Diamond RA Rum 1998

Bottled by Germany's Heinz Eggert under the Rum Artesanal label, this is a single cask Diamond from 1998 off the Savalle still, with 20 years of age. The Savalle normally gives a clean toffee-and-chocolate Demerara, but this particular cask took an unusual turn, leaning hard into bitter citrus.

Matured in ex-bourbon and bottled unsweetened at 52%, it is dominated by bitter orange and orange peel, with herbs, anise and oak alongside and a dry, spicy finish. The strength is nicely judged for neat sipping, and the rum drinks cleanly despite its assertive citrus character. This is a quirky, distinctive bottle rather than a textbook Diamond, one for curious drinkers who enjoy bitter-orange and herbal notes and want a Guyanese single cask that does something different, taken neat.