El Dorado “The Last Casks” Diamond Coffee & Tri Canada 24 yr 1998

Review #1098; Rum #425

This rum comes to us from Demerara distillers limited located in Guyana. This rum was distilled from molasses on the Coffey Column and Tri-Canada Redistillation still, put into ex-bourbon casks for 24 years in Guyana, and then bottled with no chill filtration.

The tri-Canada still is a modern column still that is not used much for rum distillation anymore and mainly serves to make grain neutral alcohol for the other spirit drinks that DDL produces.

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Distillery: Demerara Distillers Limited

Bottler: Demerara Distillers Limited

Region: Guyana

ABV: 49.1%

Still: Diamond Coffee & Tri Canada Column stills

Cask: 24 years ex-Bourbon in Guyana

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Nose:  Slightly burnt caramel, Brown Sugar, Orange Peel

Palate: Medium oily mouthfeel, Orange Peel, Black Pepper, burnt caramel, cinnamon, tannic

Finish: Medium length finish, orange peel, black pepper, cinnamon, burnt caramel, tannic

Rating: 5/10

This is a fine rum. It has a nice rummy profile to it, a bit of fruit, spices, some of that burnt caramel I seem to get in various bottlings from DDL. Tropical ageing (especially long ones like this) can be tricky for me. Sometimes I find them to be delightful, with the ageing causing some interesting flavors that pop up (usually in really old agricoles or old Jamaican rums). However, this seems to fall into the trappings of most old tropical rums for me. Oak force trauma to the head. This has a nice flavor base that is pretty appealing, but this slightly bitter, harsh tannic tonic dominates throughout in a way that isn’t complimented enough by the flavors here.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect