After the nice « fight » between two La Mauny relatively young and « semi official », this time I offer you a new match. I put in the ring two venerable and official Bally from the 2000 vintage and both cask strenght please!
So for this new match, we have the Bally 2000 « pyramid » bottled for LMDW and the Bally 2000 « 18 years » selected by Corman Collins in Belgium.
For their curriculum vitae, we are on a 17 year old and 58.1% for LMDW against an 18 year old and 56.8% for the Corman Collins … The match seemed to me more than logical in fact.
There is also a very good Bally 2000, but this one being reduced and much younger, I didn’t find the comparison very judicious. Which does not detract from its qualities, of course.
Color
Beautiful mahogany for the two rums, the 18 year old version seems a little darker than the 17 year old from LMDW.
Either way, they’re both great to see.
Nose
LMDW: Surprisingly quite floral and fragrant in fact … where I thought I would fall on a wooden wall, I am rather surprised at this very sensual aspect.
Of course the wood is present but it is more the marmalade of apricot and blood orange that will mark me. Behind that, a fine, more floral veil softens the whole.
Beeswax, vanilla, some spices and dark chocolate bring a nice robust and pastry / gourmet side.
Corman Collins: Here, the nose is also quite fruity but the wood is more gourmet and bold. In general, the nose of this version seems to me warmer, rounder.
The wood is frighteningly delicious, it offers us beautiful chocolate, dried fruits, vanilla traces, mokatine and a light side of gunpowder for a big side « come back ».
Palate
LMDW: lively and full of peps, the tertiary notes are much more prominent here than for the nose.
We find there peels mixes oak, vanilla, nutmeg, dark chocolate as well as some exotic fruits but much more discreet.
Rum and can be a little rough, slightly astringent.
Corman Collins: warm, delicious, creamy. The traces of the barrel are also more present than on the nose.
Tobacco, vanilla and dark chocolate bring roundness. It is a beautiful woody, very present but counterbalanced by a light fruitiness in marmalade and liquorice.
The fruits manage to emerge in all of this with a nice big jam of apricots, citrus fruits and more spicy traces like cinnamon and nutmeg among others.
The length is very strong on the dark chocolate powder and spices.
Price
LMDW: 179€
Corman Collins: 149€
Conclusion
Two very beautiful expressions of old Bally … I would say that the two noses are really tops, but that the mouth of the Corman seems to me more round and greedy than the LMDW version.
It does not play much, but the LMDW version seems drier and monolithic than the Corman.
In addition, the latter really has an « old school » side that could remind old spirits where the LMDW selection will be more modern, classic. This is also an aspect that can be found in the different Corman bottlings.
In any case, you should not be disturbed by the wood in both cases 🙂
Score
LMDW: 88/100
Corman Collins: 90/100
