not a typical agricole nose, there is almost no sugar cane.

The taste starts warm with leather, butter, grasy notes and spice. I never had such a buttery agricole before. Then I get buttered marmelade (melon/apricots/star fruit) and dry orange peels with tannins from the wood. As the taste became more intensive the orange peels turns into anise.
It gets spicy with butter again, grains and tannins in the background.
Again dry orange peels. It tingels on the thongue like mineral water.
The finish starts with some spice, grains, tannins and butter with dry orange peels at the end.

Exceptional rhum. We know the buttery flavors from Clarendon, but the connection with orange zest and agricole flavors is very unique. A unique experience at full cask strength: I would rate this rhum with 95 points.

Nose: leather, grasy and floral notes, caramel, cocoa, grains, dry fruits, wood, earth, toasted barrel
Taste initial: warm, leather, grasy notes, butter, orange, spice, dry orange peels (tannins), anise
Middle: spice, tannins, grasy notes, butter, dry orange peels, anise
Finish: spice, butter, grains, tannins in the background, butter with dry orange peels
Aftertaste: butter, leather, mint, grains

Sweetness: 2/5
Fruits: 3.5/5
Spice: 3.5/5
Mildness: 3/5
Complexity: 4.5/5
Value (79€): 4.5/5
Experience level: professional

The Damoiseau Rhum Vieux Millesime 1995 from Guadeloupe is a blend from the Bellevue Distillery, which consists of Agricole and Molasses Rum and was stored for 14 years in oak barrels. The rum produced in column style was then bottled in barrel strength of 66.9% alcohol without dyes, sugar or filtration in 0.5l bottles.

The nose is initially very closed and compressed. The rum needs some time in the glass. The rum has intense notes of caramelized tropical fruits, roasted vanilla and wood. Some bourbon but also an earthy, grassy note. With a little water, the rum opens a little more. On the palate, the alcohol is active. But not disturbing. Warmly, the aromas are pleasantly distributed. The rum shows some floral grassy notes with a very pleasant wood note. Roasted oak, vanilla and fruit. Slightly dirtier comes a bit smoky nut. All very creamy and nicely balanced. The finish is spicy and dry with beautiful wood aromas. There is also some mint here.

An absolutely great rum. No Agricole, that's for sure. The molasses content is significant. A perfect blend of the two worlds. The alcohol is perfectly integrated. However, it can also be diluted somewhat with no problem. Happy to have a bottle.

Der Damoiseau Rhum Vieux Millesime 1995 aus Guadeloupe ist ein Blend aus der Bellevue Distillerie, welcher aus Agricole und Melasse Rum besteht und 14 Jahre in Eichenholzfässern lagern. Der im Column Stil hergestellt Rum wurde anschließend in Fassstärke von 66,9% Alkohol ohne Farbstoffe, Zucker oder Filtration in 0,5l Flaschen abgefüllt.

Die Nase ist anfangs sehr verschlossen und komprimiert. Der Rum benötigt etwas Zeit im Glas. Der Rum hat intensive Noten von karamellisierten tropischen Früchten, gerösteter Vanille und Holz. Etwas Bourbon aber auch eine erdige, grassige Note. Mit etwas Wasser öffnet der Rum sich etwas mehr. Am Gaumen ist der Alkohol aktiv. Aber nicht störend. Warm werden die Aromen angenehm verteilt. Der Rum zeigt florale grassige Noten mit einer sehr angenehmen Holz Note. Geröstete Eiche, Vanille und Frucht. Leicht dreckiger kommt etwas
rauchige Nuss. Alles sehr cremig und schön ausbalanciert. Der Abgang ist würziger und trocken mit schönen Holz Aromen. Hier findet sich auch etwas Minze.

Ein absolut toller Rum. Kein Agricole, das ist sicher. Der Melasse Anteil ist deutlich. Ein perfekter Blend der zwei Welten. Der Alkohol ist perfekt eingebunden. Er kann aber auch etwas verdünnt werden. Ein tolles Trinkgefühl mit komplexen Aromen.

Beautiful color between caramel and leather. This rum has a strong alcohol nose with vegetal notes and vanilla and spice. With a fairly high alcohol grade (66.9% ) , it has a pretty wooded mouth taste with some bitterness . A nice , long finish on the palate.

Za mňa je toto presne agricole ako má vyzerať. Explózia vôní i chuti, dal by som mu tak 9,4 bodu. Plná drevita chuť, náznaky ovocia a vôbec by som nepovedal, že má 66,9%.

This is very short review - proportional to the volume of the glass and number of shots )

1. Rum JM XO 45°
Apples on nose, smooth, oaky. Very pleasant aftertaste.

2. Clairin 46.x°
Almonds, burnt sugar, rich and oily. Might be the most smooth out of Clairin range.

3. Damoiseau 66.9°
Rich, exotic taste, little ethanol kick. Somehow comparable to JM due to pronounced oak.

4. On desert: Abuelo XV
Just pure pleasure!

Scoring 9.5 for all of them. To be more precise and objective need 4 x 0.75L

Heavy stuff, with loads of flavours from both the distillate: grasses, seaspray, wild flowers and oilyness, as well as flavours from the maturation: dark fruits, wood, cedar, tobacco. Amazing stuff.

Not exactly my cup of tea.. It is ok, just not for my palate.

Damoiseau 1995 full proof 66,9%
Origine : Guadeloupe
66.9 %
50cl
Nez : fruit exotique, réglisse, cannelle, bois brûlé
Bouche : vague successives de chaleur, réglisse, bois brûlé, très longue finale smoky avec note d’essence vers la fin.
Avec 2 gouttes d’eau il s’ouvre un peu et on décèle des notes de cassonades.

This Damoiseau can be describe as strong ! On the nose , it is roasted with vegetal aromas, some vanilla and a nice woody flavor. Before sipping it , be prepared ... Full proof, this Damoiseau has not been reduced and is still at 66.9% which is a quite serious alcohol level. Howerever, the mouth is less complex than the nose but is still nice and tasty. One of my first Agricole rhum and definitively not the last :-D