Distillery

Demerara Distillers Ltd

Demerara Distillers is the most extraordinary distillery on Earth. As Guyana's only surviving rum maker, its Diamond plant is a living museum that still runs the world's last wooden pot stills and the last wooden Coffey still, alongside modern columns. From them it draws 24 different marks and blends them into El Dorado.

  • Iconic Demerara flavor profile
  • Historic wooden pot stills
  • Wide range of aged rum
Loved by Tim , Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰, BTHHo 🥃 & 1,185 more

RumX market intelligence

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Community score
7.8/10
ratings
3,521
bottles catalogued
249
available to buy now
55

Award-Winning Rums from Demerara Distillers Ltd

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DDL El Dorado 12

DDL El Dorado 12 DDL El Dorado 12
Guyana · 12 years · 40%

Sweet, smooth Demerara starter

7.3 /10 · 500 reviews
32 €
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Best value from Demerara Distillers Ltd

Highest community ratings for the price, from live offers.

DDL El Dorado 3

DDL El Dorado 3 DDL El Dorado 3
Guyana · 3 years · 40%

Solid mixer for classic cocktails

6.4 /10 · 41 reviews
19 €
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DDL El Dorado 5

DDL El Dorado 5 DDL El Dorado 5
Guyana · 5 years · 40%

Sweet, simple Demerara mixer

6.1 /10 · 47 reviews
18 €
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DDL El Dorado 8

DDL El Dorado 8 DDL El Dorado 8
Guyana · 8 years · 40%

Sweet, toasty Demerara mixer

6.8 /10 · 129 reviews
25 €
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The RumX Guide to Demerara Distillers Ltd

The last distillery in Guyana

When Guyana's estates closed one by one, their stills were saved and moved to the Diamond complex south of Georgetown. Today DDL is the country's only rum distillery, running roughly fourteen sets of apparatus that make 24 distinct marks, from a small copper pot to a steel multi-column tower. No distillery anywhere holds this much history under one roof.

The wooden stills

The heart of Diamond is its wood. The Port Mourant double wooden vat still, traced to 1732, is the last of its kind on Earth and the source of the heavy, oily PM mark synonymous with navy rum. Beside it sit the Versailles single wooden vat (VSG) and the Enmore wooden Coffey still from the 1880s (EHP), the only wooden Coffey still left in the world. All are built from greenheart.

Savalle, Coffey and the modern stills

The metal stills are just as storied. The French Savalle column, from the old Uitvlugt distillery, recreates nine marks, including those of vanished estates like Albion and Skeldon. The 1950s Diamond Coffey stills make the SVW mark, and a small John Dore pot makes DHE, a high-ester rum reaching levels Jamaica is not allowed to export. Two modern vacuum columns handle the lighter Diamond Reserve styles.

El Dorado, navy rum and the bulk trade

DDL's own brand is El Dorado, with the 15 Year its signature and the 12 Year the everyday workhorse. Around 60 percent of Diamond's output still leaves in bulk, and if a label says Demerara rum it almost certainly started here: Pusser's, Lemon Hart, Lamb's and Wood's all rely on it. Since around 2016 the Demerara Rum Geographical Indication protects the name.

Most popular vs highest rated

On RumX the official El Dorado range, led by the 21 Year and 15 Year, is the entry point. The highest scores go to aged single-mark rum bottled by independents: Velier and Cadenhead vintages of Uitvlugt, Port Mourant, Albion and Skeldon climb past 9.5/10, with one old Uitvlugt at 9.9. Few distilleries can claim both a supermarket staple and the very top of the collector market.

How the crew scored it Demerara Distillers Ltd

RumX's 0–10 scale is strict , 7.8 lands squarely in the "Good" band. 75% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 2% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →

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Flavour profile of Demerara Distillers Ltd

Most frequently mentioned flavors

Aroma

Woody Vanilla Caramel Dried fruit

Taste

Woody Vanilla Caramel Dried fruit

Frequently Asked Questions about Demerara Distillers Ltd

Its own brands El Dorado and Diamond Reserve, plus large volumes of bulk rum for navy-style brands like Pusser’s, Lemon Hart and Lamb’s. Everything is distilled at the one Diamond plant in Guyana.

Three survive: the Port Mourant double wooden vat still (traced to 1732), the Versailles single wooden vat, and the Enmore wooden Coffey still (1880s). They are the last wooden stills of their kind in the world, all built from greenheart and now run at Diamond.

The world’s last working double wooden pot still, traced back to the Port Mourant estate in 1732. It makes the heavy, oily PM mark that defines British navy rum, which brands like Pusser’s and Lamb’s try to emulate.

El Dorado is DDL’s flagship Demerara rum brand, launched internationally in the early 1990s. The 15 Year is its most famous expression, blended from several of Diamond’s stills.

As Guyana’s other distilleries closed, Diamond inherited their stills rather than scrap them, consolidating three centuries of distilling. It now runs about fourteen sets of apparatus and makes 24 different marks, each with its own character.

RumX offers the world’s largest selection of rum through our innovative shop-in-shop marketplace, similar to Amazon. For Demerara Distillers Ltd rums, we currently have 217 offers starting from €15.00 across 31 partner shops including ROW Spirits, Spirit Academy, Rum Piraten, Whiskysite.nl, Rum & Co, Slijterij & Wijnhuis Zeewijck. Our platform compares prices in real-time from specialized rum retailers worldwide, ensuring you always find the best deals.

The RumX database currently contains 249 different rums from Demerara Distillers Ltd. This includes various expressions, limited editions, and bottlings across different age statements and proof levels. Our community has contributed over 3521 reviews for Demerara Distillers Ltd rums, making it one of the most comprehensive resources for exploring this brand’s full range. New releases are added regularly as they become available.

According to the RumX community, Cadenhead‘s DDL Pot Still Guyana PDW 1972 29yr 60,9% is currently the highest-rated Demerara Distillers Ltd rum with an impressive rating of 9.1/10 based on 18 reviews. This expression has earned praise for its exceptional quality and represents the pinnacle of what Demerara Distillers Ltd has to offer. However, taste is subjective, and we encourage you to explore the full range to find your personal favorite.
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Rating guide

RumX's 0–10 scale is strict. Here's what each band means.

9.0–10.0 Excellent Stash as many as you can afford. Tell no one.
8.0–8.9 Very good Bank a backup. Tell everyone you meet.
7.0–7.9 Good Buy one and recommend it to your friends.
6.0–6.9 Pleasant Solid, super glad I drank it.
5.0–5.9 Average Totally acceptable.
4.0–4.9 Drinkable Not vocally complaining.
3.0–3.9 Poor Wish I was drinking something else.
2.0–2.9 Very poor Nothing nice to say.
1.0–1.9 Unpleasant No, that's not for me.
0.1–0.9 Inedible Pour it out.