Demerara Distillers’ Diamond Distillery

The Diamond Distillery sits on the East Bank of the Demerara River near Georgetown, Guyana. I was given a unique opportunity to witness this facility in operation when I was invited by Demerara Distillers and Woodman Wines and Spirits to travel to Guyana for a very exclusive tour of their operations. Led by Operations Manager, Lennox Shaun Caleb, I was allowed to tour the Diamond Distillery on April 14, 2012 with a small group of Canadian Spirits Writers and Restauranteurs. Some of the Stills I saw in operation were over 250 years of age, and they are still producing (as closely as possible) the same historic marques of rum which they produced on the estates from whence they came. Superimposed upon the scene of ancient Stills and equipment is the dichotomy of a brand new distillation plant which works side by side with the historic stills. The new distillation plant represents a bridge to DDL’s future of new technology and methods of production. However, by continuing to operate the old plant and maintaining the unique marques of rum upon which the company built its original success, the foundations for that bridge to the future have been set firmly in their historic past.

Here is a link to my write-up on the Diamond Distillery Tour:

Demerara Distillers’ Diamond Distillery Tour

Review: True North Canadian Rye Whisky

True North Rye Whisky is produced from western prairie wheat and grains. It is aged in charred American oak barrels for a minimum of three years (as per Canadian Law) before being blended and bottled at the Highwood facility in High River, Alberta. True North is what I refer to as an economy whisky. It is inexpensive compared to other whisky in its category, and is a whisky meant for tall drinks as well as other cocktails in bars and restaurants (or on your back deck).

Highwood Distillers is the only Canadian distillery which uses wheat as its primary distilled grain. I have noticed when tasting the wheat based spirits in their portfolio that this grain seems to lend a soft gentleness to the final spirit. They use Rye is in much smaller quantities, and this grain adds a flavourful spiciness. Corn may also be used, and when it is, the corn provides additional sweetness, and body to the spirit.

Earlier this summer, I was given a bottle of Highwood’s True North Whisky for the purpose of a review here on my website. Here is an excerpt from the resulting review:

“…. True North tastes pretty much like an old-fashioned rye whisky with a nice bite of rye spice complemented with notes of butterscotch and caramel. I can taste the spiciness of ginger with perhaps just a dash of cloves and cardamom, and a very light sweetness. The spiciness warms the mouth, but there is  just enough dusty dryness and flavours of ripened grain to appeal to me… “

You may read the full review here:

I have also provided a nice cocktail with the review, the Rye-jito.

Please enjoy the review and cocktail.

Cheers!

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For those who are interested I have provided a detailed overview of Highwood’s distillation and whisky making process which you may find her:

The Highwood Distillery Tour

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Rum Expedition – Guyana

Wooden Coffey Still (Photo Courtesy Demerara Distillers Limited)

Just before Christmas I received some really good news. I had been invited to join a Rum Expedition to Guyana to visit the Demerara Distillers (DDL) facilities on a four-day trip which would also include two days of touring this tropical country to learn about the history and culture of Guyana. The expedition was the idea of Mr. Sameroo, (Managing Director, DDL) who asked Woodman Wines and Spirits (of Toronto) to organize a Canadian delegation with the aim of building our knowledge with respect to both Demerara Distillers and the Country of Guyana.

I am, of course, extremely excited because Demerara Distillers is home to what I consider to be two of the Great Wonders of the Rum World, their one of a kind Wooden Continuous Coffey or EHP Wooden Still which is the last fully functional still of its kind in the world today, and DDL’s last two fully functional original Wooden Pot Stills (one single and one double) which are each over 250 years old. Finally, although it is not quite as famous, there is another unique column still at the facility which I would love to see, Demerara Distillers’ French Savalle Column Still.

These stills are at the very heart of DDL’s rum production, and being allowed to tour the facility and watch  how the rum is made is almost too good to be true. The trip has been described to me as a working tour which means (hopefully) that I will be able to see these famous stills up close doing the work that brings the famous Demerara Rum to the bottle.

As excited as I am about visiting Demerara Distillers and learning about their rum, I am equally excited about touring the Country of Guyana and learning about the history and culture of this remarkable country. Guyana is home to the Kaieteur Falls, which is the world’s largest single drop waterfall, measuring about 225 meters.  This impressive natural wonder is just one of the sites which I will be privileged to visit. The trip will include visits to historic Fort Island, and an overnight stay at the wonderful Baganara Resort. I bought a new camera just for the trip, and I hope to share as much of the tour as possible with everyone who reads my blog.

So I hope everyone wishes me safe travels, as I will be arriving in Guyana on April 12, and returning to Canada on April 16.  Hopefully I will have a great story to tell when I return.

Cheers Everyone!

Howling Highlight: Highwood Distillers

Last week I took a little holiday from my regular routine and traveled 250 miles south to visit one of the last independent distillers of whisky in Canada. The trip took me 40 miles south of Calgary Alberta, to the town of High River, nestled beside the Rocky Mountains on the western edge of the prairies.

High River is a great little town full of bustle and western charm. I couldn’t resist the urge to spend a little time just driving through the town, visiting a few of the local businesses and taking in the atmosphere of the place and the people. What I found was a town of friendly people with a solid blue collar work ethic. They all seemed to bustling around doing something important. But in spite of this apparent busyness, they were more than happy to help me out with directions to the local sights and even willing to share a story or two about the local history.

Highwood Distillery is the only Albertan owned distillery in the world. It sits in the heart of the High River community, producing 300,000 cases of bottled spirits per year.

If you are interested in learning how Hiaghwood produces their whiskies, rums and vodkas, please click on the link provide for a full report on this uniquely Albertan Distliiery;

The Highwood Distillery Tour

I want to thank the staff at Highwood Distillers for taking the time to provide me with such a nice day at their facilities.   Look for future articles where I will review the samples of White Owl Whisky and Momento Rum which they provided me at the tours conclusion.