Roots Diamond Rum SVL 2003

Roots bottled this single cask Diamond from 2003, giving it just over 20 years of age. Diamond's French metal Savalle still is the lightest and cleanest of the Guyanese heritage stills, the workhorse behind much of El Dorado, and it leans toward molasses, toffee and soft wood rather than the oily anise of the pot stills.

Drawn from a single ex-bourbon cask and bottled unsweetened at 51.6%, it shows caramel, dried fruit and coffee with allspice, charred wood and an earthy edge. The strength is judged for drinkability rather than impact, so it reads a touch lighter and more relaxed than some cask-strength bottlings of similar age. A good choice for someone who wants mature, drier Demerara without aggression, sipped neat.