Diamond & Port Mourant El Dorado Blended In The Barrel SV PM 2010

This El Dorado bottling from DDL itself blends Diamond and Port Mourant distillate from 2010, aged in the barrel for 9 years and finished in Port casks. It pairs the clean toffee character of the Diamond Savalle still with a measure of the heavier Port Mourant pot still, the latter held back here rather than dominant.

Bottled at 49.1%, it drinks sweet, rounded and approachable, with caramel, dark chocolate, herbs and a light mint note. As a DDL release the softness sits with the brand's house style, so this is comfort more than power, and some drinkers wanting full Port Mourant intensity will find it restrained. Taken on its own terms it is an easy, gently spiced stepping stone for someone moving from El Dorado's flagships toward single-still Demerara.