Aroma visualization from community tastings
Berry Bros & Rudd Versailles Finest Demerara Rum 1985
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Anyone chasing the old Versailles wooden-pot-still profile will feel at home here. Think dry oak, pencil shavings, herbs and a farmy-mineral edge, with prunes and molasses giving a hint of sweetness. One taster called it "pure VSG essence," and that's fair — distillate-driven, no cask makeup. A few find the palate a touch too woody, but most call it beautifully balanced.
The community says- Balanced aromas
- Oily mouthfeel
- Less suitable for: Anyone wanting a sweet, soft or fruit-forward rum
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Buying advice
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Yes, if you're after characterful, mature, oaky rums for sipping neat.
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The look inside the bottle
How does Berry Bros & Rudd Versailles Finest Demerara Rum 1985 taste?
From community reviews · summarized with AI
Dry, woody old Versailles Demerara Old-Demerara lovers rate this highly — dry, oily and full despite only 46%. The main quibble: a couple find the palate leans a little too heavily on wood.
Fans of old, dry, distillate-driven Demerara from the wooden pot stills
Anyone wanting a sweet, soft or fruit-forward rum
Style & occasion: Mature & oakySipping neat
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
Relative to this rum's strongest aroma family
9 of 18 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Which glass for which rum? The community guide ›
What does the community say?
18 community reviews
Rating scale & review checks
On RumX, 7 means “Good” and 8 means “Very good”.
See the full rating guideHow ratings are made and how we check them ›The website shows a selection of written reviews. The distribution also includes ratings without text. All published reviews are available in the RumX app.
10 selected written reviews
The distribution above includes all 18 ratings, including those without text.
Review by zabo
That's exactly how I imagine it and that's exactly how it tastes. Despite the low ABV, it's still brilliant and really needs more punch. Overall a very successful drop, I'd love to own a bottle of it.
Review by Thunderbird
GRF13: Catawiki stand: Emilé once again had some nice old rums with him. This Demerara convinced me the most. It brings wonderfully balanced aromas that distribute pleasantly with the perfectly integrated alcohol. Nice that you can still try something like this.
Review by Alex1981
Whisky Fair 2023 tasting. Typical Versailles profile with herbal/farmy/woody notes. Still powerful for the old age with a medium long finish. Oily mouthfeel with strong notes. Really enjoyable and distillate driven without any cask influence to distract.
Review by cigares
A rum tasted at the GRF in 2024. A classic old Demerara nose, with old varnished wood, dried fruits but also a vegetal side, dry herbs. The mouth is very woody with stewed fruits, prunes and molasses giving a slight sweetness. Despite the wood, a balanced mouthfeel. The finish is long, on wood and a very infused tea side. I feel like a port wine note at the very end. The nose is captivating here, the mouth a bit too woody for my taste. Still a very nice rum where the aromas balance.
Review by Galli33
A very very good representative of the old Demerara 😍 This one has a profile I really like. The 46% is not too flat; on the contrary, it fits perfectly with this very round, complex rum.
Review by Leo Krüper
Alter Stil. Hintenraus etwas Bleistifte. Erinnert an 90er MEV.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
05.03.2016 Finally back in Kolding again after some years at Messe C in Fredericia. Much easier to get home when it's within walking distance. Had my good friend from Singapore visit for a month and that ended up in a lot of tasting 😊 Notes: Nose: wood, light smoke, orange, raisin, licorice. Palate : oily, wood, light smoke, orange, plum,licorice. Finish: medium to long, plum, herbs, licorice, light chocolate.
Review by DomM
Pure VSG essence
Review by Jakob
VSG essence, rich minerality, pencil shavings, wood, bergamot citrus notes, subtle spices, earthy-plant tones... an excellently balanced aromatic profile that really brings joy. Excellent.
Review by Benoit Mahe
The nose is a little full-bodied. The mouthfeel is very pleasant, especially at this alcohol level. The profile is not my favorite, but I must admit that it's a very good spirit.
This selection contains no written reviews in this rating range.
Expert reviews
2 critics scored it, averaging 8.9/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum.
Expert review by The Dunder Hut
The prototypical Versailles. You have to love everything about it. For 46% this is full and perfect. An indulgence that shines through with dry wooden notes that mingle with fruit and loveliness. Please more
Expert review by Single Cask Rum
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Berry Bros & Rudd Versailles Finest Demerara Rum 1985 at live auctions
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All live auctions ›Details about Berry Bros & Rudd Versailles Finest Demerara Rum 1985
A Pot Still Rum from Guyana, bottled by Berry Bros & Rudd, at 46%.
What do the letters on a Demerara label mean? The RumX guide ›
About the Versailles distillery
The Versailles distillery is located in Guyana. Rums from Versailles have been reviewed 709 times with an average of 8.4/10.
To Versailles ›Read on in the RumX Guide
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