The Demerara Distillery of Guyana is one of the oldest and famous for it's rich flavorful rums. Demerara benefits from its unique stills unlike any others that are operating in the world today. They have what is believed to be the last operating wooden Coffey stills in the world. It is a direct relative of the first continuous still constructed by Aeneas Coffey in 1832 for whom the still gets it's name. The still was purchased from the Enmore Sugar Estate which was founded about 200 years ago .
In addition to the wooden Coffey Stills, they have a Single and a Double Wooden Pot Stills that originated in the Port Mourant Estate that was founded in 1732. These stills are more than 200 years old and were used to produce the Demerara Navy Rums. Today they are often called the Demerara Vat Stills, an old name for that type of still. It is the use of these unique stills and an age old process that the rums produced by Demerara owes their bold and wonderful flavors. Their experience making bold navy rums and deeply aromatic, heavy bodied and flavorful rums to the use of these very special stills.
The Third type of still employed by Demerara Distillery is the French Savalle Still. Demerara to this day uses it's original four column metal French Savalle Still. This still is know for it's sweet nose and a medium bodied, dry rums. This still is the one that produced the "single barrel" rums for the El Dorado Brands and is used in the blending of other El Dorado Rums.
The newer more modern version of the Savalle Still is very versatile and can produce rums that range from the very heavy bodied to the very light and delicate.
The El Dorado and Lemon Hart brands are probably the best known in the United States, and deservedly so. These rums are some of the finest anywhere and the long list of awards is a good indication of the quality of their products. If you go back to the "Tiki Era" you would almost always see the Demerara Brands called for in the famous cocktails of "Don the Beachcomber" and "Trade Vic", this wasn't a coincidence, but by design. Both of these men had a sense of taste that made their cocktails so special that they live on today some 60 years later.
Take a little time and try one of the El Dorado Brand Rums, my favorites are the 12 year old and 15 year old ones. Enjoy sipping the special unique flavors of this wonderful style found in the rum making techniques of Demerara. ;o)
