Aroma visualization from community tastings
Velier Diamond SSN SSN 1996
Nearly everyone rates this Diamond high, with one honest caveat: at 63.4% it needs air. Members say the alcohol burns on the nose at first, then blows off after a good rest in the glass, leaving coconut, vanilla, caramel, tobacco and milk chocolate. Several call it a "beautiful Demerara column profile." A few wish for more fruit and that classic glue note.
The community says- Deep coconut note
- Aged tropical Demerara
- Opens up with rest
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Was 2750.00 €, now 2061.26 € All price drops
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The look inside the bottle
How does Velier Diamond SSN SSN 1996 taste?
Aggregated from 33 community reviews.
Coconut-and-vanilla Demerara that needs air Well-loved tropical-aged Diamond with coconut, vanilla and chocolate. Most agree it's excellent once it's had time to breathe; a few find it a touch too hot and short on fruit.
Fans of aged Demerara who don't mind letting a cask-strength rum breathe
Anyone sensitive to high ABV or wanting bright fruit
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
16 of 33 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Recommendation
Your next rum
One difference each to this rum.
Rated better
Velier Diamond SVW SVW 1996
9.3/101790 €
Milder
Velier Diamond <S> S 1999
9.1/101268 €
Similar rating, cheaper
Velier Diamond SVW SVW 1999
9.0/101190 €First choice: 25 of 27 tasters who tried both prefer it.
How is Velier Diamond SSN SSN 1996 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 9.0 sits in the “Excellent” band. 100% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Community voices
What does the community say?
100% rate it 8 or higher. 16 selected write-ups from 33 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Jakob
Not quite in the top group of Diamonds, but still extremely high quality level. Beautiful Diamond notes, but without that certain something.
Review by Maxence
Alcohol could be better integrated especially on the nose. Both palate and nose could use a little more complexity. Otherwise, very nice rum with a sweet profile : coconut, molasses, vanilla, pastries, chocolate. A true desert. 🤩
Review by DomM
Beautiful Dermerara column profile. Delicate across nose and palate.
Review by Serge
Very fine notes of intense vanilla with oak, coconut and caramel with a few (rather subtle) fruity notes. Very fine and the alcoholic note disappears completely after about 2 hours in the glass. I miss some glue, but very tasty.
Review by Florent Apl
Thanks to MartinS for the sample! I'm very happy to try one of the big ones, from the Velier bottlings. This one is not on the top but it's still a very good rum. Classic column Guyana style, chocolate, vanilla, caramel, coffee and wood, with a hint of glue/shoe polish on the nose, that does not persist on the palate. The downsides, alcohol is not perfectly integrated, and the palate and mouth are not as long as I wished.
Review by Skyfly
Ein Rum den man ewig Atmen lassen muss damit sich der Alkohol verflüchtigt - dafür wird man jedoch mit einem äußerst schmackhaften und intensiven Demerara belohnt. Für meinen Geschmack sind die Fruchtnoten zu gering und der Klebstoff fehlt für eine noch höhere Bewertung
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
We had a wonderful pure Diamond tasting yesterday and what a tasting. Another wonderful rum that also released a lot of extra flavours after a drop of water was added.
Review by Oliver
A tad too alcoholic for a top rating.
Review by Pavel Spacek
... The Old Velier Demerara rum is the best thing you can taste in the rum world. The rums were aged in the tropics for several years by mistake and nobody refilled the barrel. The Andel tax was 90% or more, which is why the taste is especially full and intense. Even though it is an extra expensive product, I recommend to taste a rum from this series at least once in your life.
Review by Mopar Rules
basically, rums are more intense and complex on the nose than the palate. Not those demeraras I tasted today. The taste on the palate exceeded the expectations set on the nose. Another great rum, Velier did a great job with these bottlings.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Diamond 1996 ist einfach geil. Super schönes süffiges Gerät. Tolle Kombi aus tropischen Früchten und karamellisierten Gewürzen. Alkohol perfekt integriert - Komplexität technisch nicht ganz auf dem Niveau anderer 1996er. Großes Kino dennoch
Review by ArminK
Sehr angenehm kann aber ruhig einige Minuten stehen. In der Nase brennt der Alkohol kurz. Dann kommt eine leicht Süße mit etwas Zitrusfrüchten. Am Gaumen leicht holzig etwas süß mit Früchten und Nüssen. Schöner langer Abgang, etwas bitter.
Review by Martin Švojgr
I've had this demerara for a long time and so I was looking forward to retasting it. Some people find it too alcoholic, but not me - maybe a longer open bottle? What hits me immediately on the nose is the coconut, there's a lot of it, and then the milk chocolate. On the palate, coconut, tobacco, wood, vanilla and anise. The alcohol comes in a bit on the finish and after a while there is a hint of nuts.
Review by Filip Šikula
Tato řada old demerar je nebe v ústech. V tomto případě to není uplný vrchol toho, co umí, respektivě uměl diamond nabídnout. Nicméně je to rozhodně úplná nádhera plná kokosu, koření a neuvěřitelně integrovaného alkoholu.
Review by bavarian-rumlover
Angenehmer Geruch, anfangs etwas alkoholisch man sollte ihn atmen lassen. Geschmack nicht Ruff, aber vielschichtig, Kokosnuss, Vanille, Karamell und etwas Eiche. Für mich ein echter Gaunenschmeichler auch wenn preislich völlig überzogen.
Review by Bob the Drunker
If you don’t look at the label, you will think this is another 1999 svw, good stuff, but not fantastic
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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 Single Cask Rum
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Expert review by Who Rhum The World
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Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Market value
What this bottle last achieved at auction. A research indicator, not a forecast.
Auction results 888 € – 1089 €
from 5 sales, latest 09/2026
Prices incl. buyer's premium — what a buyer pays, not what a sale nets you.
Avg. community purchase price 1032 €
What members paid for this bottle, self-reported. Not a market value — the purchases are over three years old at the median and unverified.
Details about Velier Diamond SSN SSN 1996
A rum from Guyana, bottled by Velier, at 63,4%.
How do you read a Diamond bottle? The RumX guide →
Community purchases
41 bottles logged by 33 collectors.
A drinker & collector.
26% opened, 8 emptied and repurchased.
What does Velier Diamond SSN SSN 1996 cost?
Community paid 379–2,052 €.
Current best price: 2048.36 € – 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+ →
41 purchased · 34 tasted · 19 wishlist · as of
Read on in the RumX Guide
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