Duncan Taylor 1997 Guyana 17-Year

This is a single cask rum (one of only 302 bottles) from the now-defunct Uitvlugt Distillery in Guyana. It was distilled in 1997 and aged in oak for 17 years before being bottled in December of 2015 at 105.6 proof. Because of the high proof I swirled it in the glass for a few minutes to release some of the alcohol. It's a beautiful golden rum resplendent with the aroma of peaches, bananas and mildly spicy oak. Upon tasting it I note bananas, acetone, green peppers and honey. There is some heat in the finish which dissolves quickly. A unique rum.

Light gold colour. The first nose is on a woody present almost like a damp undergrowth after the storm. It's vegetal, there are also exotic fruits and vanilla. The second nose gives more pastry notes with butter, milk chocolate. On the palate, we have a very well-structured rum with a nice attack always very pastry. It's long in the mouth with a final on spices, pepper, chilli. It's beautiful.

What a big disappointment the Duncan Taylor 17y Guyana rum 1997 from Diamond Distilleries really was. I thought of a very high end El Dorado lookalike rum, but no, this is a glue and rubber smelling and tasting rum from Guyana, very similar to the Jamaican glue rums. Just simply awful stuff.