Versailles 1988/2021 32yo 48,2% Greenheart Collection Distilia

Tasting notes

Tasting notes

91 points
******
“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