Nobilis Diamond No. 24 UDS 2002

Nobilis Rum bottled this 20 Year Old as a single cask off the Savalle still at Diamond, a 2002 Demerara left unsweetened at 52.7%. The Savalle is a French metal column still producing the cleanest, most refined Guyanese spirit, and two decades of ageing have given this a soft, well-integrated character where fruit and wood share the stage.

The nose mixes caramel, vanilla, peaches and a faint glue note that quickly gives way, and the palate brings dried fruit, raisin and vanilla over elegant oak. The finish carries chocolate, raisin, orange peel and more wood. The alcohol is very well integrated for the strength, and a natural sweetness from long maturation complements the expression without any additives behind it. This is a gentle, refined reading of Diamond, tropical fruit and classy wood in balance rather than the bold, roasted style some single casks take. An elegant, easygoing Guyanese single cask that rewards a rest in the glass and suits drinkers who like their Demerara softly spoken.