Chairman‘s Reserve Master’s Selection (Royal Mile Whiskies) 2011 9yr 60,9%

"as part of a Chairman's tasting directly against rx 5658"

"At the Community Tasting Nuremberg, the great crosstesting of the Chairman's bottlings was proclaimed as a motto. In advance, I have all tasted. To date, I knew only the bottling of Kirsch and Perola. I was surprised that the flavor profiles were so different and denoch no really bad, but also none was there that has really stood out from the others. But if you see what you get at Chairman's still for his money in return, I must really say CLASS. Will probably expand my collection in this area without a guilty conscience."

"Chairman's Tasting with 3x Vendome (Evanius Harris, RMW, Rum&Co), 1x Vendome & John Dore Blend (Nectar) and 2x John Dore (Kirsch, Rum Exchange). The Vendome bottlings a bit dirtier and more medicinal, the John Dore fruitier. Of the Vendome, the Evanius Harris was the most coherent for me. With the John Dore, the Rum Exchange would have won if it wasn't so woody (best on the nose), so the cherry tasted better to me. Overall #1 though was the Necktar, which combined the best of both styles, was mild, tasty and matured to the point. Here the alcohol was too dominant compared to Evanius Harris."

"Big flavours here. St Lucia is not for the weak. In the nose a somewhat French Oaky roasted banana feel. A bit of funk. Not unlike Worthy Park. Complex. Lovely. Taste: Boom! Elegant and intense both. Tropical fruit. Still the French Oak. Rubber. Flowers. There's so much here. Really really good."

"On the nose, the vendome that impressed me less on my 5 chairman's reserve lineup. On the other hand, drinking it was way better, with a taste driven by nice glue and varnish notes. Was the nose on the same level, it would have been a clear winner."

"Another great St. Lucia, for its 9 years already very much on the mature side. Fantastically balanced nose, on the palate with typical notes as well as wood and caramel, the fruits are rather dark and in the background. Great alcohol integration. St. Lucia can do no wrong!"

"The nose is very big and intense. Lots of dark tar notes with smoky molasses and vanilla. A touch of sweet banana in the background. Neat this is too much to handle on the palette so at this point I'm adding a good glug of water. After the water the palate is beautifully dark. Lots of tar and wood varnish. Raisins, tobacco and vanilla. Very moreish. The finish is quite long. The darker notes mellow out and leave menthol and a suggestion of aniseed. A beautiful rum. Deep, dark and heavy. It just needs that water."