Versailles 1985/2022 36yo 50,4% Enmore MEV Platinum Greenheart Collection Distilia

Alcohol

Tasting notes

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.

Whiskyfun.com

91/100 points 

*****

Nose: hints of diesel and eucalyptus, mixed with a sauce of garden herbs (chives, parsley). Fresh oak shavings, as well as fennel seeds, verbena, subtle hints of black olives and a whiff of wholegrain bread. Carbon paper. Pine resin. Complexity is really high here.
Mouth: even more flavours fighting for attention. It’s quite dry and definitely tarry, with hints of liquorice and petrol. Something citrusy in the background, then back to olives in brine, white pepper and pencil shavings. Pine needles, walnuts, kippers, but also marmamalde and drops of cough medicine. Quite endless.
Finish: very long, still rather medicinal, on resinous notes, olives and coastal elements. There’s a funky fruity note in the background as well.
I like this better than the Versailles MEV 1990 I had from the same Greenheart Collection. Very complex rum, a great example of the saline austere style.

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