Port Mourant & Uitvlugt & Diamond El Dorado Blended In The Barrel PM ICBU SVW 2010

This DDL release blends three of Guyana's heritage stills in one barrel: the heavy Port Mourant double wooden pot, the cleaner Uitvlugt Savalle column and the workhorse Diamond. Bottled at 49.6% and nine years old, it sits a clear step up in strength and character from the standard El Dorado age statements while keeping the house's approachable style.

Distilled from molasses across pot and column stills and finished in Port casks, it shows nuts, molasses and orange on the nose, then caramel, toasted wood and spice on the palate, with a salty, peppery, anise-tinged finish. There is a touch of sweetness here, in keeping with the brand. The Diamond brings caramel, Port Mourant the herbs and spice, Uitvlugt the bitter pencil-shaving wood, making this a tidy introduction to how Guyana's stills differ.