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Velier Saint James 70th Anniversary 2008
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Massive oak first, then dark chocolate, dried prunes and grassy sugarcane underneath. This 2008 Saint James agricole is bottled by Velier at a hefty 60.8%, and it drinks dark, dry and spicy. Most tasters call it bold and complex but demanding — give it 15-20 minutes of air (or a drop of water) or the alcohol bites. One member found it simply "too oaky."
The community says- Complex and layered
- Grassy oak depth
- But: Very oaky
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How does Velier Saint James 70th Anniversary 2008 taste?
Summarized by AI from community reviews.
Dark, oaky cask-strength agricole that needs time Well-loved by agricole fans as an intense, wood-driven Saint James with real depth. The catch: several find it too oaky and hot until it opens — this one needs patience.
Aroma profileAgricole fans who like aged, wood-forward, high-proof rum
Beginners and anyone put off by heavy oak or high ABV
Style & occasion: Mature & oakySipping neat
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
Relative to this rum's strongest aroma family
32 of 72 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Which glass for which rum? The community guide ›
Recommendation
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Rated better
Velier Royal Navy
8.9/10285.40 €
Milder
Velier Saint James Brut de fût 2001
8.5/10143.56 €
Similar rating, cheaper
Excellence Rhum Maison La Mauny 2015
8.4/10103.99 €
Nothing for you?
5 more similar rums ›
First choice: 37 of 55 tasters who tried both prefer it.
What does the community say?
72 community reviews
24 selected write-ups on this page, all of them in the RumX app
Top 19% of Martinique rumsTop 12% at Saint James
Rate it in the app
Positive from 8.0 · Mixed 6.0–7.9 · Critical below 6.0
Review by Joachim Guger
Most helpful positive review
Typical Saint James profile. Naturally very powerful, prior ventilation necessary. Lavender in the base, for which the Velier 10 edition is notorious, only here it fits well. In the mouth it is simply too strong. A few drops of water make it drinkable. Very spicy and woody. Very good. Ranks in the top league of Saint James.
Review by Rhum Mirror 🇧🇪
Most helpful mixed review
A beautiful mahogany color and a very attractive, rather atypical nose for an agricole. There's wood, chocolate, vanilla, coffee and, above all, fruit (pear, apple and cherry). The attack on the palate is rather alcohol-driven, which is rather disturbing. After taming this alcohol, we're treated to beautiful caramel, spices, empyreumatic notes (roasted coffee) and tannins. A rather long finish of bitter cocoa and wood. Clearly, the nose was very attractive, but the alcohol, not very well integrated, hinders the tasting, which is a shame.
Review by MarcT
Last one of my little St. James flight, I like this one the most. It is rare I find an aged Agricole still being fruity, herbal and woody. This has it all. However, it is quite intense, and most definitely needs time to appreciate - do not sip it lazily by the side.
Review by cigares
A dark nose marked by old oak, with dark chocolate, prunes and a fresh, sour apple character. Smooth on the palate, the entry is almost discreet, still on the dark side and with less fruit than on the nose. A hint of spiciness and pepperiness spoils my enjoyment just a little. The finish is marked by sour apple and prune. The finish is long and the final notes are woody, but with a vanilla-like quality that softens the oak, which is quite present. The empty glass is marked by yellow fruit. A fairly coherent rum with diverse expressions that give it a lovely complexity. A very fine St James. A far cry from the splendid BdF 1999, which remains my benchmark.
Review by alex
Superb. Very surprising The nose is woody but light. You can smell the cognac. Same on the palate, with the cognac taking over, delicious. Alcohol very well integrated, especially after 15/20 mins aeration. Very good length 😍😍😍
Review by Vincent D
I was expecting a very woody nose, a la Saint James. It is, but this 2008 vintage has much more to say. The sweetness of caramel, dark chocolate (not too bitter) and apricot is counterbalanced by darker notes of tobacco and woody tannins. On the palate, this sweetness is lost, and the rum plunges into a very woody, bitter mouthfeel. Tobacco again. Then a hint of caramel. A lovely rum, quite typical of what I know of St James.
Review by Insta: spiritofbernard 🇫🇷
Saint James has it under the hood. In my opinion, this is just the beginning of the brand's premiumization.
Review by Leo Krüper
In fact, a touch better than the Les Ephemeres. Nice and strong and wild. Could I drink forever
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
This is a very dry rum and it's very obvious that it's been made in French oak.
Review by Benoit Mahe
A demanding rum, a little dark but far from being bad.
Review by Frank
17th day in the Christmas calendar. Blind! Clearly Agricole, clearly Martinique, the rest is fine-tuning 😉 Nose: strong and spicy, yet fresh and fruity. The alcohol bites a little at the beginning. Clearly woody. But the grassy sugar cane is very clear. Dark fruit and lemon with blackberry, dry raisin. Somewhat smoky, tobacco, earthy, black pepper with a hint of vanilla, a little acidity, like red wine. Palate: spicy, sugar cane juice, slightly candied orange peel, sweet-grassy, hazelnut on the back, earthy, root, tobacco Hay, sugar cane and licorice on the finish. A wonderful representative of Martinique!
Review by Thunderbird
Once again an excellent Agricole! In addition to a lot of wood, the grassy herbaceous flavors come out clearly here! The finish is quite long and intense... the high-proof Saint James have a new fan...so Agricole makes really fun
Review by Jack M
Away for the weekend so not ideal glassware. First thing - this is the most red coloured rum I’ve drank. Really quite dark for a 9yr rum. On the nose - oaky. Very oaky. That would explain the colour. Perhaps quite a fresh barrel. Also some agricole/ sugarcane/ fresh notes behind the oak. On the palate - oak and peppery spice. Quite dry. Finish - Sugarcane, wood and dark chocolate. For me, it’s interesting because it’s such a well aged/ oaky agricole, but it is too oaky.
Review by Rodolphe
I've heard and read very different things about this rum. Well, I have to say I side with those who appreciated it. It's complex, complete and frankly super good. Yes, the alcohol is present, but despite its strength, this rum has a soft side. Great juice.
Review by mto75
I was excited to try a St. James with a really high ABV level, and I think the 'experiment' was a success. However, it needs some time to open up, but then beautiful spicy notes such as allspice, clove, vanilla, chocolate and grass appear. The palate is also pleasing, the alcohol is well integrated, with spices, wood and pepper. Hay and a roasted chocolate note on the finish.
Review by Maxime Clr 🇫🇷
Promising nose with lots of finesse, cleaner palate with wood, sweet pepper, spice, caramel typical of Saint James. A very fine bottle.
Review by Portman
You have to take your time for this one! Very intense. An interesting contrast of tart fruitiness and woody coffee notes. Just the right alcohol strength to moderate the powerful agricole notes. Great, but requires some concentration.
Review by ordogh
Wow, that’s what I like in agricole! The smell opens with dark chocolate, dried prunes and massive oak. The taste is more barrel driven, but has still enough details with spices and some fruits. It is so well balanced despite its high abv, that I couldn’t imagine before. It’s bold, massive and intense, gimme more!
Review by Rene Pfeiffer
Beautifully intense and yet pleasantly rounded. I like it.
Review by Filip Šikula
The aroma of this rum is very hard for me to grasp. On the other hand, the taste is clear, woodiness with loads of fruit, perfect integration of alcohol and after a while in the mouth it makes the tongue vibrate. Finish rather short. Great rum.
Review by Émile Shevek
Al naso si sente il sentore arrostito, di zucchero tostato, cioccolato fondente, tabacco, bosco e qualche agrume. Al palato si fa subito riconoscere con note arrostite, di legno, tabacco e fieno, una leggera tostatura e una punta dolce di vaniglia e agrumi. Nel finale rilascia anche un po' di note pepate e vegetali(radice). Davvero ottimo e un abv che dimostra 20 gradi in meno. Nel bicchiere vuoto permangono l'arrostito, il legno e la terra. Grazie Simon!
Review by Ayc
Dégusté rapidement il faut que je me replonge dans le sample. Les premières impressions sont excellentes: de légers esters au nez qui disparaissent relativement rapidement à l’aération, un saint James lourd reconnaissable entre mille, epicé, fruité au boisé élégant. Vraiment chouette!
Review by Adrien B
V1 86 N fruit blanc léger floral B orange chocolat réglisse caramel léger soufre griotte V2 88Nez Nez terreux, agrume café Bouche : attaque puissante, concentré sur vos finale torréfiée café fraîcheur
Review by Dave Dahlgren
I would say this is a Great rum. You have a higher procent and a bit oomph to it with a dark dry old Wood kinda some fruity and The warmth in it last for a very long time afterwards. Alot of flavor to it. Maybe some chocolate tobac and The caramell stays in your month or in your gum.
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Expert reviews
3 critics scored it, averaging 8.4/10. 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 Préférence Rhum
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Expert review by Tasting Bro's
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Community shelf
81 bottles logged by 70 collectors.
Both drunk and collected.
23% opened, 9 emptied.
What does Velier Saint James 70th Anniversary 2008 cost?
Community paid 99–150 €.
Current best price: 143.38 € – within the typical community range.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 124 €. Full price & collection history in RX+ ›
81 purchased · 73 tasted · 35 wishlist · as of
Details about Velier Saint James 70th Anniversary 2008
A Rhum Agricole AOC from Martinique, bottled by Velier, at 60,8%.
Read on in the RumX Guide
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Depaz Private Cask (Rumclub Private Selection) 2010
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