Aroma visualization from community tastings
Velier Diamond SVW SVW 1996
The surprise here is how a 64.6% Demerara can feel this manageable. Once you get past the initial alcohol bite, tasters find dark caramel, burnt sugar, coconut, dried fruit and deep spice, all wrapped in old polished wood. One member called it "fantastic art, a piece of" distillation. Heavy and roasted, yet oddly drinkable — several call it their favorite Guyana.
The community says- Deep caramel complexity
- Endless finish
- Alcohol well integrated
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The look inside the bottle
How does Velier Diamond SVW SVW 1996 taste?
Aggregated from 78 community reviews.
Rich, roasted Demerara at full proof A near-legendary tropical-aged Diamond. Almost everyone finds it rich, complex and remarkably balanced for the proof; a couple felt the wood pushes a touch far. The alcohol is well integrated.
Experienced sippers who love heavy tropical-aged Demerara
Newcomers or anyone put off by high proof
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
31 of 78 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
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How is Velier Diamond SVW SVW 1996 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 9.3 sits in the “Excellent” band. 100% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Community voices
What does the community say?
100% rate it 8 or higher. 18 selected write-ups from 78 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Rhum Mirror 🇧🇪
Velier Diamond SVW 1996 – 15Y - 64,6% Et pour finir en apothéose, the last but not least, une véritable légende du rhum ! Un Demerara signé Velier, aujourd’hui inatteignable. Distillé en 1996, pas de Port Mourant cette fois-ci mais l’alambic Diamond. Issu de 5 fûts marqués SVW, il a vieilli 15 ans sous climat tropical avant d’être embouteillé à 64,6%. Au nez, un équilibre parfait entre vernis et coco, tout en subtilité. Mais en bouche, l’attaque est puissante ! On retrouve la coco caramélisée, les fruits jaunes, et surtout une longueur exceptionnelle… On comprend pourquoi ce rhum est devenu un mythe.
Review by Henry Davies
Almost certainly the best nose I have ever smelt on any rum, simply divine. Toffee, malt and so many complex notes. Mouth is rich, luscious, some spice and dark caramel. The mid mouth brings some menthol and light spice, wood influence and a hint of anise. Subtle, divine and oh so manageable. Something special for sure and try as I may to not love it you simply can’t help but fall for its allure. Complex, layered and all together simply exquisite. I found myself sniffing the glass for twenty minutes after I finished. Exceptional pure and simple
Review by Mopar Rules
Wow! An old, but freshly polished cupboard in which my grandma forgot a glas of orange marmalade. And she left a bit of lovage inside too. The longer I sniff, a complex variety of flavors dancing around my nose. Complex, less fruitier then expected and quite herbal. On the palate, the abv is quite present and slightly too strong. Intense, heavy, strong, very balanced but I‘d like more fruits. Looong finish. No easy stuff…wait, no, caramel and burned sugar on the nose. Let it rest for even longer and new flavors turn up. Amazing. revised after I had the 1999 which I might like more
Review by TheRhumhoe
A simply monstrous Diamond. The nose is pure olfactory delight, with heavy fruitiness on coconut and raisin, the sweetness of caramel, milk chocolate, pastry and brown sugar, but also powerful spicy and spicy notes that go hand in hand with melted oak on roasted, dark aromas to match. A hint of glue and hazelnut add further depth to the nostrils. A real treat. The attack on the palate is divine, combining elegance and power to perfection. Caramel and burnt sugar are felt first, before the dark, roasted side gains ground and fills the palate with its greediness, with deep oak and beautiful notes of hazelnut and chocolate. Spices form the final bouquet with a fireworks display (nutmeg, licorice, winter spices). The profile is warm, powerful, intense but incredibly complex and delicious. The alcohol is well integrated. The finish is interminable, with that heavy, dark edge that coats the palate. Dark chocolate, coffee, hazelnut, clove, licorice, chili and vanilla offer unsurpassed deliciousness on a deep, easy-drinking profile. Glue and exotic fruits make a comeback to delight the taste buds. A mythical Diamond, heavy, gourmand, complex and easy-drinking, which has everything to please and enter the pantheon of cane spirit wonders.
Review by Joachim Guger
Aaaaaaauuuuuugggggghhhh!!!!In the nose caramel, dried fruit, spices and the perfect load of oak. Extremely layered, powerful, complex yet balanced and quaffable.🍹In the mouth, the hammer! Bold caramel, dried apricot, licorice, pepper, etc. Caramelized in the finish (whatever that means...)SVW at it's best. This is what the perfect rum tastes like to me. Aaaahhhhh, I'll come again, my wife will be jealous....
Review by Jakob
An intoxicating nose full of vanilla from the oak, caramel, interwoven spices - the depth of the individual aromas is breathtaking. The palate also offers a fascinating profile - again heavy sweetness full of expression away from any stickiness, dark spices, hints of tobacco and herbs, coffee, pleasant grip of the alcohol...deep, heavy, crisp, herbal, woody with a tart sweetness. Great.
Review by cigares
An English club nose with smoke, weathered wood and old leather. A palate that, once past the alcohol's bite, reveals unprecedented complexity! The palate is completely lined with flavors. A real marvel! An infinite finish and an empty glass that's so complex you might think of it as a perfume. Thanks Thomas for the sample. My best rum experience to date.
Review by DomM
Little random 96 Diamond cross tasting. Well, I‘m always amazed how good this one is. Obviously this one is more of a treat than any other contender to this little tasting. The continentally aged Daimaonds can just not compete with this Velier staple. Rich and complex presents this bottling an amazing profile showcasing the Diamond essence.
Review by Pavel Spacek
... Stare Velier Demerara rumy je to nejlepsi, co v rumovem svete muzete ochutnat. Rumy zraly spise omylem nekolik let v tropech a nikdo obsah sudu nedoplnoval. Andelska dan byla 90% a vice, proto je chut obzvlaste plna a intenzivni. I kdyz se jedna o extra drahou zalezitost, doporucu alespon jednou v zivote ochutnat rum z teto serie.
Review by Jarek
Im Vergleich zum 1997 Uitvlugt aus gleichem Tasting weniger fruchtig, mehr auf der würzigen Seite. Anders aber ebenfalls phänomenal. Ich sortiere den Diamond knapp unter dem Uitvlugt ein, weil mir die Fruchtigkeit des Uitvlugt so gut gefällt. Würde man halbe Punkte vergeben können, würde ich den Abstand noch kleiner setzen.
Review by Righrum
Amazing. Complex, layered. Sweet but not in the common way. Wood, spices, furniture wax, some roasted coconut shavings. When drinking a great sweetness along with wood, then spices (vanilla, some baking spices too) but especially a clear caramel, not too sweet nor sticky in any way. A real hit, naturally sweet and complex
Review by Frank
Initially a hint of coconut, then beguiling dark cherry, sweet wood notes, honeycomb, light fresh tangerine. Great spicy nose.On the palate this nice mix of spice and wood continues along with sweet cherry tangerine. I even think I taste a bit of lychee.Wonderful rum.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
Retasting with the RumX guys and I stick to my score. ------- We had a wonderful pure Diamond tasting yesterday and what a tasting. Boom, this is how you make a good rum that has a finish lasting a few weeks. Adding a bit of water settled the alcohol heat and released the true nature and flavours.
Review by zabo
Franconian Tasting Gang goes Tiki First of all, many thanks to Jakob for giving out the sample for the whole round. In retrospect, I have to admit that I would take it at the price I paid at the time, but now I'd rather take an Eldorado as it's not really much worse but only costs 1/10th as much.
Review by Aussierumfan
What a wonderful rum this one is! Just so balanced and intense. Perfect example of tropical aged Demerara! So well integrated. On the nose vanilla, fruits, chocolate and old wood. On the palate more of the same with tobacco, old leather, anise and a lovely natural sweetness. Complex. Stunning.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Very intense, very aromatic after caramel, candied orange peel, pineapple compote and coconut/vanilla, some ginger-kumquat jam. Very cool! Just behind the 1999 for me personally, but still a legendary drop!
Review by jems5
Petit acétone et sucre candi au nez puis attaque très puissante explosive même girofle piment muscade datte raisins au rhum sur la langue arômes très persistants finale avec un peu d’astringeance et longue finale, magnifique!
Review by Alex1981
Outstanding! Explosion of fruits, spices, burnt caramel, wood, melasses. Long finish that coats the mouth and stays with you forever. Love it 😍
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Expert reviews
2 critics scored it, averaging 9.6/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by Single Cask Rum
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Expert review by Barrel Aged Thoughts
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Expert review by Who Rhum The World
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Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Market value
What this bottle last achieved at auction. A research indicator, not a forecast.
Auction results 1363 € – 1658 €
from 6 sales, latest 05/2026
Prices incl. buyer's premium — what a buyer pays, not what a sale nets you.
Avg. community purchase price 1416 €
What members paid for this bottle, self-reported. Not a market value — the purchases are over three years old at the median and unverified.
Details about Velier Diamond SVW SVW 1996
A Column Still Rum from Guyana, bottled by Velier, at 64,6%.
How do you read a Diamond bottle? The RumX guide →
Community purchases
74 bottles logged by 53 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
12% opened, 4 emptied and repurchased.
What does Velier Diamond SVW SVW 1996 cost?
Community paid 148–2,676 €.
Current best price: 1790.00 € – 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+ →
74 purchased · 80 tasted · 44 wishlist · as of
Read on in the RumX Guide
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Velier Blairmont <B> 1991Rich caramel-coconut Demerara with a short finish
Velier Uitvlugt ULR ULR 1997
Velier Uitvlugt ULR ULR 1997Coconut-and-glue Demerara, light yet deeply complex
Velier Port Mourant UPM UPM 1997
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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.
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