Aroma visualization from community tastings
Velier Saint James Velier 70th Anniversary 2008
Massive oak first, then dark chocolate, dried prunes and grassy sugarcane underneath. This 2008 Saint James agricole is bottled by Velier at a hefty 60.8%, and it drinks dark, dry and spicy. Most tasters call it bold and complex but demanding — give it 15-20 minutes of air (or a drop of water) or the alcohol bites. One member found it simply "too oaky."
The community says- Complex and layered
- Grassy oak depth
- Very oaky
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Buy Velier Saint James Velier 70th Anniversary 2008:
Compare all 4 shop offers from 143.38 €
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The look inside the bottle
How does Velier Saint James Velier 70th Anniversary 2008 taste?
Aggregated from 72 community reviews.
Dark, oaky cask-strength agricole that needs time Well-loved by agricole fans as an intense, wood-driven Saint James with real depth. The catch: several find it too oaky and hot until it opens — this one needs patience.
Agricole fans who like aged, wood-forward, high-proof rum
Beginners and anyone put off by heavy oak or high ABV
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
32 of 72 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
How is Velier Saint James Velier 70th Anniversary 2008 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.5 sits in the “Very good” band. 97% 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?
14% rate it between 6 and 8. 19 selected write-ups from 72 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by MarcT
Last one of my little St. James flight, I like this one the most. It is rare I find an aged Agricole still being fruity, herbal and woody. This has it all. However, it is quite intense, and most definitely needs time to appreciate - do not sip it lazily by the side.
Review by Joachim Guger
Typical Saint James profile. Naturally very powerful, prior ventilation necessary. Lavender in the base, for which the Velier 10 edition is notorious, only here it fits well. In the mouth it is simply too strong. A few drops of water make it drinkable. Very spicy and woody. Very good. Ranks in the top league of Saint James.
Review by alex
Superb. Very surprising The nose is woody but light. You can smell the cognac. Same on the palate, with the cognac taking over, delicious. Alcohol very well integrated, especially after 15/20 mins aeration. Very good length 😍😍😍
Review by cigares
A dark nose marked by old oak, with dark chocolate, prunes and a fresh, sour apple character. Smooth on the palate, the entry is almost discreet, still on the dark side and with less fruit than on the nose. A hint of spiciness and pepperiness spoils my enjoyment just a little. The finish is marked by sour apple and prune. The finish is long and the final notes are woody, but with a vanilla-like quality that softens the oak, which is quite present. The empty glass is marked by yellow fruit. A fairly coherent rum with diverse expressions that give it a lovely complexity. A very fine St James. A far cry from the splendid BdF 1999, which remains my benchmark.
Review by Insta: spiritofbernard 🇫🇷
Saint James has it under the hood. In my opinion, this is just the beginning of the brand's premiumization.
Review by Leo Krüper
In fact, a touch better than the Les Ephemeres. Nice and strong and wild. Could I drink forever
Review by Benoit Mahe
A demanding rum, a little dark but far from being bad.
Review by Vincent D
I was expecting a very woody nose, a la Saint James. It is, but this 2008 vintage has much more to say. The sweetness of caramel, dark chocolate (not too bitter) and apricot is counterbalanced by darker notes of tobacco and woody tannins. On the palate, this sweetness is lost, and the rum plunges into a very woody, bitter mouthfeel. Tobacco again. Then a hint of caramel. A lovely rum, quite typical of what I know of St James.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
This is a very dry rum and it's very obvious that it's been made in French oak.
Review by Thunderbird
Once again an excellent Agricole! In addition to a lot of wood, the grassy herbaceous flavors come out clearly here! The finish is quite long and intense... the high-proof Saint James have a new fan...so Agricole makes really fun
Review by Frank
17th day in the Christmas calendar. Blind! Clearly Agricole, clearly Martinique, the rest is fine-tuning 😉 Nose: strong and spicy, yet fresh and fruity. The alcohol bites a little at the beginning. Clearly woody. But the grassy sugar cane is very clear. Dark fruit and lemon with blackberry, dry raisin. Somewhat smoky, tobacco, earthy, black pepper with a hint of vanilla, a little acidity, like red wine. Palate: spicy, sugar cane juice, slightly candied orange peel, sweet-grassy, hazelnut on the back, earthy, root, tobacco Hay, sugar cane and licorice on the finish. A wonderful representative of Martinique!
Review by Rodolphe
J'ai entendu et Lu des choses très différentes sur ce rhum. Et bien je dois dire que je me rangé dans le camp de ceux qui l'ont apprécié. C'est complexe, complet et franchement super bon. Oui l'alcool est présent, mais malgré sa puissance, ce rhum à un coté doux. Super jus.
Review by mto75
I was excited to try a St. James with a really high ABV level, and I think the 'experiment' was a success. However, it needs some time to open up, but then beautiful spicy notes such as allspice, clove, vanilla, chocolate and grass appear. The palate is also pleasing, the alcohol is well integrated, with spices, wood and pepper. Hay and a roasted chocolate note on the finish.
Review by Maxime Clr 🇫🇷
Promising nose with lots of finesse, cleaner palate with wood, sweet pepper, spice, caramel typical of Saint James. A very fine bottle.
Review by Portman
You have to take your time for this one! Very intense. An interesting contrast of tart fruitiness and woody coffee notes. Just the right alcohol strength to moderate the powerful agricole notes. Great, but requires some concentration.
Review by Rene Pfeiffer
Beautifully intense and yet pleasantly rounded. I like it.
Review by Filip Šikula
Vůni tohoto rumu je pro mě velmi těžko uchopitelná. Naopak chuť je jasná, dřevitost s hromadou ovoce, perfetkní integrace alkoholu a po delší době v ústech rozvibruje jazyk. Závěr spíš kratší. Parádní rum.
Review by ordogh
Wow, that’s what I like in agricole! The smell opens with dark chocolate, dried prunes and massive oak. The taste is more barrel driven, but has still enough details with spices and some fruits. It is so well balanced despite its high abv, that I couldn’t imagine before. It’s bold, massive and intense, gimme more!
Review by Émile Shevek
Al naso si sente il sentore arrostito, di zucchero tostato, cioccolato fondente, tabacco, bosco e qualche agrume. Al palato si fa subito riconoscere con note arrostite, di legno, tabacco e fieno, una leggera tostatura e una punta dolce di vaniglia e agrumi. Nel finale rilascia anche un po' di note pepate e vegetali(radice). Davvero ottimo e un abv che dimostra 20 gradi in meno. Nel bicchiere vuoto permangono l'arrostito, il legno e la terra. Grazie Simon!
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Expert reviews
3 critics scored it, averaging 8.4/10. 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 Préférence Rhum
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Expert review by Tasting Bro's
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Details about Velier Saint James Velier 70th Anniversary 2008
A Rhum Agricole AOC from Martinique, bottled by Velier, at 60,8%.
Community purchases
80 bottles logged by 69 collectors.
A drinker & collector.
23% opened, 9 emptied and repurchased.
What does Velier Saint James Velier 70th Anniversary 2008 cost?
Community paid 99–150 €.
Current best price: 143.38 € – 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+ →
80 purchased · 73 tasted · 33 wishlist · as of
About the Saint James distillery
The Saint James distillery is located in Martinique. Rums from Saint James have been reviewed 4,748 times with an average of 8.1/10.
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Saint James J. Bally Art Déco #2Elegant, woody-spiced Martinique agricole sipper
Saint James Single Cask 1997
Saint James Single Cask 1997J. Bally Brut de Fût (LMDW) 2006
J. Bally Brut de Fût (LMDW) 2006Dark, woody, roasted 15-year agricole
J. Bally Brut de fût 2007
J. Bally Brut de fût 2007Woody, spicy aged agricole for neat sipping
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