Mezan Guyana 2005 (10 year old?) 40%
Distilled at the Diamond Distillery using the old Port Morant Wooden Pot Still
Tasted: Sept 2015
Youth, lightly oiled aromas of nutty dried fruit. Very heavy on the oily congeners, because I’m guessing the wooden still doesn’t remove as many impurities as a copper still. There is a little fruit sweetness beneath and with time the aromas broaden to show a touch of coconut and antisceptic.
The palate is a little watery to be honest with a fair degree of oily terpenes-like note. Very youthful and a bit unevolved with nascent dried fruit rancio developing. Medium length with a slightly nutty and oily finish.
Mezan Rum – Uitvlugt 1998 (13 year old) 40%
Dist: 1998 Btl: 2011
Tasted: Sept 2011
The nose is very similar to the Westerhall in that it has a distinctly grain whisky-like character, with probably more oak, of the burnt caramel persuasion which really flattens the nose out and allows even less spirit character to emerge.
The palate is quite delicate and commences with some lightly oiled dried fruit, and then, yes, you have guessed correct the oak begins to smother the palate. I’ll give the spirit its due as the oils try and hold back the advancing vanillins and the gently sweetened dried fruit does come out on top at the end. If only the oak wasn’t so heavy handed.
Mezan Guyana 1998 (16 year old) 40%
Distilled at the Uitvlught Distillery
Tasted: Nov 2014
Elegant, nutty straw-like aromas of sultana and citrus peel. Quite salty with vanilla and a touch of praline. Gently oiled and complex with developing fragrant honey, earth, sweet roasted coffee, milk chocolate and demerara sugar notes.
The palate opens with a touch of demerara sugar and dried lightly oiled fruit along with coffee, vanilla and milk chocolate. Full flavoured and lightly herbal on the middle. Long, lightly honeyed dried fruit finish with a touch of sweet, chocolaty spice.
Mezan Rum – Enmore 1990 (21 year old) 40%
Dist: 1990 Btl: 2011
Tasted: Sept 2011
A pungent, mature, peppery and oily nose. In fact it’s quite reminiscent of an old Tequila with no shortage of heavy dried fruit and crystalised citrus all topped off with a hint of parma violets. Very complex and expressive with a seriously woody character, which probably comes from the fact that at the time of this distillation Enmore would have been using the famous wooden pot still.
Oily and weighty on the palate yet extremely elegant. There’s a lovely depth of woody dried fruit with that peppery note from the nose building to a serious intensity on the middle. The flavour fill the mouth and move into an almost oxidised white burgundy character. Damn the finish is woody, it feels like licking out the inside of a wooden still!
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 