El Dorado : Single Still Versailles 2009

Characteristics and tasting notes for El Dorado Single Still Versailles 2009

Tasting

Appearance
A golden to amber hue with hints of topaz and light copper. This rum has a beautiful texture, with well-formed legs clinging to the glass, a testament to its long tropical ageing.

Nose
The bouquet is intense and warm, led by indulgent notes of chocolate and cocoa. It then opens up to a rich palette of vanilla, caramel, dried fruit and toasted oak, subtly lifted by touches of plum and black liquorice and a delicate hint of cedarwood.

Palate
The attack is soft and round, immediately revealing a chocolatey, woody backbone. Highly aromatic and harmonious, the palate moves on to flavours of caramel, dried fruit, roasted coffee and sweet spices such as nutmeg. The finish is long and warming, marked by lingering wood and spice and elegant notes of cigar and leather, balanced by a very slight bitterness.

Pairings and tasting occasions
Best enjoyed neat at room temperature, ideally in a tulip glass to concentrate its aromas. This sipping rum is perfect at the end of a meal or during a relaxing evening. It pairs beautifully with dark chocolate, cocoa-based desserts and toasted nuts such as almonds and hazelnuts. Cheese lovers will enjoy it with aged hard cheeses or blue cheeses. Finally, its woody, smoky notes make it the ideal companion for a medium-bodied cigar.

Mixology
Although this is an exceptional spirit that we recommend enjoying neat, without embellishment, it can occasionally elevate sophisticated spirit-forward cocktails. It brings a remarkable chocolatey, woody dimension to a Rum Old Fashioned or a Rum Manhattan.

A chocolatey heritage rum from the Demerara Valley in Guyana

El Dorado and the legacy of Demerara Distillers Limited
Built on a heritage spanning more than three centuries, Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) is the last distillery still operating in Guyana. Located on the east bank of the Demerara River, it is the guardian of a priceless material heritage, housing the last 18th-century wooden stills inherited from the old plantations. It is in this living museum that the renowned El Dorado brand is produced, launched in 1992 to bring Guyanese rum to the global premium spirits market. Today, under the leadership of Komal R. Samaroo, Chairman and Chief Executive, the company combines tradition with modernity. It stands out for a major industrial expansion strategy and a pioneering environmental commitment, incorporating CO2 capture, biogas production and solar energy projects, while preserving the authenticity of its historic distillates.

The pure expression of a single still: Single Still Versailles 2009
This exceptional aged rum is the result of a unique heritage project aimed at isolating the aromatic signature of a single still. Single Still Versailles 2009 was distilled exclusively from molasses in the legendary Versailles Single Wooden Pot Still. Crafted from tropical hardwood, this 18th-century pot still, originally from the former French plantation L'Amirault, gives the spirit a particularly smooth texture and a distinctly cocoa-rich signature.

After distillation in 2009, this rum was aged for twelve years in the tropics in ex-bourbon American oak casks, deep within the warehouses of the Diamond distillery. Guyana's tropical equatorial climate, with its high humidity and high temperatures, accelerates the extraction of compounds from the wood and the concentration of aromas, delivering exceptional maturity despite a significant angels' share.

In keeping with the tradition of the historic "golden rums" of the Versailles plantation, a light caramel colouring is added before the rum is filled into casks, ensuring perfectly consistent colour. Bottled at 40% ABV and never blended with other distillates, this vintage is intended as an educational and accessible expression. It offers an ideal gateway for enthusiasts keen to understand how a centuries-old wooden still shapes the profile of a great spirit.