
September 23, 2018

Two Long Pond, from Paris, with love

Apologies, that was one poor lovey-dovey headline! But you see, we’re at Whisky Live Paris and thought we’d post one or two quick tasting notes… err, live. Sort of.

Long Pond 18 yo 2000/2018 (50%, Silver Seal, Jamaica, cask #19, 252 bottles)

Long Pond 18 yo 2000/2018 (50%, Silver Seal, Jamaica, cask #19, 252 bottles)
One of Silver Seal’s new rums. Do not miss their fantastic new Bellevue 20 yo! Colour: gold. Nose: it certainly is one of Long Pond’s estery styles. We’re rather around rotting bananas and pineapples, with a layer of varnish and tarry liquorice, plus a touch of icing sugar. Wee Easter eggs, perhaps? With water: a little ink and touches of agave. Mezcal. The sweeter side has vanished. Mouth (neat): starts very brine-y and citrusy, with some yuzu and sea water, gets then more olive-y and finely liqueury. Shall we call this ‘medium esters’? I think it’s very good. With water: excellent, rather easier than compatriots Hampden or Worthy Park at this point, but we’re well in the same cluster. Finish: long, perfectly balanced. Olives, liquorice, ultraripe banana, a drop of varnish, a pinch of black pepper. Comments: absolutely excellent, but it’s not easy to find your way with all the Long Ponds, some being very easy-easy and others, such as this very one, more estery or even very estery.
SGP:462 - 88 points.

Long Pond 2007/2018 (62.3%, National Rums of Jamaica Ltd, 3.325 bottles)

Long Pond 2007/2018 (62.3%, National Rums of Jamaica Ltd, 3.325 bottles)
This shining new star is imported – and probably more than that - to France by LM&V, the new joint venture between La Maison du Whisky and Velier. This very Long Pond is a ‘Continental Flavoured’, one of the distillery’s four styles. It’s the heaviest one, containing 1500 to 1700 gr esters per hectolitre pure alcohol (hlpa) when distilled. Not too sure if esters tend to vanish in the air during ageing just like ppms peat do. Colour: amber. Nose: heavier than heavy. New sneakers, sour bread, new scuba diving suit, tyres, oat soup, and in the background, blood oranges and mangos. Really rather extreme so far. With water: old magazines! So yes, ink, old paper, and a wee mustiness. Mouth (neat): a supremely amazing combination that instantly hits you right between your eyes. Heavy tar, grapefruits, black olives, soot, and the feeling of crunching a book. I mean, literally. With water: doesn’t change much, and doesn’t get any more approachable. You could even add a whole bottle of Vittel, this rum wouldn’t blink. Not that I’ve tried that, mind you… Finish: very long, and even kind of smoky. That would be rubber smoke. Comments: extreme rum, not for your father in law unless he’s a die-hard rum freak. Or you wanna divorce. Love it.
SGP:373 - 91 points.

Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far