Alcohol
Finding a beverage worthy of being named after the queen’s lily was no easy feat, but fortunately, we succeeded. Just as the Victoria Amazonica flower defies comparison to any other, this 28-year-old Enmore rum stands apart from any other rum you may have encountered. Ladies and gentlemen, allow us to introduce the queen herself—Victoria Amazonica Enmore 28YO.
This is a limited release comprising only 193 bottles, each featuring an exquisite design. It is exclusively available through Catawiki’s platform, where a series of dedicated auctions will take place. This marks Distilia’s third bottling prepared exclusively for Catawiki and is the third installment in the esteemed Floral Rum Series.
Tasting by Pietro Caputo
TASTING NOTES
91/100
******
whiskyfun.com
This is a ‘REV’, so ‘Rum Enmore Versailles’, so from that famous wooden pot still when it was still at Enmore. I can’t quite see what could go wrong this time… Colour: office coffee as in Netflix episodes taking place at NYPD. Nose: these Versailles are everything. Sublime pines (Douglas), old books, really old pinot noir and deep-smoked bacon. With water: bicycle inner tubes, firwood ashes, black cigars (maduro), raw high-cocoa chocolate, coffee beans, touch of camphor and eucalyptus. Mouth (neat): fig jam, smoked, plus cedarwood and Corinth raisins. Exceptional. With water: a tiny tad ‘too much’ now, with a wood that clearly took over, but there is an easy solution, just don’t add any water and you’ll be fine. Finish: very long, perfect when neat. Cancel water. Stunning salty liquorice, provided you like that. Comments: a little extreme, perhaps, but as long as you do not add any water, you’re on Mount Olympus, reigning over the world. Well, more or less. SGP:472
92/100
******
whiskynotes.be
Nose: Dutch salted liquorice, old leather briefcases, subtle hints of varnished thuja and whiffs of caramel. Then some cold coffee, as well as camphor and herbal potions. New tyres. Humidor and hints of pumpernickel too. Something in between dried oregano and dried wildflowers. Brimful of character!
Mouth: quite extractive. More cedar wood, leather and liquorice, with Szechuan pepper and eucalyptus. Then treacle sweetness and fig jam comes out, alongside chocolate, old PX-based vermouth, with mint and orange peels. The dark sweetness gives it a hint of cough syrup.
Finish: long, revolving around eucalyptus, After Eight and liquorice, including a salty edge.
Distilia managed to secure some excellent Enmore, but even then this is outstanding. High complexity, a few unique notes and a big woody side that doesn’t overpower. No austerity either, on the contrary, this is thick and syrupy. Only sold through Catawiki auctions, which is an interesting concept. This one seems to be gone, but they have other things offer.