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Velier Isautier Hors d'âge Traditionnel 2005
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Blind, most tasters swear this Réunion molasses rum is an old Demerara or a cask-strength Appleton — that tropical-aged oak, polish and molasses fools people. Expect dark chocolate, flambéed banana, prune, hazelnut and baking spice, with a warm woody depth. The one recurring gripe: at 65% the alcohol pokes through, and a few find it slightly bitter.
The community says- Rich dark chocolate
- Demerara-like depth
- But: Prominent alcohol
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How does Velier Isautier Hors d'âge Traditionnel 2005 taste?
Summarized by AI from community reviews.
Demerara-like tropical molasses rum, high-proof A big, tropically-aged sipper most tasters loved for its dark-fruit-and-oak depth and Demerara feel. The recurring catch: the 65% heat isn't always fully tucked away.
Fans of tropical-aged Demerara-style molasses rum
Those sensitive to high ABV
Style & occasion: Mature & oakySipping neat
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
Relative to this rum's strongest aroma family
34 of 77 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
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Recommendation
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Sweeter
Skeldon El Dorado Rare Collection SWR 2000
9.0/10
Milder
Velier Isautier Small Batch 2007
8.5/10199.90 €
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First choice: 49 of 55 tasters who tried both prefer it.
What does the community say?
77 community reviews
33 selected write-ups on this page, all of them in the RumX app
Top 9% of Reunion rumsTop 2% at Isautier
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Positive from 8.0 · Mixed 6.0–7.9 · Critical below 6.0
Review by Johannes
I love the tropical maturation! You can taste the ageing in this rum, it goes in the direction of the Velier Demerara. Amazing! Compared to the 2006 molasses RX16224, this one is almost worlds better, much more complexity.
Review by Jakob
Already on the nose with the aroma of polished oak, vanilla and caramel so often found in tropically aged Demerara rums - and the promise is maintained on the palate. The aforementioned notes are joined by pepper, chocolate, leather and subtle licorice. All in all, I only miss a bit of freshness to get the rating even higher. The quality, however, remains exceptional, very nice bottling.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Gigantic. I would have blindly guessed a nice cask-strength Appleton. Incredibly cool notes of flambéed banana, honey, caramelized nuts, dark chocolate with sea salt and dried apricots, then a lot of barrel and a lot of tannins and very astringent on the finish. Also very intensely juicy sour blackberry, some lime, mocha, bitter molasses and dark chocolate with coffee nibs and sea salt. Clearly the winner compared to the Agricole. A great wine, but unfortunately a little too bitter overall!
Review by Tim
Bombastic rum with a harmoniously round nose and mouthfeel, strongly reminiscent of Foursquare or Guyana. Chocolate, caramel, tropical fruits, spices, roasted aromas, wood. Actually nothing to complain about. Extremely good, especially the finish is very elegant. I got another 5cl sample, also as a reference for the in-house Isautier releases.
Review by Thunderbird
The third in the bunch! My favorite ... it has that certain something that appeals to me! This heavy sweetness in combination with the spices and fruit! It harmonizes so well and is very intense on the palate. It just fits...very tasty
Review by Gunnar Böhme "Bauerngaumen" 🤓
Mhhh, very tasty, full-bodied. If the alcohol were a little less prominent, this Melasserum would score 90 points.
Review by Tschusikowsky
Great fabric. I like it better than the agricole version. Deep and concentrated flavors, tropical woody, very good balance. Powerful, but the alcohol is well integrated. Reminds me a little of a Guyana rum.
Review by Joe95
A nice discovery at Isautier. A well-balanced rum, with very spicy, woody notes. The ripe tropical fruits and the pastry side. Both complex and delicious. A very long finish.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
#4009 This is a very nice Agricole release that Velier has gotten their hands on, wow. The price tag is pretty steep on this bottle and maybe its overpriced but it's stille a great rum. Fruity profile with nicely integrated wood and some roasted notes. The ABV is perfectly integrated. Needs to rest to release all of its goodness. In the empty glass I can pick up some nougat and chocolate.
Review by Joachim Guger
A wonderful deep, copper color.On the nose banana bread, fresh from the oven baked by my wife. Followed by polish. Warm, full, perfectly balanced, alcohol perfectly integrated, not very complex.In the mouth warm and dry.Long full finish with an artificial note.A very good rum to my taste.
Review by Christoph H.
Tasted for the first time in March this year, until then completely under the radar. The nose surprises and convinces, clear difference compared to the 15 year old.It dominates in comparison dark fruits, dried plum, raisins and dates, followed by coconut oil. No less dominant are solvents, furniture polish and a warm woodiness, which completely picks me up, as not too dominant. The Christmas spices are also there in this case by comparison, but are not as present and much more pleasantly integrated. Sweet notes like molasses, butterscotch and toffee are more dominant here. In the mouth it is unfortunately a bit too stormy, because alcohol is not ideally integrated.I find it outstanding and can only recommend it to every lover of tropically matured Demeraras.
Review by Rene Pfeiffer
Intense, beautifully spicy and dark. If the alcohol wasn't so pronounced, I'd give it a 9. Unfortunately, I have to correct it down a little. But the result is a great rum.
Review by Timo Groeger
Already a really strong rum, can't say otherwise, was only with very different countries before. But dark chocolate is clearly recognizable here, just like vanilla and caramel, but it's also fruity, spicy and roasted.
Review by Frank
Both 16yo Isautier compared, molasses and Agricole. Both are super...Nose: intense and powerful, very spicy and fruity. A mix of blackcurrant and gooseberry along with orange and lime. In addition, fine vanilla, leather and tobacco. A hint of mint or menthol is in the background. Oh, and sick still a slightly sour vinegar note. This goes well with the impression of tart-sweet-sour molasses and maple syrup. Increased flavors of bourbon come at the end.Palate: 8.8Wow, totally intense, complex, powerful and really tasty. Very pleasantly spicy with nutmeg and licorice, but more so aromatic cedar. Very malty with yeast and nicely nutty with hazelnut. But toasted and creamy-fat to go with it. Again strong-sweet-sour molasses with caramel. Dried fruit, like apricot and plum with dark blackberry. Quite bacony on the finish. Brilliant. 9.0
Review by Mentalo
I really like the whole Velier Isautier range. This bottling has first-class spicy notes, something fruity (apricot), nice roasted and woody notes. Overall well balanced, only the alcohol could be a little better integrated.
Review by Serge
Very nice tropical matured rum with a fantastic nose. A good tick better than the younger 14 year old (15 on the bottle) bottling. Fans of polish will get their money's worth here. Just still a little bit on the palate if you are looking for flaws. Thanks Jarek for the surprise sample!
Review by Paul Christiaens
Colour: auburn Verdict: a true gem. Very woody, but not overpowering. Sure, there are many woody and earthy notes, but some great molasses, dark fruit, hazelnut and spice. Alcohol is perfectly integrated. 89 points Nose: very woody: cedar, old casks, rooibos. Also quite fruity on red fruit, prune, raisin. Baking spice, herbs, hazelnut, honey, vanilla, caramel. Beautifully rounded. Palate: extremely oily and thick, beautifully rounded and woody. Toasted oak, earthy tobacco and chocolate, coffee, leather, prune, hazelnut, molasses, caramel, baking spice. Finish: long, woody and spicy, leather, prune, molasses, rooibos, tobacco, unsweetened cinnamon and clove.
Review by Basti
I like it better compared to the Isautier 16yr Agricole (Rx10631) both on the palate and on the nose. Very well integrated ABV and long finish. A delicious rum. Edit: After 2 years now had it several times in the glass again. It needs quite a while in the glass, but then the nose becomes super round and actually reminds of Demerara rum. On the palate somewhat biting and mostly spices, chocolate, caramel. Slightly bitter and woody. Alcohol not perfectly integrated. Still very tasty.
Review by kondgab
Tasted at Rum Depot, Berlin. A fine molasses-based bottling from Réunion by Velier. On the nose, it reveals notes of vanilla, roasted aromas, molasses, and tropical fruits. The palate follows with dark chocolate, tropical fruits, and rich molasses. The finish lingers with dark chocolate, caramel, oak, roasted nuances, and a touch of vanilla.
Review by Florent Apl
Very good Isautier, it is quite interesting. Highly fruity but also woody, with some sweet pastry notes. It's several level above over bottles from the OB I got to try. I definitely recommend trying that one.
Review by Djehey
Me, coming from Réunion, curiosity and the good price pushed me to buy a bottle! I understand the comparison with Guyana by some. For me, it's a tropical fruit syrup enhanced with dark barrel aromas (chocolate, spices, leather...). But for us, the 65° is too much for me even though the alcohol remains very well integrated.
Review by Leo Krüper
You can't go wrong with these Isautiers from Velier. They all taste excellent to me and are also reasonably priced. Super bottling for relaxed sipping with lots of vanilla. Incredibly round.
Review by Andi
Very powerful and complex, lots of wood, roasted aromas, chocolate, molasses.
Review by Schnubbii
On the nose a nice fruit, slightly perfumed. On the palate the fruit is then thick and full, for me going towards peach and passion fruit, plus a slight Tic Tac wintergreen moment. For me quite close to a Savoir Faire ex Grays/Mauritius. The finish is medium length. Very nice bottling, however you can get similar quality and aroma profile cheaper from Mauritius from Grays.
Review by Jarek
I really like this one! Clearly better than its 15-year-old brother and also a little bit better than the same-aged Agricole brother.
Review by Alessandro
Tasted both in combined agricole and molasses versions. For me, the agricole version has an edge while the molasses version remains perhaps a bit anonymous. Both are not too complex and good to drink.
Review by Piotr Ignasiak
Surprisingly sippable despite the strength. Alcohol is very well integrated and feels like an old Demerara. Tropical aging leaves this with heavy oak and tannins, feels very leathery, in addition baking spices and some fruit.
Review by Jakob Mmmmhhh
Very good! Round and sweeter than the Agricole, but less wine barrel than the Rhum Rhum Integration, and out the back very dry! I like him very very much! Top!
Review by Christoph
More alcoholic than the Agricole variant and less fruit.
Review by Buddudharma
Great rum, but without the last quite certain something. In blind tasting impossible to identify. For me, therefore, somewhat behind the Agricole sister bottling.
Review by Alexander Rasch
A strong intense rum with a nice body. 16 years tropical aging is noticeable. Many classic rum aromas come together here in perfect balance. That’s really fun and really tasty. But I also searched for that certain extra because of the high expectations. I haven’t found it yet. Personally, I like the 16y Agricole better because it shows a bit more complexity. For me not quite worth the current market price. There is too much Velier hype involved.
Review by TheCelticRumFan
In reviewing this bottle, I decided to do a side by side blind tasting with the Agricole. It had been a long while since I tried either, so I felt it was now a good time to try out a blind A/B tasting so I wouldn't recognise which was which. Nose: Shoe polish, cocoa, orange peel, fig, cherry, raisin, menthol Mouth: Rubber, melon, cherry, smokey charcoal, cocoa, peppermint Finish: Burst of flavour which lasts for a very lengthy finish I'm honestly not surprised. I have owned the Traditionnel for a while longer than the Agricole, but I have always felt it had an edge over it. The nose of the Traditionnel is very in your face, while the Agricole is quite a bit more restrained by comparison. The palate of the Traditionnel is likewise strong while the Agricole is fairly gentle. The finish of the Traditionnel is also incredibly good and very long-lasting while the Agricole cuts off very sharply. Both are great bottles but the Traditionnel is definitely the better of the two.
Review by Santo
Very tasty, but the alcohol bothers me a bit throughout the tasting. With a few degrees less it would certainly have gotten a higher rating.
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Expert reviews
Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum.
Expert review by L'amateur éclairé
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Community shelf
75 bottles logged by 64 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
14% opened, 5 emptied.
What did the community pay for Velier Isautier Hors d'âge Traditionnel 2005?
Community paid 129–266 €.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 193 €. Full price & collection history in RX+ ›
75 purchased · 77 tasted · 34 wishlist · as of
Details about Velier Isautier Hors d'âge Traditionnel 2005
A Column Still Rum from Reunion, bottled by Velier, at 65%.
Read on in the RumX Guide
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