Clarendon Rumclub Private Selection Ed. 27 EMB 1995

Wow I really like this one! A wonderful nose. It is such a mouthful of fruits straight up for me, oranges and pineapple is what stood out, a nice natural sweetness. Then with some time its age starts to come out with menthol, some fine wood notes, along with vanilla and spice. A long finish. A lovely Jamaican that stands out.

This was my contribution to the tasting and once we cracked open the bottle the flavours started spreading. Fruity with roasted wood and very good ABV integration. I really like the floral note and warm/spicy touch to the palate. Price to quality is very good in my mind.

Nose: V&M > RA > RC = FSB-BS The lower ABV bottling presents the more fruity and peasant nose straight up. Others significantly more heavy, dark and sharp. Palate: [Velier] > RA > RC > FSB-BS > V&M On the palate I have to give it to the higher proof combatants as they are all properly evil in what they do. However, imho V&M bottled their cask at the exact right ABV to enjoy the EMB right from the bottle.

Wow, a great rum club. On the nose, we mainly have herbs, but the barrel is also recognizable and it smells spicy. The palate also has herbs, especially mint, but it is also very intense and roasty.

Bouquet de fruits tropicaux mûrs avec une belle fraîcheur (menthol et herbes) et une belle acidité. Du bois de santal en soutient, des épices. L’entrée en matière est puissante mais sans excès et tous les fruits envahissent la bouche. De belles épices, des agrumes, du poivre. La finale est longue et riche avec une belle palette aromatique qui persiste. Un rhum puissant et équilibré, complexe et délicieux, fruité et épicé. Le verre vide amène un bel équilibre entre fruits et côtés sombres.

Slightly less fruity than the Colours of Rum, but almost as good.

Tasted against the 3 EMB of Colours of Rum (no10), Tara Spirits and Fine Drams (97) ... all 95s quite close and at similar levels. The Colours of Rum was the fruitiest, the Tara had a lot of tannin but really very similar level.

What a beautiful, complex and intense nose: fruity and spicy. Beautiful orange and tangerine notes with sweet cherry and tart kiwi and gooseberry underpinnings, respectively. At first there's a tart sweetness of maple syrup that goes sweeter and sweeter towards orange syrup. I still find vanilla and a slight hint of tobacco leaf. The high % is barely noticeable.Palate: just as intense and delicious as the nose, very full-bodied to boot. Fruity, spicy, slightly woody. I find just as dried orange as prune, dried currant and tropical fruit. There is also a slight mint note to be found. There is also some resinous tobacco. It also has a nice nuttiness, vlt Brazil nut. A really excellent old EMB, with the alcohol super well integrated.

Clearly Spirit of Rum's most underrated bottling. The nose is immensely rich, with lots of fruit: orange for citrus, cherry for red fruit, pineapple, banana and mango for exotic fruit, blending harmoniously with wood, medicinal and herbal notes. There's a hint of ferment and marzipan that work well with the spices. The whole is very structured and complete, a pure olfactory delight. The attack on the palate is a real slap in the face. This Clarendon is extremely fruity: typical Jamaican tropical fruit, cherry, peach and orange dance and perfume the palate, which cannot resist this charm. There are medicinal flavors of glue and menthol, and powerful roasted notes that accompany an intense, spicy woodiness. The whole is deep, savory and extremely complex, with aromas constantly evolving and changing. The alcohol is powerful, but small sips allow you to attenuate its effect and better appreciate the aromas, which here are of the utmost beauty. The finish is extremely long, still fruit-driven but gaining astringency with the tannins. Darker, bitter aromas such as dark chocolate, mocha and black tea appear, along with spices to sharpen the finish. A magnificent Clarendon that perfectly combines power and elegance, richness and subtlety, it is inconceivable that it will still be available at the dawn of 2025, such are its undeniable qualities and reasonable price.

From start to finish this is a breeding pot of dark tones, wood spices and berries. Intense tropical notes that never punch your gut too hard. The finish gets a bit minty and a bit black tea. Not overly sweet

in the other glass the RA EMB 95, and I must say that both are already very similar. The RC seems perhaps a touch fresher / more floral (and something more in the direction of Marzipan pastry going), but that may simply be because the RA is already longer open (and more oxidized). Since there is the RA zT still to have at a significantly lower price, it is currently the better choice for me.

👃 = very pleasant, fairly sweet blend of ripe tropical fruit, wood, vanilla and a little tar. 👄 = alcohol very present, accompanied by dried fruit and empyreumatic notes. The finish is long.

Great old EMB! In direct comparison to the Velier 2010 noticeably better integrated alcohol, and, unsurprisingly, more wood. Compared to the Bottle Shop 1995 a little less menthol, but a little more oily and bulky, but overall on par. EMB remains simply one of my favorite profiles; to be able to drink rums of this type and this degree of maturity is without doubt a privilege.

Without direct comparison certainly one of the best EMB 95 next to the Velier!

Too much for me in all dimensions. Wood, menthol, acidic, herbal. The characteristic mushroomy/furry notes seem rather out of place with the rest. Also because the fruit is totally drowned out. The alcohol is too dominant for me. Water changes a lot for the better. The least appealing EMB I've had so far.