There’s some famous bottlings in this second part, everyone knows the Velier Uitvlugts & Port Mourant but does the rising prices really mean they’re better than the others bottlings?
Cadenhead’s Uitvlugt 1993-2019 (49.9%, 204 bottles, MPM)

Colour: Pale gold.
Nose: Even if I hadn’t read the MPM mark on the bottle I could have guessed it’s a Port Mourant in the first nose! Steel, old scraps, dark chocolate, herbal notes. It’s fresh and powerful.
Mouth: This is sweeter than the nose, alcohol is well integrated. Metallic notes dominate the mouth. Wet wood, cocoa beans and « Granny Smith » apples. No surprises here, it’s very bitterish.
Finish: Long. Cake, vanilla, hints of sugar, pudding. What a beautiful contrast with the nose and the mouth!
My opinion: Port Mourant.
The finish is really impressive, way more than the mouth and the nose.
Score: 88
The Rum Mercenary Black Label Uitvlugt 1997-2019 (49.1%)

Colour: Pale gold.
Nose: Apples, vanilla, cinnamon, apple pie, pears and plastic. It’s slightly peppered, iodized and fresh.
Mouth: Nice oily texture and the alcohol is perfectly integrated. The apples dominate the whole mouth, seasoned with spices. Light wood, smoke, vanilla, black olives, chillies and some metallic and bitter notes.It’s very complex!
Finish: A bit too short. Burnt wood, mint freshness, herbal notes and fresh soil.
My opinion: Port Mourant.
If the finish could have been longer this one would have been even more amazing. Maybe the greatest continental Port Mourant I ever tasted, good job!
Score: 90
Velier Port Mourant 1997-2012 (65.7%, 4 casks, 1094 bottles)

Colour: Copper
Nose: It’s very sweet and powerful in the same time. Caramel, wood, bourbon vanilla, cherries, cocoa and spicy notes.
Mouth: That’s thick and warm. Alcohol is perfectly integrated. Bunch of grapes, black pepper, spicy notes, noble wood and caramel. I can taste the Port Mourant metallic notes but it’s less noticeable than the previous ones.
Finish: Very long. Caramel, coco, vanilla, butter, bitter and brown sugar.
My opinion: Port Mourant.
This one is totally different than every rum I tasted in those two articles because of the tropical ageing I suppose. It’s rounder than a continental Port Mourant and I can now understand the excitement about those Velier bottlings!
Score: 91
Velier Uitvlugt 1996-2014 Modified GS (57.2%, 4 casks, 1124 bottles)

Colour: Coffee. It’s the darkest of the seven.
Nose: It’s blasting! Strong coffee, chocolate, butter, fresh cream, almonds, bunch of dried fruits. It’s very nice.
Mouth: It’s way sweeter than the nose but still full of flavours. Salted butter caramel, brown sugar, iodine, liquorice, moka and roasted notes. Very well balanced!
Finish: Long. Very fresh with the peppermint, dark chocolate and cappuccino.
My opinion: Savalle still.
This one is awesome and actually really close to an Enmore. Where could I find a bottle of this gem?
Score: 92
What a great battle between these 7 bottlings! I took a lot of fun to discover them all. If you only read the label you could think they’re not very different but actually they are.
I’m not a « »strictly tropical » » rum addict. I also love a lot of continental aged bottlings but in this case the two Velier tropical aged Guyanese overwhelms the others.
I have to mention that the Uitvlugt ’97 from The Rum Mercenary was maybe the most surprising one! I didn’t expected so much from this bottle which was released at 119€!
Thanks Loris & Dimitri for the samples, cheers!

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