Barikenn DDL Diamond VSG 2012

The Breton bottler Barikenn selected this single cask of VSG, the Versailles marque, distilled by Demerara Distillers on the single wooden pot still that sits between Enmore's elegance and Port Mourant's weight. Bottled unsweetened at 58.9 percent, it shows the bright, robust pot still character of the style with the alcohol well knitted in.

Matured in ex bourbon and still fairly young at eight years, the molasses spirit leads with vanilla, pineapple and woody nutmeg, then a spicy, licorice tinged palate and a caramel and pepper finish carrying a pleasant bitterness. The Versailles still gives that raw wood and tannic backbone without the full medicinal heft of PM, which makes this an excellent bridge for drinkers moving from fruitier rums into Guyana's drier territory. Powerful and dry, but balanced enough to enjoy at strength.