Colour: Copper with some gold hues.
Nose: The first thing that nose make me think about is a famous chocolate and hazelnuts spread. Coconuts, cocoa, oak wood, caramel, nuts, vanilla, grapefruits, orange peels, cola and fresh soil. It’s slightly spiced as well, overall a great typical Belize nose.
Mouth: It has a pleasant thick texture and that’s more powerful than expected as nose but the alcohol integration is pretty good. Coconuts, vanilla, wood, tannins, chilies, ginger, lemons, grapefruits, nutmeg, brown sugar, old furnitures, wax, dark chocolate, nuts and caramelized almonds. The mouth is a bit too bitter in my opinion.
Finish: Long enough and drying. Burnt wood, overcooked caramel, vanilla and eucalyptus.

The mouth bitterness upset me a bit, but it remains one of the best Belize I’ve taste.

Score: 86

Colour: Dark copper. Eh, this one could could have had his place in the Dark Diamonds article I released last week!
Nose: The typical metallic notes from Diamond/Versailles are very present there. Caramel, hazelnuts, nuts, honey, apples, cinnamon stick, bitter cocoa, leather, wet wood, dark olives, espresso and some iodized notes. One more time the alcohol integration is notable.
Mouth: Very metallic as the nose with also a acidulous side that I met for the first time. Apples, raisins, sultanas, nutmeg, muscovado sugar, wet wood, plums, nuts, dark chocolate, almonds, instant coffee, polish and some citrus notes.
Finish: Long, warm and slightly bitterish but with a kind of sweetness in the same time. Vanilla, peppermint, burnt wood, dried fruits and tobacco.

That’s not the kind of profile I prefer but it’s purely personal because there’s no false steps here.

Score: 87

Colour: Gold. It’s not as dark as we could expect after 34 years in a cask!
Nose: Let us be clear, we’re now in the heart of the subject, and I’m not disappointed after first nose. A beautiful aromatic power without any alcohol interference! Smoke, vanilla, wood, anise, candies, papayas, black olives, cardamom, brine and engine oil. That’s very well balanced and elegant.
Mouth: Creamy and milky texture that makes the sip very smooth. It’s slightly sugary with the honey presence. Dried fruits, candies, dark smoke, oak wood, fuel, leather, licorice stick, mangoes, bananas, green apples, tar and mineral notes. There’s also something dear to me in those aromas, not far from my home there’s a gourmet restaurant where I used to go for special occasions (Philippe Fauchet), one of his specialties are sugar crystallized olives and I really find back this specific taste right here, amazing.
Finish: Long with burnt wood, vanilla, fresh cream and honey. The finish is as elegant as the rest.

A gentleman with a nice hat. The wood doesn’t overwhelms the other aromas at all even after so long time in the cask. It’s so easy to sip that it become dangerous. But if you are in my case that won’t be a problem because you won’t find a bottle.
Kudos to Rum Artesanal!

Score: 93