Spirit of the Week: El Dorado 8yr Cask Aged Demerara Rum

WineAlign editor Margaret Swaine sings the praises of this mid-range premium rum from Guyana. The eight-year product – one of our absolute favorites even though it can be hard to come by in North America – is a tad less firey than the 5 year rum many visitors come to know and love while visiting Guyana, but a bit less syrupy than the gold-standard ElDorado 15yr rum. In short, a bit of perfection!

Swaine writes:
This is a blend of rums – all a minimum of eight years old – from four of the traditional stills preserved by Demerara Distillers Limited including a double wooden pot still from Port Mourant and the original 182 year old wooden Coffey Still (the last fully working still of its type in the world today). DDL’s two original wooden pot stills (one single and one double) are over 250 years old and the last in operation on the globe. They were originally used to produce the Demerara Navy rums of old. All this to say the 8 Year Old is unique. I just love it. Rich with deep, full rum flavours, it’s medium bodied, layered and exceptionally smooth. Notes of spiced oak and molasses add to its appeal. Sip in a snifter or use to make premium cocktails.