The Rum Howler Blog

(A Website for Spirited Reviews)

  • Copyright

    Copyright is inherent when an original work is created. This means that the producer of original work is automatically granted copyright protection. This copyright protection not only exists in North America, but extends to other countries as well. Thus, all of the work produced on this blog is protected by copyright, including all of the pictures and all of the articles. These original works may not be copied or reused in any way whatsoever without the permission of the author, Chip Dykstra.

  • Cocktails and Recipes

    Click Image for Awesome Recipes

  • Industry Interviews

    Interviews

    Click the Image for Great Interviews with the Movers of Industry

  • The Rum Howler Interview (Good Food Revolution)

    Click on the Image to see my interview on Good Food Revolution

  • The Rum Howler Blog

  • Rum Reviews

  • Whisky Reviews

  • Gin Reviews

  • Tequila Reviews

  • Vodka Reviews

  • Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 1,067 other subscribers

  • Subscribe

  • Visitors

    • 14,374,776 pageviews since inception

  • Archives

  • Follow The Rum Howler Blog on WordPress.com

Posts Tagged ‘Guyanese Rum’

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »

Top 30 Rums Countdown # 17 – El Dorado 25 Year Vintage Reserve Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 8, 2012

Top 30El Dorado 25yo PackThe El Dorado 25 Year Old Vintage Reserve Rum is a blend of aged rums created to mark the turn of the millennium. Produced by Demerara Distillers Ltd. (DDL), it is blended from 25-year-old rum stocks which have been aged in used bourbon oak casks. Demerara Distillers is of course popular throughout the world for their rich, Demerara Rum. Using a combination of venerable old wooden stills in conjunction with modern stills and distilling techniques, DDL, have built a reputation for outstanding quality and consistent production. I have been fortunate enough to have been allowed to taste this particular vintage rum on several different occasions over the past several years. As part of my quest to find the best 30 rums in the world, I brought out my bottle of the El Dorado 25 year Old for my Panel of Judges to taste. As a result of our deliberations, the 25 Year Old Vintage Rum finds itself on my countdown list at number 18.

# 17 – El Dorado 25 Year Vintage Reserve Rum

“… The immediate nose brings forward rich notes of dark caramel and molasses; baking spices (vanilla, nutmeg, brown sugar, and cinnamon); nuts (walnuts and pecans); dry fruit (dates, figs and raisins); smokey tobacco; and lots of rich oak spice. Allowing the glass to sit brings wisps of dark Christmas fruitcake and bittersweet chocolate into the breezes above the glass as well…”

The exit is filled with flavours of dates and raisins which are followed by impressions of lush dark brown sugar. Baking spices and heated oak spices settle onto the palate and into the back of the throat. This finale is well worth an encore.

Advertisement

Posted in Awards, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Top 30 Rums Countdown # 17 – El Dorado 25 Year Vintage Reserve Rum

Review: El Dorado 25 Year Old Vintage Reserve Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 23, 2012

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. Now, of course, it is home to Demerara Distillers Ltd. (DDL) who are popular across the world for their rich, Demerara Rum. Using a combination of venerable old wooden stills in conjunction with modern stills and distilling techniques, DDL, has built a reputation for outstanding quality and consistent production. In fact, Demerara Distillers is currently the largest supplier of bulk Caribbean Rum to Europe and North America.

The El Dorado 25 Year Old Vintage Reserve Rum is a blend of aged rums created to mark the turn of the millennium. It is blended from 25-year-old rum stocks which have been aged in used bourbon oak casks. This is quite different from those rums which feature a solera style age statement which highlights the oldest rum in the blend but also usually includes a high percentage of rum which is much younger.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… The rum is sweet on the initial delivery with flavours of rich dark brown sugar leading out in front of delicious baking spices (vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves). Obvious flavours of dry fruit (raisins and dates) follow, accompanied by an oaken spiciness and impressions of fine port wine dipped cigars…”

Here is a link to the full review:

Review: El Dorado 25 Year Old Vintage Reserve Rum

Please enjoy the review!

(Note; This review is somewhat timely as I have just learned that Highwood Distillers Ltd. of Calgary, Alberta has been appointed the new agent for El Dorado Rums for British Columbia & Alberta effective immediately. The El Dorado brand had began to disappear from many of my favourite store’s shelves in recent months, and I am happy to report that they are returning and will now be distributed throughout both Provinces by the Highwood sales force to all liquor stores.)

Posted in Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

Review: London Dock Rum (Favell’s 70 Proof)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 3, 2012

Favell’s London Dock Rum is (according to the label anyways) is blended and bottled in Canada for White Favell (Vinters). The Canadian agency responsible for blending and bottling this rum is the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation (NLC).

The label tells us that London Dock is a Demerara Rum produced in Guyana; therefore I can deduce that the rum was distilled on the East Bank of the Demerara River at the facilities of Demerara Distillers Ltd. (DDL).  (This information was confirmed to me by both the NLC and Demerara Distillers.) It is apparently produced from original marques of rum which in the past would have been shipped to England to mature in the London Docks, hence the name London Dock Rum. Of course, the rum no longer travels to England to mature, rather it travels from Demerara County in Guyana in bulk to St. John’s Newfoundland to be blended bottled by the NLC. London Dock is an old style Demerara rum, with strong flavours of molasses and treacle.

(I was given a sample bottle by the NLC for the purpose of a review here on my website.)

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… The London Dock Rum has a strong aroma of molasses and burnt caramel, and there is only a light essence of ‘woodiness’ rising from the glass. (My general impression from the aroma is that the rum has been aged somewhere in the range of two years or so.) Other smells drift up from the glass, a bit of orange and banana peel, some indications of vanilla and some  medium sweet baking spices …”

You may read my full review here:

Review: London Dock Rum (Favell’s 70 Proof)

Included with the review are two cocktail suggestions for this rum, the Mandeville, and Baron Bliss.

Please enjoy the review and the cocktails suggestions that follow, Cheers!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: London Dock Rum (Favell’s 70 Proof)

Rum Expedition – Guyana

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 10, 2012

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!

Posted in Distillery Tour, Extras | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

Review: El Dorado 15 Year Old Special Reserve Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 5, 2012

Demerara County (in Guyana) is popular across the world for its rich, three hundred year history of rum production. Using a combination of old wooden stills in conjunction with modern stills and distilling techniques, Demerara Distillers Ltd. (DDL), has built a reputation for outstanding quality and consistent production. In fact, Demerara Distillers is the currently the largest supplier of bulk Caribbean Rum to Europe and North America.

According to the 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. 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 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.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… 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 aroma becomes… “

You may read the full review here:

Rum Review: El Dorado 15 Year Old Special Reserve Rum

Please enjoy my review of this fine rum!

Posted in Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: El Dorado 15 Year Old Special Reserve Rum

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »
 
%d bloggers like this: