The unique double wooden pot still allowed the Port Mourant distillery to create rums rich in esters, which made the taste even more luxurious, and the aroma even deeper. Soon, Port Mourant became one of the few distilleries to distribute rum to the British Navy. According to the tradition lasting up to 1970, the members of the British Navy were each given 2 ounces of rum a day.

At the turn of the 20th century, the distillery became part of the British Booker Group corporation. In 1955, as one of the last distilleries in Guyana, it had to halt production. However, this was not the end of the Port Mourant-style rums. The wooden alembic survived the closure of the distillery. At first, it was transported to the Albion distillery, and after that to Uitvlugt. Finally, in 2000 it ended up with its current owner, the Diamond Distillery of Demerara Distillers.
The rum we are pleased to present was produced back when the alembic belonged to the Uitvlugt distillery. This liquor matured for 31 years in a bourbon barrel, and is the first of the Greenheart Collection.

Tasting notes

91 points
*****
From Port Mourant’s wooden still when it was still at Uitvlugt. Even utter loudmouths/windmills cannot make rum crazier than this. Bla-bla-bla… Colour: amber. Nose: awe and resins, warm waxes, propolis, liquorice lozenges and natural tar liqueurs. This is deep, subtle, solid and heavy, all at the same time. No, it’s sublime. Mouth: heavy oak, heavy pinewood, strong liquorice, cough syrup, mentholy ointments, all-crazy resins, this is the equivalent to JJ Burnell’s hardest basslines with the Stranglers. You may check ‘Another Camden Afternoon’. De nada. Finish: long, liquoricy, with some extraordinary balance between the lime, the mint, the liquorice and the resins. Thirty-one years, mind you! Comments: as a malt lover, I just adore this. Some unbeatable ueber-malternative-y rum.

Serge Valentin, whiskyfun.com

The world’s last Single Wooden Pot Still originated from the Versailles Estate located on the West Bank of the Demerara River. Years later the still was moved first to Enmore, then to Uitvlugt, and finally to its present home in Diamond.

The very same still created this unique spirit, which was produced when the alembic belonged to the Enmore distillery and after spending 30 years in a barrel, it was introduced as a part of the Greenheart series.

Tasting notes

92 points – Serge Valentin, whiskyfun.com
*****
„From the famous single wooden pot still that was located at Enmore when this was distilled. A.F.A.I.K. it had been at Versailles before and was then moved to Enmore, then from Enmore to Diamond. But nothing to do with the French kings, I would suppose… Now I love this very Gallic quote, ‘Has God forgotten all I have done for Him?’ (Louis XIV). Big head indeed, Macron is the same (saying that as an Alsatian). Anyway, back to this Versailles… Colour: straw. Nose: oh, oak shavings, charcoal, coriander, aniseed, fennel seeds, whelks and razorfish, fresh almonds and pears, rye bread, sandalwood, lemongrass… It is all extremely subtle, and indeed some kind of anti-Hampden. I cannot not think of the greatest white Pessacs. Old Laville, if that rings a bell. With water: great news, no changes whatsoever. Takes water like a champ. Sublime. Mouth (neat): but this is sublime indeed! Embrocations, all old kinds of plastics, smoked salmon, kippers, sesame, pine nuts, herbal oils, pine liqueurs, bone-dry herbal liqueur (unsweetened chartreuse), embrocations, cedarwood… My this is endless and a tribute to time. Nothing can beat time. With water: careful with water, other than that, this is perfect soft liquorice with a little mint. We need to bow. Finish: not that long but all these resins and oils are just flabbergasting. This saltiness in the aftertaste very much so as well. Comments: remember, time is a key ingredient to aged spirits, only i****s would deny that and say otherwise. As always, try to figure out who’s profiting from the crime. There.”

Serge Valentin, whiskyfun.com

The world’s last Single Wooden Pot Still originated from the Versailles Estate located on the West Bank of the Demerara River. Years later the still was moved first to Enmore, then to Uitvlugt, and finally to its present home in Diamond.

The very same still created this unique spirit, which was produced when the alembic belonged to the Enmore distillery and after spending 32 years in a barrel, it was introduced as a part of the Greenheart series.

Tasting notes
91 points – Serge Valentin, whiskyfun.com
******
From the famous single wooden pot still. Thirty-two years, we are really adding up here, are we not? Colour: light gold – incredibly light at 32. Nose: Christmas tree and verbena, with touches of marrow and toasted wholegrain bread. Then sandalwood, bidis, orange peel, shallots, carrot tops, oysters and potpourri. It is the complexity that’s pretty astounding here, even if you do feel that this baby’s going in all directions, more or less. Joyful old rum. Mouth: dry as an Ardbeg and tarry as a Port Ellen. Having said that, no malt whisky could ever get as salty as this, even old Bowmore barrels ‘rolled in the waters to the puffers’. Olives, anchovies, onion soup, miso, toddy. Nothing wrong. Finish: same for a long time. The saltiness is incredible. Onion soup, leek soup, ramson, anchovies in brine… Do we love this! Comments: this make is sometimes called ‘Enmore VSG’. Versailles Distillery/Plantation operated until around 1978 (some say 1968 but there), when their still was moved to Enmore, then to Diamond when Enmore closed in its turn, in 1993. So in theory, you could find Versailles from Versailles, Versailles from Enmore (such as this very one), and Versailles from Diamond.
Serge Valentin, whiskyfun.com

Tasting notes

91 points, *****   whiskyfun.com

I believe REV is a broker’s marque that means Rum Enmore Versailles. Colour: dark red amber. Nose: oh, old woods, Dutch liquorice, rosewood, caraway and Timut pepper, eucalyptus, then old tweed, cedarwood, old cigar case, also a drop of gewurz, tinned lychee… This nose is simply sumptuous. These indie series are just incredible, we need one or two bad ones to make sure this is well a human venture. I even believe we’ll start petitioning. With water: ooh, dried meats and all kinds of mints and molecules ending with -ol. Terpinol, for example. Mouth (neat): phenomenal, all about precious woods, liquorices and petroly spices. Blood oranges and a few underripe grapes as well. With water: geared towards salted fish this time, olives, salted liquorice, oysters, crabmeat… We’re almost at Caol Ila. Finish: long and more medicinal. Loads of resins and oils – and stuff ending with -ol indeed. Comments: these are just my thing and love the piney side. Viva turpentine!
SGP:473 – 91 points. whiskyfun.com

88 points, *****   whiskynotes.be

Tasting notes

89 points, *****   whiskynotes.be

Nose: another round one, pretty impeccable. There’s this metallic note and hints of pencil shavings that makes it come accross lighter and thinner. Then aniseed moves forward, with other herbs, liquorice and a vague yellow fruitiness. Also lemongrass and faint hints of pear.

Mouth: quite strong and spicy, again showing a clear woody footprint (anise, pepper, ginger) alongside hints of acetone and plastics, vanilla and liquorice. Then a briney side, with floral hints. Pine nuts and herbal oils. Mint. Cedar in the background.

Finish: long, quite salty now. Resinous notes and mint.

A tad wider than the 1988, although still on the austere side of the spectrum, I’d say. Very pure and focused. Still available from Whiskymarket for instance. Score: 89/100

Tasting notes

Whiskyfun.com 92/100 points *****

What is this madness? It is to be remembered that Versailles Distillery’s old single wooden pot still was moved to Enmore Distillery in 1974, when so many distilleries got closed (1974 was Guyana’s 1983). The wood used to build that still was local ‘greenheart’, hence the name of this wee collection. Enmore Distillery got closed in 1994, this still moved to Uitvlugt Distillery, then to Diamond Distillery in 1999 when Uitvlugt got closed in its turn. Stories that would remind us whisky folk of Inverleven’s gear. Colour: gold. Nose: on petrol! And many woods, pine, fir, cedar, eucalyptus, thuja… Some complex savoury soup in the background, with some sorrel, sage, marrow, chives, leek… With water: old pencil shavings, furniture polish, stock cubes, dill, seaweed, parsley, putties, grooming hair grease (gomina), hair tonic… This is almost like crossing into uncharted territory! Mouth: clay and mint, pickled small citrus, anchovies, tarragon, green walnuts, a feeling of very old manzanilla topped with mint, tar and liquorice… Some sides remind me of some sides (pff…) of some early 1970s vintages Ardbegs. That’s probably the tar (and the anchovies). With water: all on greases, citrus and herbs, myriads of them. It is like those old Ardbegs, that is to say both compact and ‘one’, and very complex and ‘fractal’. Now the oneness remains all along, it would never quite do ‘the peacock’s tail’, as we say in wine. Finish: medium, with the coastal, maritime part being on the front this time. Some medicinal touches in the aftertaste. Comments: superb. The obvious oak had been perfectly digested. By the way, the marque MEV means Main Enmore Versailles, I believe it is an European broker’s marque, but I could well be wrong here.

Whiskynotes.be 91/100 points *****