For many rum lovers, the mere mention of the name “Demerara” is enough to ignite the imagination. And for good reason ! This river in Guyana has hosted legendary distilleries on its banks which still enjoy an extraordinary reputation, decades after their closure. Port Mourant, Enmore, Versailles, Uitvlugt, Blairmont, La Bonne Intention... So many names which will remain forever inscribed in the pantheon of rum legends!
From the beginning of the 19th century, the Demerara region, then under British influence, saw a myriad of sugar cane plantations flourish. There are more than 300 of them! And their production, “Demerara sugar” very quickly acquired an international reputation. So much so that even today, many sugar-producing countries use this term as a guarantee of the quality of their sugar.
And at that time, who says sugar, says rum. Each sugar factory has an adjoining distillery and these rums, too, will very quickly acquire an exceptional aura of global scope. They win a number of medals at universal exhibitions and competitions. A distinct and clearly identifiable style is born: Demerara rums. A style that very naturally manages to combine character and roundness. One of the key elements of this identity lies in the use of stills not made of copper but of wood! A unique feature in the world, fundamental in the construction of the aromatic identity of Demerara rums.
But the sugar crises that dotted the 19th and 20th centuries put an end to this industrial epic. In 1966, when Guyana became independent, sugar and rum production was nationalized and of the 300 original distilleries only a handful remained. Nestled on the banks of the Demerara River, the state distillery Demerara Distillers Limited found itself the sole survivor at the turn of the 2000s. But the Guyanese government, aware of the unique heritage of which it is the custodian, has preserved no less than 14 stills, three of which are made of wood: the Port Mourant double pot still, the Enmore column still and the Versailles single pot still.
These examples, the last survivors of their kind in the world, precious vestiges of a bygone era, are maintained with reverence and serve to compose the backbone of the blends that constitute the El Dorado rum range.
Tasting an El Dorado rum is treating yourself to a piece of History like no other!
