Velier Royal Navy Tiger Shark. The second installment in Velier’s “Velier Royal Navy” series of rums. I was first introducted to this in October at London Rumfest, at a Velier seminar.

Obviously there isn’t actually a Velier Royal Navy but Velier do have excellent stocks of tropically aged rum from all the traditional Navy Rum producing islands.

This blend is different to last years Velier Royal Navy release, which was quite heavy on the Caroni (Trinidad Element). From the information I have been able to find online, this is a blend of Worthy Park and Demerara Distillers Limited Pot Still rums. There are 3 marques of rum in this blend but I am not sure which distillery has two marques. I fancy it may be DDL.

The average of the blend is 14 years. A bottle of Tiger Shark will set you back around 150 Euros. You might find the odd UK retailer that has a bottle or two but I obtained mine via Europe. As like last year it is bottled at “old” Imperial 100 proof or 57.18% in todays ABV – 114 Proof.

Velier Royal Navy Tiger Shark comes house in the usual opaque velier bottle. The colour scheme for this is black, gold and white. The card sleeve to house the rum is predominantly white.

I like the presentation and it does look quite Naval and official. Even if it isn’t. As with all Velier releases there are no additives. All the rums have been aged in ex-bourbon barrels. I am unsure when they were all vatted together to form the blend.

Velier Royal Navy Tiger Shark was released early in 2019 but you can still find plenty bottles online. I do not know how many bottles were released. The rum has been aged entirely in the Tropics.

In the glass we are presented with a golden brown coloured rum with an orange tinge. Nosing the rum I am immediately left thinking what I thought back in October. Worthy Park. The distinctive banana, tea and chocolate notes are predominant on the nose.

I did actually first think this rum was solely Worthy Park – I didn’t realise it was Tiger Shark I thought it was a new Habitation Velier Worthy Park.

Further nosing reveals more of the Guyanese rum – slight notes of aniseed and some heavier tarry notes which remind me a little of Port Mourant/Versailles rums. Thick, fruity and very rich. Blackcurrants, sugar coated raisins and some really intense bursts of prune juice.

There is a little funk lurking in the background with some slight notes of pineapple and stewed banana.

Overall, this is a really nicely balanced yet very rich and concentrated “heavy” style of Navy rum. Reminiscent of Pussers in some ways but it definitely has its own unique character as well.

Sipped this is a very fruity and rich rum. Lots of milk chocolate and builders breakfast tea. It’s initially quite sweet but this moves on into some more bitter and more intense notes in the mid palate. Marmalade and some more tarry notes come into the mix. A light sprinkling of tobacco leaves give it a slightly heavier note. A touch of barrel char introduces some smoky and oaky notes as you move in to the finish.

It’s a really great sipping rum with the Worthy Park and DDL components really working nicely together to give a really big fruity Navy Style of rum.

Finish wise its big and long lasting on the palate. Lots of rich fruity notes such as blackcurrant and raisin, mingle alongside a lot of spicy oak – all spice, ginger and some hints of clove. An after taste of slightly stewed breakfast tea stays in the mouth alongside some banana and dark chocolate.

All in all this is a really excellent rum. One which will please Navy Rum fans and conniseurs of Worthy Park and DDL as well.  A really well balanced and well put together blend of aged rums.

It’s heavy but not overly so and has enough sweetness and lighter elements to make this work really, really well.

It’s still available so I would strongly recommend picking up a bottle. I prefer it over last years release. Last years release was a heavy on the Caroni as this is the Worthy Park. I feel this is a much better balanced rum. It suits my palate more as it is sweeter. Note we are aren’t talking sweet as in dosage – this rum as the front label attests is “Sugar Free”

Great stuff as you would probably expect from Velier.