Tasting Notes for El Dorado 8 Year Old Rum
Nose: Sweet cinnamon spice, hint of nutmeg, toffee apple, slightly treacled, almost christmassy.
Taste: Rich, full-bodied with honeyed fruit cake, vanilla, toffee, creamy caramel, butterscotch, fudge and orange marmalade.
Finish: Ginger and nutmeg contribute to the spicy notes, which are enduring flavours in the long caramel, vanilla finish.
-
El Dorado 8 Year Cask Aged Rum’s unique character comes from the blending of traditional aged rums distilled, from no less than 4 heritage stills, which were brought to DDL when the original distilleries were shut down back in the 19th century. Distillates from both the original Wooden Coffey Still which was rescued from the Enmore Estate and the Double Wooden Pot Still which was rescued from the Port Mourant Estate are used in the blend. The use of these ancient stills ensures that the Demerara Rum produced at DDL’s Diamond Distillery is unlike anything produced anywhere else in the world.
The distillate from these unique heritage stills is laid down in ex-bourbon oak barrels for at least eight years, resulting in a classic Demerara rum with a heavier body than the five year old but lighter than the 12 and 15 year old. Meaning this is a great mixing rum, perfect for a rum old fashioned or other spirit forward cocktail, and it’s also pretty good as a sipping rum as well.
The 8 Year Old Cask Aged Rum is part of El Dorado’s Fine Cask Aged Series which also includes the El Dorado 3 Year Old and 5 Year Old Rums. -
International Wine & Spirits Competition: Gold Outstanding - 2010, 2011, 2013
Rum Masters: Best Rum Aged 8 – 12 Years Old - 2010
-
The story of rum in Guyana started in the 1640s with the introduction of sugar cane by the early European settlers. By 1670, the foundation of Demerara Rum production was laid down with the establishment of distilling into the new territories by the British. The county of Demerara once covered by the Atlantic Ocean, was recovered by the Dutch in the 1600s. Using their ingenious land reclamation methods, the Dutch successfully reclaimed the land resulting in soil that was high in minerality and nutrients paving the way for sugar cane cultivation in the 1650s.
By 1780, there were over 300 distilleries producing their own unique rums, each with its own marque identifying its origin (e.g. SWR, ICBU, PM, EHP, LBI, AN). The rum industry continued to thrive in Guyana until an unexpected drop in the price of sugar and the introduction of taxes in the 1900s resulted in the severe consolidation of the sugar industry, as it was not economical for all estates to remain in operation. By 1942, there were nine remaining distilleries.
In 1999, final merger of the remaining sugar estates and distilleries by transfer of the various stills, equipment and expertise by Demerara Distillers Limited at the only active distillery in Diamond, on the East Bank of the Demerara River. Diamond distillery contains 9 stills, each acquired from other distilleries as they closed down. These stills cover the full spectrum of rum from heavy pot distilled, to light column distilled, but the distillery is best known for its 3 wooden stills – a port Mourant double wooden pot still, a Versaille single wooden pot still, and an Enmore wooden coffey still. These wooden stills are the last of their kind anywhere in the world, and their unique character is a large part of the reason why the Diamond Distillery has built the stellar reputation it currently enjoys.
-
Producer Demerara Distillers Limited at their Diamond Distillery, Guyana Style Single Blended Rum Age A minimum of 8 years Volume 70CL ABV 40%