Enmore – Versailles 32 yo 1990 (50,9%, The Whisky Jury ‘The Many Faces of Rum’ 2022, refill barrel #22, 222 btl.)
Nose: elegant Versailles. It opens on a mix of dried herbs – oregano stands out, but also thyme and fennel seeds. Then hints of pencil shavings, green tea with lemon. Subtle olives in brine. Also fabrics, dried flowers and the lightest whiff of glue in the background. Lovely.
Mouth: quite assertive and thick, but again rather un-fruity. It’s entirely on salty liquorice, dried herbs, pine needles, with hints of sea salt and camphory earth. Bitter almonds and some medicinal hints, like menthol. Later more pencile shavings. Then ink, black olive tapenade and faded hints of petrol. Not exactly easy sipping rum, but nicely complex.
Finish: long and herbal. Slightly less special now, just a refreshing finale.
Excellent Enmore, a good benchmark for this style and age. No ester bomb, not a fruity rum either, but a unique mix of herbs and this specific woody style. The nose is even better than the palate. Anyhow, a great start of this session. Check The Whisky Jury for retailers.
