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In part 2 of Pete's Rum Explorer's Guide, we explore the Guyana releases.

Because of its connection with Navy Rum, Guyana feels like a fairly well known Rum producing nation, and if we went back a couple of hundred years we’d find many distilleries across the country - one for each sugar plantation. Over the years though, the drive for efficiency, and then nationalisation meant that the last distillery remaining is home to a collection of wonderful stills relocated from around the country. These are the heritage stills and they are pretty much unique in the world of Rum production, with original construction dating back several centuries.

We have a couple of Rums in portfolio that were distilled at distilleries that are now closed (i.e. Enmore and Uitvlugt), but our main selection hails from Diamond Distillery, the home of Demerara Distillers Limited on the banks of the Demerara River, not far from Georgetown.

Our opener is the Diamond Distillery (Versailles Still), our 14 Year Old Batch 3 - a marque designated as SXG, which is actually a five cask blend, the youngest from 2004 - hence the age - but also casks from 2003, and 2002. We follow the rules of youngest Rum defines the age of the blend though! The Versailles is a Single Wooden Pot Still - yeap - predominantly made from Greenheart Oak (but with copper in all the right places). Boutique-y Pete describes this as being very, very drinkable, and suitable for all Rum drinkers. Neat, over ice or a with a splash of water, or perhaps in an Old Fashioned, or long with ginger ale, or tonic?

Each of the Diamond Versailles series have been different production marques: Batch 1 MDX, Batch 2 KFM & Batch 3 SXG.

Our next Rum was produced on the famous Port Mourant, double wooden Pot Still, a key component in so many Navy Rum blends and carrying a distinctive note - sort of burnt rubber, but in a nice way. This 11 Year Old, Batch 2 release balances a lovely grip of oak, with the distinctive heavy burnt rubber and a gentle menthyl note. Rich and oily in the mouth, prickly, spicy in the finish. Absolutely lovely!

Two different production marques have featured in our Diamond Distillery (Port Mourant) range: Batch 1 MPM, Batch 2 AW, Batch 3 MPM

We have a new release coming in the new year that features another of the Heritage Stills at Diamond Distillery, but that's for another time. No - our final rum for now is actually listed as Unconfirmed Still. Why? Well delicious Rums come into our possession, and sometimes they don’t always have all the details still visible to us. But when we trust our sources we are happy to release them, with the admission we can’t tell you everything on this occasion. Doesn’t stop us from speculating, and we’re pretty confident, but a guess isn’t good enough, so we’d challenge you to see if you can work out “What Still is it Anyway?” One thing we are 100% agreed on here at Boutique-y Rum HQ is that it is absolutely delicious. Please do share your thoughts when you’ve tried it.