Demerara 70's

Cross-tastings of Demerara rums from the 70s, and more precisely of rums distilled via the double wooden Port Mourant still, unique in the world, and originating from a plantation (and distillery) founded in 1732… Rums aged largely in our latitudes (including the bottling from Velier). We can add the  Berry Bros Demerara rum 1975 , and the Cadenhead 1975 .

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Silver Seal Port Mourant 1975 / 51.1°

The Italian Silver Seal is not at its first mistake: it is indeed Port Mourant. Distilled in 1975 and bottled in 2013, there are two versions of the beast: one at 51.1° (139 bottles) that we will taste here, and another at 49.9° (and 159 bottles).

The color of this rum is dark mahogany, with bronze highlights, imposing with a rich robe and slow motion tears.

The nose is heavy and concentrated, ashy, with this humid woody Port Mourant, accompanied by liquorice; everything is caramelized, grilled, smoky, it sticks to your nostrils and it won't let go for a good quarter of an hour. The rest brings grilled dried fruits (raisins, prunes) and exotic fruits close to rot, still and always supported by liquorice.

A little more rest and the nose is now jammy, with quite a bit of black fruit, cherry, blackcurrant, all sweet and rather pleasant on the nose, even gourmand, with always in the background this damp woodiness (sawdust). A complex rum which evolves a lot with time.

The attack is lively and thick…woody, liquorice (black), with dried fruits (prunes) and a fairly present bitterness (black tea); It seems like an excessively woody, tannic infusion, in addition to being tonic. Fortunately the fruits bring a sweet side that counterbalances all this wood, and it is very good.

At the end of the mouth, a lot of wood, very black liquorice and molasses, it ends on bitterness with the impression of finishing a cup of cold and over-infused tea. Can a rum that has been left for so long really - and seriously - deliver anything else? As it sticks to the nostrils, it will stay in the mouth for a long time.

A tannic, tonic rum, which imposes itself and which makes the barrel speak, very well balanced by the fruits, as if the rum had aged in sherry casks? In addition, of course, to being a piece of history. Note: 88

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Silver Seal Port Morant 1975 / 49.9°

The second version of Silver Seal, this time at 49.9°, also from a single cask that produced 159 bottles. History tells us that the rum spent 8 years in Guyana before arriving in Europe for the rest of its aging.

The color is identical to the 51.1° version, dark mahogany and with an imposing and rich robe.

On the nose, we are still close to the other version, but we notice that the rum is a little less heavy and marked by the barrel, more fruity and dare we say, gourmet. Candied fruit especially, marzipan, and always this humid, ashy woodiness, molasses and very black liquorice. We even surprise more floral and elegant aromas. It is surprising to see so many differences between two barrels from the same year, and we understand better Massimo Righi's decision to want to release two separate bottlings.

The rest reinforces the presence of liquorice a little more, which now tends more towards zan, and always these jammy, smoked fruits.

The attack is very concentrated and fat (but less than the 51.1°), on molasses, wood and liquorice. We find raisins and prunes, tannins (but not so much considering the age); For comparison, this rum appears much less tannic than the other version, less powerful too, more delicate and suave, and better balanced.

The finish is necessarily long…and less abrupt than the 51.1 version, with sweet spices, and still this liquorice and black tea for a very well-balanced rum, and also less bitter.

Advantage to this version, less 'raw', more complex and balanced than its twin sister. Quite a few differences between two barrels that will have spent their entire existence together, but working differently over time. A must. Note: 92

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Velier Port Mourant 1974

Two barrels (for 364 bottles) were bottled in 2005 at 54.5°. It should be noted that Velier also has a 1972 and 1975 vintage, all aged largely in Europe. For the record, it was Yesu Perseaud who pushed Luca Gargano at the time to find these rums, supposedly exceptional vintages.

The color of this 1974 is mahogany, tending towards ruby, with a rich color, marked by the presence of a surface disc and lazy tears, in no hurry at all to touch the bottom.

The nose delivers unsurprisingly a lot of molasses, and more strangely a medicinal side that I did not know in Port Mourant. Papaya, blood orange, cherry for the fruits, fresh walnut, bitter chocolate and prune. A bittersweet nose, where we find liquorice, inseparable and timeless, and rather sweet spices (clove). The PM touch is less prominent than on the other rums, lurking in the shadows but very present. Very complex and excessively well-balanced nose.

The palate is concentrated and rather soft and sweet, on spicy dried fruits, mixed with very dark molasses, liquorice, tea and spices. The oak does not overdo it and the sensation is very pleasant, complex and very well balanced. We also find leather, and an iodized side that exults the aromas. Grandiose.

The finish is excessively long, always with this little sweet, sweet/salty side (dried fruits/iodine), and the liquorice, tobacco, and oak which has the good idea of ​​still not overdoing it, once again. The spices come back (clove) and the rum will leave a long memory of its passage.

A rum this old and without a massive oak imprint, it's a masterstroke, a real lesson... Unique. Rating: 94

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Velier Port Mourant 1975

Casked in 1975 and bottled by Velier in 2008, that is 33 years of aging for this rum which will also have spent most of its time in the United Kingdom (like the 72 and 74). From 3 casks having given 518 bottles at 56.7°. 2 years more than the 1974…

A deep mahogany color, tending towards ruby, very rich.

The nose is very concentrated and rich. Lots of molasses, caramelized, oak but very sweet, surely thanks to this caramel which seems very present in this resinous, balsamic mixture. Dried fruits too, with blond grapes at the top, with always this melted and sweetish side which remains present throughout. The more time we give it, the darker it becomes, and draws on forest honey for a heavy atmosphere...and sticky on the nose.

The palate is very thick, even honeyed, on burnt molasses, liquorice, raisins, caramel, with dried banana and spices that become peppery; they have the good idea of ​​giving it some substance and contrasting with this honeyed/sweet side.

The finish is very long, warm and spicy, with some caramelized oak for a long persistence.

A rather concentrated and viscous PM version in the mouth, as if the European aging had been shorter for this one. Dark rum par excellence, without the overly woody side, but perhaps a bit too thick and caramelized. Score: 86

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Gordon MacPhail Demerara 1974

A rum that comes to us from the Scottish bottler Gordon & MacPhail, distilled in 1974 and bottled in 2003 at a full 50°.

Dark mahogany color, fat and imposing like the first two rums. The disc on the surface seems to recall once again the years spent in the barrel.

The nose is all about toasted molasses, and will reign supreme throughout, taking over everything else, to excess. Dark rum par excellence, heavy, let's even say cumbersome with its share of dried fruits (plum, raisins), always toasted and excessively woody, and this molasses which happily takes over again. Apart from that, it's hard to see anything else, it's a monologue that the rum offers us. In any case, it promises a mouth with woody and burnt aromas...

The palate is oily and delivers a packet of dried fruits (prunes, raisins) infused with molasses, wood and licorice. It is rich, warm, and the tannins, even if necessarily present, are less so than on the Silver Seal bottling, spicy (black pepper). The finish is long, on the same impression as in the mouth with a persistence that is matched only by the age of the rum. Notes of tobacco join the goodbyes, depositing a slight bitterness.

A rum that has everything of the dark rum of a certain era (Samaroli is also good in the same genre); and by dark I mean a very present molasses, very burnt, for a rum certainly atypical but not very pleasant. Note: 76

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High Spirit Fine Old Demerara 1975

High Spirit is an Italian bottler that has released - among others - many old demerara, including some bottles of Port Mourant (notably a 1976 vintage bottled in 2008 at 60.8°), a 1974 Enmore showing 29 years, as well as other more classic bottles. This 1975 vintage was selected by Old Whisky and bottled in 2007 at 52°, after 32 years of aging.

An outrageously dark color, leaning more towards coffee for a greasy dress. The darkest of all, certainly.

The nose mixes wood, liquorice and molasses, quite alcoholic it will need a lot of aeration. Even after a long time, the oak is still present, a real decoction, with coffee, dried fruits and leather for a hyper concentrated result. A little more zan later.

The palate is very concentrated, initially fruity (on dried fruits) and quickly woody, tannic, black with a good share of liquorice and warm spices, leather.

The finish is long, on liquorice, tobacco and spices. We would almost expect more, and longer, but it's already not bad.

Another bad boy, a very dark rum that speaks for itself, and therefore the barrel. It could be criticized for a lack of complexity and length compared to some other rums. Score: 83

Several expressions of Port Mourant, often very old, and all synonymous with quality. Even if the Gordon MacPhail bottling leaves something to be desired (and there is no confirmation that it comes from the PM still), the others are incontestably part of the category of very great rums, and particularly the Velier 1974 and the Silver Seal 1975 at 49.9°. With a slight advantage to the second for its jammy side which erases the tannins a little more, flatters them and highlights the rum well.

To help you (and me) find your way around, regarding the notes:

90 and + : exceptional and unique rum, it is the best of the best
between 85 and 89 : highly recommended rum, with that little something that makes the difference
between 80 and 84 : recommendable rum
75-79 POINTS : above average
70-74 POINTS : in the low average
less than 70 : not very good

Review courtesy of DuRhum.com.

From the folks behind DuRhum, Velier, and more, comes a premium online marketplace for rum enthusiasts by rum enthusiasts! Do check out www.rowspirits.fr for more great content and iconic rums!