Three New Exclusive Rum Casks From Hamilton
For those of you who know and love Demerara rum, these bottles need little introduction. But for those of you who don’t know the history behind these Guyanese stills and why they’re so special, I would highly recommend reading through Matt Pietrek’s fantastic post about DDL distillery here.
You can check out my visit to DDL from 2014 here, but my level of wonkery doesn’t reach Matt’s intensity, so if you want the dirty details I would go through Matt’s post first.
The post I wrote back then that you'll want to check out is about the visit I made to the Uitvlugt refinery where few people I know have ever set foot. This happened because we were scheduled to take a helicopter trip to see the famous waterfall nearby, but my wife had a dream about me dying in a crash the night before and forbade me from going. Since I was the odd man out, I convinced DDL to call the Guyanese government and get me access to the molasses factory where the old Uitvlugt distillery was once located.
In any case, there’s a lot of information to process there, but let me get right to the bullet points for those of you who don’t want to pore over all that data.
• Each of these rums is not only from a single barrel, but also from a single still.
• All three stills date back centuries, and all three are made from greenheart wood, a local variety known for its durability (used to make ships back in the day).
• Each of these stills comes from a former distillery now closed (imagine if the old stills from Port Ellen, Brora, and Stitzel-Weller were all put into a single room), continuing the heritage of those very special places.
While I’m a big fan of the El Dorado rums and pretty much all the other Demerara stuff like Pusser’s, I have the same geeky desires as most other spirits nerds out there. I want to know what the stuff tastes like, unadulterated, before it goes into the blend. Simply reading about these historic stills and the flavors they create in their spirits doesn’t have the same impact as tasting those spirits. Once you learn about these incredible stills, of course you want to taste the rums made from them!! Full proof, nothing added, right out of the barrel!
I’ll go into a bit more detail on each still here, but again I would really recommend reading Matt’s article as well.
One of three new Guyanese single barrels we've just purchased from rum pioneer Ed Hamilton, each from a heritage still at Diamond Distillery, this 8 year old 67% ABV rum comes from the famed wooden Coffey still from the old Enmore distillery. Built out of greenheart wood, which was used to build ships back in the day, the towering twin columns look like two giant games of Jenga, with their criss-crossing planks that originally date back to around 1880. Getting the chance to taste a singular rum from a single still that dates back over 140 years, without the additional of sugar or additives, and at full proof, is a dream for many rum nerds out there. This expression shows lemongrass and ginger on the nose with a healthy dollop of vanilla. The first sip brings a mouthful of sweet cane, lots of bright, fruity goodness exploding in your mouth like candy Pop Rocks at 134 proof. It's not just a fascinating spirit, it's a historical one, to boot! Consider this an educational experience in addition to being an enjoyable one!
This 13 year old 55.7% ABV rum comes from the legendary Port Mourant wooden pot still that was previously kept at Uitvlugt distillery before being moved to Diamond around 1999. Perhaps the most famous of DDL's heritage stills, this wooden pot still creates heavy, earthy, sometimes funky rums that are synonymous with the British Navy rum that is still venerated today. Made from greenheart wood, which was used to build ships centuries ago, the still dates back to the 1700s when it was used at the Port Mourant estate. Gold in color, aromas of baked apple and cinnamon with an exotic almost cardamon note that slowly morphs into a greener, funkier element. The palate is a running brigade of cooked tropical fruits, diesel/petrol, and earth with a finish of smoked meats and jerky. The empty glass smells like Jamaican jerk sauce. Getting to taste 13 year old, pure Port Mourant, unadulterated, from a single barrel at full proof is quite experience for many rum fans out there. It's also quite educational!
This 8 year old 67.5% ABV rum comes from the heralded Versailles wooden pot still, which dates back to the early 1800s when the Versailles plantation was located on the west bank of the Demerara River. While similar to the Port Mourant pot still, albeit with only a single vat compared with the double vat of the PM, the Versailles wooden pot creates only about 60% of the congeners you'll find in those heavier rums, so you get a mellower profile that's a bit more user friendly. The rum itself is a pale straw color, as there are no additives and no caramel coloring. The nose is full of tropical fruits with some light funkiness, while the palate shows pineapple, green banana, and dried mango flavors that are surprisingly clean and delineated. The petrol and funkiness of the classic pot still profile comes through on the back end, but it’s never overpowering. This is a fantastic rum for those looking to dip their toe in the high proof and historic rum category, but want something they can actually drink repeatedly and enjoy profusely!
-David Driscoll