PORT MOURANT PM 1997 57,9% EL DORADO RARE COLLECTION

Distilled on the legendary Port Mourant double wooden pot still, Tropically aged for 20 years in former bourbon barrels and bottled at full proof in 2017, this is part of the El Dorado range.

The Uitvlugt distillery was founded around 1750 in the homonymous town of British Guyana on the banks of Demerara river. At that time protectorate of Holland, it takes its name from Ignatius Uitvlugt, a rich Dutch planter, who owned an enormous sugar plantation. The rapid nationalization of the sugar factories and their distilleries in 1974, with the consequent flight of foreign capital, created tremendous management difficulties, which led the Government to decide to dismantle the various distilleries, leaving only one active.

Originally operating double wooden pot stills, these were replaced by a four column French Savalle still in 1920s. In 1950s Port Mourant distillery was also dismantled by Government’s decision and its double wooden pot still, transferred to Uitvlugt. In 1994, the Enmore distillery suffered the same fate and its EHP wooden coffey still and Versailles single wooden pot still, were also moved to Uitvlugt.

The Uitvlugt distillery closed at the end of 1999 and its precious stills, know to date as the “Heritage Stills”, transferred to Demerara Distillers ltd. The unique mark used to identify Uitvlugt rum is ICBU, acronym for Ignatius Charles Bourda Uitvlugt. 

THE BRAND

Demerara Distillers Ltd (DDL), founded in 1770 along the Demerara River and currently owned by the Government of Guyana, is the only distillery still operating in the country, and owner of the largest stock of old rums in the world, which currently produces the El Dorado rum line and other excellent selections.

Located near the capital Georgetown, it can rely on the highest quality of molasses, thanks to a territory that represents one of the last still unspoiled paradises, almost entirely covered in virgin Amazonian forest.

Before World War II, there were still 9 distilleries active within Guyana, but after the war, 8 of them were closed by government decision. Thanks to the farsightedness of Yesu Persaud, legendary president of the DDL, their incredible historical heritage represented by centuries-old alembics, has come down to us.

All the alembics were transferred to the DDL, and to date 13 of them are still operating including 3 double columns Coffey still ‘Tricanada', 2 modern multiple columns of Indian technology, 2 savalle still, 1 wooden double pot still (Port Mourant), 1 wooden single pot (Versailles), 1 wooden Coffey column (Enmore), 1 Wedderburn style copper still, 1 traditional copper still and 1 small gin still batch.

Known today as  the “Heritage Stills”, they represent a delightful dive into the history.