What is it? A right treat, for a start! This rum is from the Port Mourant still, owned by Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) and is molasses based, making it Pure Single Rum. The rum was distilled in 1990 and aged for 14 years (no details of where, but looks to be in Europe), at which point it was bought and transferred into Olorso sherry casks for further ageing – this was done until bottling, in this case 2013 by Rum Nation, but there are some other bottles out there from the same parcel of rum that was aged for 25 years and bottled in 2015.

Not coloured, but chill filtered and bottled at 45% abv.

Sugar: No

Nose: Incredible, exactly what you’d hope for with a well aged Demerara; deep brown sugar (muscavado), really smooth black coffee like a Colombian or Guatemalan, damp leaves, pipe tobacco, really old leather chairs, muddy boots and some roasted chestnuts. Really beautiful soft oak, liquorice, clove, rich vanilla and raisins. There is a savoury side of aniseed balls, black olives and diesel in there too. The smells are all very “big” and rich.

Palate: Full mouth, oily. Old sherry aged whisky for sure, lots of rancio, forest floors and meaty mushrooms. The deep brown sugar arrives with coffee beans, chocolate, marzipan, plums, figs, raisins again and handful of black grapes. Lots of sweet eating liquorice, aniseed, clove, leather and sweet tobacco. A touch of rubber bands, sticking plasters and the back of a stamp keep things interesting.

Finish: Long. Liquorice in bucket loads here, some anise, vanilla and milk chocolate. There is a buzz of black pepper and menthol that pops up, just to keep you on your toes. Roasted nuts again, marzipan topped Christmas cake and a good glug of dry sherry.

Thoughts? Fabulous stuff. This is just what old Navy style Demerara should taste like; big, rich, bold and brooding flavours right through, and slightly dirty too. From nose to finish it is massively complex and deep, sure it’s not perfectly balanced but the pay off is volume and depth of flavour – i’ll take that without issue here.

I paid £100 for this, and honestly would again without much thought. My only issue is that it’s a bit too easy on approach, I’d love to see this at 50% abv, it’d be another level of rum altogether.