Review: Rum Nation Demerara Solera N° 14

Rum Nation’s Demerara Solera N° 14 is quite an interesting rum. According to my correspondence with the Brand Owner, Fabio Rossi, he buys aged bulk Demerara rum (roughly four to six years) from Guyana (Demerara Distillers Limited) which has been blended with various portions from each of the Single Wooden Pot (Versailles Still) and Double Wooden Pot  (Port Mourant Still).

The bulk rum purchased by Rum Nation is taken to the Nebbiolo area of Italy where it is transferred to sherry butts (PX and Oloroso) and aged for a short period of time (about 12 to 14 months). After aging, a few liters of 1997 vintage EHP (Enmore) rum is added before it is bottled. (EHP is the marque for DDL’s ancient Wooden Continuous Coffey Still.) Based upon the information as provided to me, I reckon the Demerara Solera No. 14 is approximately a five-year old rum. The recipe is rather simple and includes rum from each of the now famous ancient wooden stills from Demerara Distillers Heritage Plant. (I do believe the bulk rum used in the blend contains rums from other stills as well, but I have no information regarding the exact proportions, or exactly which other stills contribute to the Demerara Bulk Rum. )

Mr. Rossi provided me a 200 ml sample of this rum such that I would have a chance to review it here on my website. Here is an excerpt from that review:

“… The initial aroma from the glass is full of oak tannins and sap which have been tainted with a spicy toffee, orange peel zest, and butterscotch candies. Baking spices in the form of vanilla, cinnamon and spicy cloves mingle in those breezes above the glass …”

Here is a link to the full review:

Enjoy the Review!

Top 30 Rums Countdown # 27 – El Dorado 15 Year Old Special Reserve Rum

According to the  Demerara Distillers Ltd. (DDL) website, The El Dorado 15 Year Old Special Reserve Rum is a blend of selected aged rums (some as old as 25 years), from the Enmore and Diamond Coffey stills, the Port Mourant double wooden pot still, and the Versailles single wooden pot still. It is blended and aged  in old bourbon oak casks. (You may read about these ancient stills here.)

The website also makes it clear that the 15 year age statement represents the youngest rum in the blend. This is quite different from those rums which feature a solero style age statement which highlights the oldest rum in the blend and usually includes a high percentage of rum which is much younger in the blend.

#27 – El Dorado 15 Year Old Special Reserve Rum

“… The immediate nose brings forward rich oak filled notes of spicy toffee, dark dried fruit, marmalade, and vanilla into the air. As I let the glass sit, I begin to notice sherried aromas of raisins and dates, some dark bittersweet chocolate and a welcome but delicate scent of pipe tobacco.”

The longer the glass sits, the richer the flavour and aroma become!
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Review: Demerara Superior High Wine

The Diamond Distillery sits on the East Bank of the Demerara River near Georgetown, Guyana. The Distillery was originally part of the Diamond Estate which was the last of the Sugar Plantation Estates in Guyana to produce rum, and it is now home to Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL).

I was given a unique opportunity to witness this facility in operation when I was invited by Woodman Wines and Spirits and Demerara Distillers to travel to Guyana for a very exclusive tour of the DDL facilities. Part of that tour included visiting trade establishments within nearby Georgetown to get a feel for the local retail market. One product which I saw in a lot of the local establishments was Demerara Superior High Wine. This product is a single distilled high-proof ‘high wine’ produced for the local Guyanese market. I was intrigued by this High Wine for two reasons. First, because it seems to be extremely popular in the local market, and second, because it represents the base distillate which DDL produces from the original Diamond Estate Coffey Still No. 3. This is one of the important stills used in the production of their world-class rums.

I requested a small sample of this ‘high wine’ because I wanted to taste this spirit before it was altered by further distillation and/or years of barrel aging. I thought sharing this review here on my website might prove interesting for my readers as well. Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… When I poured my High Wine into my glencairn glass, I understood very quickly why this product is so popular locally. It displays a very attractive nose. Light scents of sugarcane, hints of banana and orange peel, and a very light ribbon of mint rose to the air almost immediately… “

You may read my full review here:

Please enjoy this glimpse into the unaged Demerara Rum flavour profile !

Review: Lemon Hart Demerara 151 Rum

A few weeks ago I received a bottle of the ‘new’ Lemon Hart Demerara 151 Rum from the Canadian Brand Owner, Mosaiq for the purpose of a review on my website. I call it the ‘new’ Lemon Hart Demerara 151 Rum because of a few changes that the rum has undergone after it was sold by Pernod Ricard to Mosaiq.

When the brand was owned by Pernod Ricard the rum was bulk shipped from Guyana to the Hiram Walker Distillery in Ontario, Canada. It was aged in Canada, and for tax purposes, it was blended with 1.5 % of the content being Canadian distilled rum.

Mosaiq has changed things a little. The rum is now blended with 100 % Guyanese rum and all of the rum is aged in Guyana rather than in Canada. It is bottled in Canada by the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation (NLC) for Mosaiq. I wish I had a bottle of the old blend to compare against, but since I do not, my review will concentrate solely on the merits of the newest blend. Here is an excerpt from that review:

“…I can smell molasses and rummy burnt caramel which seems to come in waves at me. Dark dried fruits like prunes and raisins rise up as well in a bouquet that despite the astringency is very complex and enticing. Baking spices build quickly, and smells of rich brown sugars enter the fray as well as the sweet aroma of canned fruit (peaches and apricots)…”

You may read the full review here:

As well I have included a nice recipe from Tiare (A Mountain of Crushed Ice) called the Guyana Zombie as well as a brand new recipe of my own called Hart Breaker.

Please Enjoy the review and the recipes!

Review: George Street Spiced Rum

There is a place where they believe they know rum better than anywhere else. And it’s hard to ague with those folk because not only have they been smuggling and buying their rum for over three hundred years, they also happen to drink more of the stuff per capita than anyone else in North America. Where is this great rum haven, you might ask? Well, it’s not anywhere in the good old U.S. of A., and it not some tropical haven in Latin America or the Caribbean Islands. Nope, these people who drink more rum than anyone else live on a rock they call Newfoundland, which is part of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in the Great White North of Canada.

On that rock called Newfoundland is a city called  St. John’s where they have a place where the rum consumption reaches its apex. That place is George Street! A street full of music and revelry, lined from top to bottom with Pubs and Restaurants, where almost everyone’s drink of choice seems to be Rum! And it is for that place that the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Commission (NLC) have named their new rum, George Street Spiced Rum.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…After a few minutes rich baking spices have built up, and I imagine that I can smell sweet cinnamon rolls in that glass. Rich brown sugars pour out with vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and pecans. This is probably the one of the nicest noses I have encountered in a spiced rum. But my feeling is that the spices are only part of the story. It is the aged Guyanese Rum under the spices which is giving the nose depth and character. I have a strong urge  to steal a sip before I am finished nosing the glass…”

Here is a link to the full review:

I have included a nice recipe for a Rum and Cola style drink called the Sparkling Cola Cocktail.
Please enjoy the review and the cocktail!

Rum Review: El Dorado 21-Year-Old Rum

Ed 21 Served Neat

The Master Blender for  Demerara Distillers Ltd. , (DDL) is credited with the creation of El Dorado 21-Year-Old Special Reserve Rum which uses a selected blend of rums from their world-famous stills, the Enmore (wooden Coffey still), the Versailles (single wooden pot still), and the Albion (Savalle still). All of these rums in the blend have been aged in oak for a minimum of 21 years, making this one of the oldest production rums in the world.

The rum is part of a family of luxury cask aged rums which also includes a 12-year-old rum,  a 15-year-old rum and a 25-year-old Rum. According to the DDL website…

“El Dorado rums are blended selections of different ‘vintages’ or batches of rums from different stills – aged in oak barrels. Importantly, the age statement specifically indicates the youngest rum in the blend, even though the oldest may be many years older. This rule is the same as the one for Scotch Whisky and is used for rums produced in English-speaking countries…“

This age statement is quite different from those rums which feature a solera style age statement which highlights the oldest rum in the blend and usually includes a high percentage of rum which is much younger in the blend. In my opinion, this sets the El Dorado 21 Year Old Rum apart from its peers and it is very hard to find many comparably aged rums in my marketplace.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…The mouth is heated up with oak spice, and my first impression is that I am sampling a yummy oak and toffee extract filled with rich brown sugar. The oak is at the center of the flavour, yet the tannins do not inhibit the other flavours in the rum from forming and delighting me.  Raisins, prunes, and dates give the rum an almost smoky quality while the impressions of nutty elements adds softness to the mouth-feel. Cinnamon and brown sugar weave throughout and the rum is an absolute marvel of complexity and balance…“

You may read the full review here:

Please enjoy the review and remember that it is my aim to help you drink better rums not to help you drink more rums!

Review: El Dorado Single Barrel Demerara ICBU Rum

The Uitvlught Sugar Factory was founded in the 18th century on the west bank of the Demerara River.  El Dorado Rums, (produced by Demerara Distillers Ltd in Guyana), have introduced a Single Barrel rum using only distillation and fermentation techniques of the Savalle Still (using the same traditional methods which have been employed for 250 years).  As the barrels from this still were originally marked with an  ICBU marque  to identify the rums from the Uitvlught Sugar Factory, this rum is labeled El Dorado Single Barrel Demerara Rum ICBU.  This bottling is part of a series of Single Barrel offerings available as part of the El DoradoRums Connoisseur’s Range.

I consider this somewhat of an artisan offering which gives the rum aficionado a glimpse into the particular characteristics of Demerara rum from a particular still, in this case the Savalle Still.  Rum from this particular still would normally be blended with many other rums from the other Demerara stills and from other barrels types to construct a quality Demerara blend.  The original distillation techniques of the Savalle Still produces a very particular flavour profile, and this review will be a reflection of that particular characteristic flavour profile which the Savalle Still imparts.

Here is an excerpt from the review:

“…The oak is strong, but the sweetness of the brown sugar spices balances the sharpness of the oak and citrus zests.  There is no bitter aftertaste to spoil the experience.  As well, flavours of caramel, toffee, and vanilla all lie in moderation under the oak spice as does a slightly charred nuttiness, and flavours of toasted coconut….”

You may read the full review here:

as well I came up with a great cocktail called Savalle Row!

Rum Review: El Dorado Premium Rums

El Dorado Premium Rums

El Dorado’s family of premium rums are distilled in Demerara County (Guyana, South America) and are popular throughout the world for their rich taste and sweetness.  So popular that the word demerara has become an adjective used by reviewers of whisky and rum alike to describe this particular style of sweetness when reviewing fine spirits.

Demerara County in fact has a rich three hundred year history of rum production. Some of the wooden stills first used to produce their rum are still in use today, and I have said it before, if anyone ever puts together a list of the “seven wonders of the rum world”, these original wooden stills will be at the top of that list.  The combination of old wooden stills in conjunction with modern stills and distilling techniques has allowed Demerara Distillers Ltd. (DDL) to build a reputation for outstanding quality and consistent production over many years. In fact, Demerara Distillers is the currently one of the largest suppliers of bulk Caribbean rums to Europe and North America.

Over the next few months I will endeavor to review all three of El Dorado’s Premium Rums.  The 12 Year, The 15, Year and the 21 Year Old Rums.  I shall kick off this series with a review re visitation of El Dorado 12 Year Old Rum.  Although I have previously reviewed the 12 year Old I could not resist the chance to open a new bottle and see if my palate has changed.  Here is an excerpt from the review:

“…This rum enters my mouth with a spicy sweet baking spice explosion.  Deep dark brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, hints of orange peel and citrus fruit lay upon a foundation of spicy wood tannins….”

You may read the rest of the review here:

Review: El Dorado 12 Year Old Rum

Please enjoy this  review and the follow up reviews I will be providing for the rest of the El Dorado Premium Rums!