Aroma visualization from community tastings
Valinch & Mallet Clarendon Spirit of Art #3 1995
"Fantastic nose, but even at 56.9 the taste feels diluted" is one honest take, though most tasters land higher. This 26-year Clarendon from 1995 leans into overripe plum, sour cherry, lychee and mango up front, then turns woody and dry with leather, spice and a roasted-nutty, coffee edge. Fruit-forward for its age, with wood that stays in check.
The community says- Ripe fruit nose
- Wood stays balanced
- Palate can read light
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The look inside the bottle
How does Valinch & Mallet Clarendon Spirit of Art #3 1995 taste?
Aggregated from 40 community reviews.
Fruit-forward, mature Jamaican Clarendon sipper Loved by most as a fruity, mature 1995 Clarendon with plum, leather and long spice. A few find it rustic, medicinal or a touch light on the palate for the proof.
Fans of aged, fruity Jamaican pot-still rum
Anyone put off by medicinal, pencil-shavings notes
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
15 of 40 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
How is Valinch & Mallet Clarendon Spirit of Art #3 1995 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.9 sits in the “Very good” band. 100% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
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Community voices
What does the community say?
10% rate it between 6 and 8. 10 selected write-ups from 40 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
Another sampling from the beginning of the year. I bought a bottle upon release and I really like this one. When you open the bottle the flavours just come at you nd it intensifies when you pour it ibt your glass. After resting for a while all flavours are really nice and very well balanced overall. Love the intensity and fruity profile and that the wood isn't the dominant part when thinking about the age.
Review by sylvain
the big hit of my 2023 rumfest. the leather and dark licorice are very pronounced (and striking).
Review by Jakob
1995 remains an impressive vintage. On par with Artesanal, possibly a touch ahead thanks to even more intense sweet-sour fruit notes. Exquisite.
Review by mto75
Mega delicious fruit basket on the nose: lychee, mango, papaya, banana. Plus caramel and vanilla. No woodiness at all. On the palate, a nice sweet caramel note that transitions into toasty nuttiness. In between, again and again, a few of the fruity notes that were already there on the nose. The finish is really long. Chapeau V
Review by Thunderbird
What a nose...a real fruit bomb...overripe plum, sour cherry and something tropical...on the palate this only continues until light woodiness and spiciness is added.... The finish is then again dominated by fruit (prune and dried apricot)!An excellent Clarendon! Chapeau!
Review by Piotr Ignasiak
Raspberries note with some perfumed lychee is a highlight for me. It continues to the palate with mocha, roasted nuts and spices. Very enjoyable.
Review by Michal S
An interesting 26-year-old Clarendon, relatively much red fruit with vanilla and caramel in the aroma, the taste is much more woody with a longer aftertaste.
Review by DomM
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.
Review by Gyuli
I was able to get a hard to find dram in Singapore, and it's similar to a clarendon 23yr emb I've had in the past. Complex and classy. In the aroma, it has coffee, smoke, caramel and tropical fruits. On the taste, it's a complex mix of vanilla, coffee, and nuts. It's similar to the black tot MBR series, or the Tiger shark. It's a classy bottling, but not my favorite.
Review by Jackie Flannery
Comparing two 1995 Clarendon vintage. Will I encounter my nemesis? RA 26y, 67,2% V&M 26y, 56,9% C: Port wine. N: 5min. This feels tight. And yes, my nemesis (pencil shavings) is present here. There is a pleasant sweetness, but in less volume than the Rum Artesanal. 30min Very similar to the RA. The sweet peaches and pencil shavings seems to be part of the vintage, but I find this V&M rougher, more rustic in comparison. M: Mangos, peaches and of course crushed aspirins and pencil shavings: my kryptonite. These two 1995 Clarendon vintages are very similar. I´d say that the RA has more balance and is rounder while the V&M is wilder. F: Long and medicinal sour. B: No. This type of aging is not my cup of tea. Winner? The RA.
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Expert reviews
Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by The Secret Rum Bar
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Details about Valinch & Mallet Clarendon Spirit of Art #3 1995
A rum from Jamaica, bottled by Valinch & Mallet, at 56,9%.
Community purchases
29 bottles logged by 22 collectors.
A drinker & collector.
17% opened, 2 emptied and repurchased.
What does Valinch & Mallet Clarendon Spirit of Art #3 1995 cost?
Community paid 192–332 €.
Current best price: 326.26 € – within the typical community range.
What members actually paid for their bottles. A typical range, not the current shop price. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
29 purchased · 42 tasted · 24 wishlist · as of
About the Clarendon distillery
The Clarendon distillery is located in Jamaica. Rums from Clarendon have been reviewed 5,769 times with an average of 8.2/10.
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