El Dorado Rum
El Dorado is Guyana's liquid gold, distilled on wooden stills found nowhere else on earth. The name is borrowed from the myth of the lost city that lured explorers deep into the jungle — and the rum itself, some say, finally made good on that legend's promise. |
About El Dorado Rum
El Dorado is produced by Demerara Distillers in Guyana, where sugarcane has grown since the 1600s and where the rum is still distilled on a collection of historic wooden and metal stills, several rescued from now-closed plantation distilleries and kept running as living museum pieces. Tropical maturation at 30-34 degrees ages the rum far faster than in temperate climates, giving deep colour and intense flavour in relatively few years, which has made the 15-year expression in particular a repeat winner of "World's Best Rum" at the International Wine & Spirit Competition. Collectors chase the single-still releases from the individual historic stills, while newcomers find an easy entry point in the 12-year flagship.
History & Background
Demerara Distillers formed in 1983 through a merger of several plantation distilleries along the Demerara River, but the roots trace back to 1670, when the first sugar plantations were established by Dutch colonists. As most of the region's distilleries closed during the 20th century, the company gathered their unique stills under one roof, including the famous wooden "Enmore" column and the "Port Mourant" double pot still, both still running today. That makes El Dorado a rare chance to taste rum from several extinct distillation styles in a single bottle.
History & Background
The Demerara region has a rum-producing history spanning several centuries, rooted in the many small sugar plantations along the Demerara River. Through consolidation of these plantations, stills from several historic distilleries - including Enmore, Versailles, and Port Mourant - were gathered in one place, making El Dorado a living collection of rum history.
Production & Style
El Dorado distils using a unique collection of historic stills, including wooden pot stills and the famous Coffey still, each giving different rum styles their own distinct character.
Signature Style
Dark, Molasses-Driven, Complex
The flavour offers a deep, dark sweetness with notes of molasses, wood, and spice, shaped by the historic distillation methods.
Facts
| Founded | 1670 (roots of distilling); DDL established 1983 |
| Pronounced | "el doh-RAH-doh" |
| Distillery | Demerara Distillers Limited |
| Region | Demerara |
| Country | Guyana |
| Owner | Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) |
| Raw material | Molasses |
| Ageing climate | Tropical climate on the Demerara river gives fast maturation |
| Official website | theeldoradorum.com |
Did You Know?
El Dorado is distilled partly on wooden stills that are over 200 years old and still in active use - a rarity in the global rum industry.
If you like El Dorado, you should also try:
Foursquare Rom, Appleton Estate Rom and Compagnie des Indes Rom.