SBS Guyana Port Mourant 1990 53.1° C

SBS Guyana Port Mourant 1990 is a very old molasses rum distilled in one of the world's most legendary stills. This double wooden pot-still is the backbone of the Demerara style. It was used on the Port Mourant plantation in the Demerara region. It had been there since the early 19th century, before the distillery closed in 1955. After a stint at the Uitvlugt distillery, he landed at the Diamond distillery in 2000. This is the only distillery in the country still in operation. The Port Mourant style (mark PM) is essential to many blends, including those of the distillery's official brand, El Dorado.

This rum was distilled in 1990, while the still was still in Uitvlugt. It aged for over 30 years in old bourbon casks. It was bottled brut de fût in February 2021. Only 192 bottles were produced from this single cask.

Pauline's tasting notes

The nose is almost vinous. It opens with red fruits. On aeration, they become candied. Prune notes with a light woody backdrop emerge. Dried vanilla is accompanied by hints of leather.

On the palate, the attack is spicy. A subtle smoky backdrop heralds notes of leather. The mellow woodiness gives it structure. Dried fruits follow.

The woody finish lingers on dried fruit and spices.

Nico's tasting notes

The nose is typical of the Demerara style, with a woodiness bursting with molasses and roasted nuts. A candied, almost smoky vegetal emerges from the damp wood. As you approach it, it melts into a jam of very mature, ancient fruit, with an almost creamy edge.

With aeration, we go a little further into the darkness of molasses, immersing ourselves between the dark fibers of the wood. We find a balsamic, fermented concentration that inevitably evokes soy sauce, and even Maggi aroma.

The palate is roasted and even smoky, with moist wood whose fibers are saturated with molasses and black caramel. The nuts are inevitably in tune. They're toasted to perfection, with a few wisps of smoke still evolving around them. Strong spices mingle with an animal side of leather and resinous vegetation that's a little past its prime, creating an almost organic character.

The finish is long, coppery and roasted, with brown tobacco, scorched spices and lightly ashen nuts.

"A big old Demerara that smells of powder and molasses..."