Aroma visualization from community tastings
Velier Saint James Sélection exclusive Velier 1998
Agricole fans who like their Martinique rum old and wood-forward will find plenty here. This 1998 Saint James leans dark and sweeter than its siblings — dried figs, prunes, nougat, caramel and roasted oak, with a grassy sugarcane thread and citrus peel. Most tasters called it the pick of the Velier vertical, though the 47% lets the cask's tannin show through late.
- Dark dried fruit
- Rounded and complex
- Best of the set
+10
Secure payment Sold by ROW Spirits Returns & cancellation
- Secure payment. You pay via RumX with PayPal, Klarna or card. Your payment data is encrypted and we never store your full card details.
- Clear seller. Sold and shipped directly by the partner shop. And you're never on your own: RumX handles support and communication with the shop, so you always get excellent service, whichever shop you order from.
- Honest shop ratings. The stars show your service experience with the shop, not the rum score. They come from RumX users, and critical ones stay visible.
- Returns & cancellation. Your purchase contract is with the shop, so returns and cancellations run through them under their own policy and your statutory rights. If anything goes wrong, RumX helps you sort it out.
How does Velier Saint James Sélection exclusive Velier 1998 taste?
Aggregated from 66 community reviews.
Old wood-forward agricole, top of its set Repeatedly named the best of the Velier Saint James set — round, complex and free of the soapy note that plagued younger vintages. A few felt the oak runs a touch strong.
Agricole drinkers who like old, wood-driven Martinique rum
Anyone wanting fresh, grassy young agricole or heavy sweetness
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
24 of 66 left detailed tasting impressions
How is Velier Saint James Sélection exclusive Velier 1998 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.2 sits in the “Very good” band. 98% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Rum reviews
33% rate it between 6 and 8. Selected write-ups from 66 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Based on 66 ratings
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
Compared to the 2002 this one is far lighter overall and it's my number two of these 10 releases. A light fruity profile with fruits ans some cinnamon and light wood. An elegant and well rounded old rum.
Review by Johannes
Rather woody, but round, complex, no off notes, long finish.
Review by Rowald Sweet Empire
Tasted at a private tasting. Very old and delicate.
Review by Joachim Guger
Karamell, nussig, getrocknete Früchte. Ein sehr schöne, runde Nase. Sehr gut ausbalanciert. Tolles Mundgefühl. Nun holzig und prickelnde Zitrusfrüchte. Süffig. Langer Abgang. Der Prototyp eines reifen Saint James und einer der Besseren der Serie. Fazit: Die jüngeren Vintages der Velier Serie taugen nicht viel. Die seifigen Noten, welche ich ansonst von keinem Saint James kenne, kippen das Profil. Die älteren Jahrgänge sind dann sehr gut, aber diese Qualität ist bei Agricoles mittlerweile Standard. Sehr gut ist die Trinkstärke gewählt. Ein großer Wurf ist diese Serie am Ende nicht, sie wird in den Regalen von Sammlern und Investoren verschwinden.
Review by Oliver
Complex, creamy and not too much wood influence. Perfect alcohol strength. The highlight of the series for me.
Review by Giorgio Garotti
Profilo tipico di saint james! Qualità della canna da zucchero ottima ed è molto percepibile! Una noto molta marcata di agrumi e di erbe in tutta la degustazione! A mio parere i 47 gradi portano un po’ troppo alla luce la parte aromatica della botte, ma gli dona una beva straordinaria! Mi aspettavo qualcosina in più, dopo aver assaggiato innumerevoli bottiglie di SJ, i millesimi più vecchi anno uno sprint in più!
Review by ilRummista
Un gran Saint James, complesso anche se a tratti si sente un po’ il legno.
Review by Roberto Bessa Ferreira
Ausgezeichnet Saint James mit viel Schokolade, Vanille, fruchtig, richtig menge holz und lange Gaumen.
Review by Rumclub Latvia
Amazingly soft to me
Review by Jakob
In the nose wonderful melting of nougat, vanilla and caramel, plus oak and cocoa and green notes of hay and citrus. An aromatically coherent profile on the palate as well, but lacking the final balance, as the alcohol is a bit too present for me given the reduced strength. Nevertheless, my favorite of the series.
Review by Adrien B
Bouche : beau concentré, épicé sur les gencives, frais aussi Très beau profil, très noble
Review by Palo - V Poháriku
Similar to the Saint James 2000 from this release, the 1998 delivers a lot darker and sweeter flavours. The fresh fruity side present in vintages from 2002 and above is converted to really dark and sweet dried fruits here.
Review by Serge
Parallel tasting of the Velier Saint James range in the Franconian Tasting Gang. Thanks Dom for teasing me 👌 All in all, the set is not outstandingly good for me, but rather average with a few outliers at the top and bottom. Short summary by vintages: 2015 & 2014 were rather unpleasant for me. 2010 & 2012 better but still nothing I would want to drink again. 2008 & 2006 & 2004 were much better and more interesting. 2002 then a total failure again (cat piss that develops into multivitamin tablets and doesn't go with the wood at all). 2000 was good again and 1998 was the best of the set for me.
Review by Frank
Great VSGB Vertcal live tasting by and with Luca Gargano. 22.10.2022, 17:11. 75% Angel Share! No 1998 barrels left! Nose: elegant, full-bodied and aromatic. Spicy, woody, fruity, sweet. Old blood orange and light acidity from currant to caramel and toffee. Plus fragrant wood and sweet, soft Danish licorice. A slight soapy note out the back. Very tasty and pleasant. Palate: briefly woody bitter, then linear rising acidity, woody acidity that flattens out with lemon and fades into resinous wood with sugar cane and hay. Seems a bit diluted at the back. Sufficiently intense for only 47%. Pleasantly woody, slightly too acidic. Place: N: 4/10 G: 6/10
Review by Jarek
Franconian Rum Tasting Gang, 2024-05-10, Saint James 25 AOC Anniversaire (danke an Dom): Der 1998er hat mir aus der kompletten Reihe insgesamt noch am besten gefallen. Frucht, Würze und Holz schön ausbalanciert. Und nichts von der seifigen Note die bei vielen der Reihe anzutreffen war.
Review by zabo
Franconian Tasting Gang on 10.05.2024 First of all, a big thank you to DomM for providing this set. Personally, I didn't like the profile. With one exception, this soap flavor is too much for me. But thanks to DomM and Serge, the leftovers from the glasses ended up in a spontaneous and outstanding cocktail.
Review by Johan R
Gillade denna. Fatig men fin.
Review by Pavel Spacek
This Saint James was definitely not Velier masterpiece. Just one common filling to co tinue the production.
No reviews match this filter.
Details about Velier Saint James Sélection exclusive Velier 1998
A Rhum Agricole AOC from Martinique, bottled by Velier, at 47%.
Community purchases
24 bottles logged by 21 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
8% opened, 0 emptied and repurchased.
What does Velier Saint James Sélection exclusive Velier 1998 cost?
Community paid 16–200 €.
Current best price: 179.00 € – within the typical community range.
What members actually paid for their bottles. A typical range, not the current shop price. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
24 purchased · 68 tasted · 8 wishlist · as of
About the Saint James distillery
The Saint James distillery is located in Martinique. Rums from Saint James have been reviewed 4,745 times with an average of 8.1/10.
To Saint James →You may also enjoy
Rum enthusiasts who like this rum have also given the following rums high ratings:
Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 1994
Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 1994Tasting noteDeep, oaky, minty aged Jamaican
Velier Saint James Sélection exclusive Velier 2000
Velier Saint James Sélection exclusive Velier 2000Tasting noteDark, dry old agricole; balanced but not complex
Velier Saint James Sélection exclusive Velier 2004
Velier Saint James Sélection exclusive Velier 2004Tasting noteWoody, herbal aged agricole with a bitter edge
Velier Saint James Sélection exclusive Velier 2010
Velier Saint James Sélection exclusive Velier 2010Tasting noteGreat nose, divisive soapy agricole palate
Velier Saint James Sélection exclusive Velier 2002
Velier Saint James Sélection exclusive Velier 2002Tasting noteOld, woody agricole with a divisive soapy palate
Velier Saint James Sélection exclusive Velier 2006
Velier Saint James Sélection exclusive Velier 2006Tasting noteDry, woody aged agricole with citrus
Never miss a price drop.
Set a target price in the app, and we'll let you know as soon as the rum becomes available at that price from one of our partner stores. This works for any rum on your wish list.
Oliver · FounderBy rum lovers, for rum lovers
I'm Oliver, and RumX began in 2018 as a small passion project in Stuttgart, back then under the name Rum Tasting Notes.
What began as my digital tasting diary is now the world's most comprehensive platform for rum fans, today carried by a small team with Jakob, Lukas and Katharina, with Robert supporting us as a freelancer. We combine the collective intelligence of our community with an integrated marketplace, so you can choose with confidence, without paperwork, detours, or expert jargon.
Oliver, Stuttgart
About RumX →
