December 27, 2015

Malternatives on Sunday, today Demerara

After our luscious old Cognacs, time for some young phenolic, oily punch from Guyana. But some may be sweet too, sadly they don’t all keep them sugar free, let’s see…

XM Royal 10 yo (40%, Banks, Demerara, +/-2015)

A blend of rums from the Demerara region of Guyana, assembled by Banks and finished in sherry wood. Colour: amber. Nose: a rather dry and leafy Demerara, with a little iodine, oysters, and butter. Touches of mango and stewed bananas, plus light metallic hints, as well as a little camphor. Quite light globally, but rather pleasant. Mouth: rather sweeter, so a little dissonant perhaps (just like most El Dorados IMHO), but the notes of tar, tyres, and the trademark burnt rubber are well there. Would rather go on with roasted pecans and chocolate. Quite light, not weak. Finish: a tad short, but well balanced. Touches of tar, brine, and caramel. Bananas flambéed. Perhaps a little too much caramel in the aftertaste. Comments: between two worlds, that is to say heavy rums, and light, much more purified ones. A higher strength would have been welcome. SGP:551 - 78 points.

Diamond 2003/2015 (43%, Bristol Spirits, Demerara)

From the same distillery in Georgetown, but this one’s a ‘single style’. Colour: deep amber. Nose: much more characterful, mentholy, coastal, briny… Wonderful seashells, brand new tyres, olives, capers, plenty of salted liquorice… Oh and the difference between 40 and 43% seems to be huge here. Mouth: indeed, what a difference. Salty liquorice, many more citrus fruits (grapefruits, yuzu, bergamots…) and then litres of seawater and dry bitter tea. Hints of fennel, very funny. A lovely dry palate, without any added sugar that I could find. Finish: rather long, dry and bitter, with a little burnt sugar, coffee beans, zests, cocoa beans… Some cardamom and nutmeg in the aftertaste, as well as brine. Comments: lovely dry style, not too heavy. One for Diplomatico or Zacapa drinkers who’d like to trade up a bit, perhaps. SGP:562 - 86 points.

Diamond and Versailles 18 yo 1996/2014 (57.9%, Velier, 570 bottles)

A very rare experimental combination of distillates from the Diamond and the old Versailles stills, blended at birth. The code on the two barrels that were used for this very small batch was SVSG. Colour: mahogany. Nose: just an avalanche of gingerbread, black pepper, polished oak, turpentine, black cherries and the liqueur made thereof, macadamia nuts, then perhaps a little cork (not from the stopper!), musk, sandalwood, and lastly, all these tarry, smoky, and hotly rubbery notes that we like so much in the heavier Demeraras. Very complex! With water: it’s pure lapsang souchong! But the tyres aren’t far away, and then comes a little rhubarb (compote). Mentholated liquorice. Mouth (neat): thick, perhaps a little tannic at first, then very balsamic. Jams, quinces, ‘woody’ chestnut honey, wood polish… There’s also more costal notes, oyster sauce, onion compote… With water: the oak comes to the front, with its cortege of spices, but balance is kept. Finish: long, drier, so less sweet and fruity (it wasn’t very sweet and fruity in the first place). Salted liquorice and leather. Comments: high class. Wondering how many litres of this they have ‘blended at birth’ at the time. SGP:462 - 88 points.

Guyanan Rum 14 yo 1998 (46%, Berry Bros. & Rudd, +/-2013)

Not sure if this is a blend of various styles from Diamond or if it came from a single still (Enmore or such). Colour: white wine. Nose: not as massive as the previous ones, and perhaps drier and a little more spirity, with less oak influence (which the colour already suggested). A little chalk, fabric, grass and leaves, then fresh putty and oil paint, which is sometimes to be found in several Demeraras. So a shier nose, but I enjoy this cleanliness. Mouth: a little light, but more citrusy, cleaner, with some fresh ginger, a little plasticine, Thai curry (with lemon grass), and then more grassy leafiness. Limestone. Easier, but not easy. Finish: short to medium, with some paraffin, then grapefruit. Comments: very interesting, it’s the lighter style of Demerara, without being spineless at all. It’s also nicely refreshing. SGP:352 - 85 points.

Port Morant 1999/2014 (46%, Bristol Spirits, Demerara)

Colour: amber. Nose: burst with some very petroly sugarcane, you could even believe it is agricole made in pot stills. New leatherette, the interior of a brand new Renault, quite a lot of olive brine, some carbon paper and ink, a little Brussels sprouts, and something more unusual in rum, kippers. ‘Low tide’. Ends with some fruitier notes, such as stewed pears. Mouth: starts with a lot of salty sardines and anchovies, which is fun! Goes on with some roasted pistachios – always with quite some pears – and a drier side, around strong black tea (sugarless of course). And tar and liquorice and more salt and some soot. Spectacular! Finish: quite long but not endless, very dry, and perhaps a little drying (strong lapsang). A lot of bitter chocolate in the aftertaste, but rather less salt, although there are touches of black olives. Violet sweets. Not that drying, after all. Comments: a rollercoaster, sometimes massive, sometimes lighter. The heavy saltiness is very noticeable. SGP:352 - 87 points.

Uitvlugt 16 yo 1998/2014 (52.7%, Duncan Taylor, Cask #35, 258 bottles)

This one from the famous Savalle column still. Uitvlugt’s usually a rather lighter Demerara, but you never know… Colour: straw. Nose: starts with hay and flowers, then muscovado sugar, quite some overripe plums, a little marzipan, linseed oil, white chocolate, almond milk, and then a small dusty side. Some jasmine, perhaps. Acacia honey. This is, indeed, the lighter side of Demerara. With water: orange blossom water, more acacia honey, cinnamon cake. In short, baklavas, slightly ‘dusty’. Mouth (neat): easier, sweeter, a tad sugary, and very floral, while a salty touch remains in the background. Oily mouth feel. Barley water, orange syrup, sesame oil, green walnuts… And some salt again. With water: I wouldn’t say it swims very well on your palate. It gets a little too cardboardy and dusty. Finish: medium, a little tart and ‘green’. Green apples and pears, raw rhubarb, with a very grassy side. Peppercorns and green tannins. Comments: this baby started extremely well, but it loses a little steam on the palate, and isn’t quite the best friend of water. SGP:461 - 81 points.

(With thanks to Diane!)

Check the index of all rums I've tasted so far