Description

Cadenhead’s Aged 12 Years Diamond Distillery Guyana Rum (700ml)

Volume: 700ml           ABV: 55%           Age: 12 Years Old            Country: Guyana

The Rum

Experience the raw, industrial power of Guyanese distilling with the Cadenhead’s Diamond Distillery 2012 12 Year Old. Distilled in 2012 at the world famous Diamond Distillery in Guyana—the last remaining distillery in the country—this expression was bottled in 2024/2025 at a formidable 55% ABV. This 700ml release is a pure, single cask style rum that has been matured for 12 years in the cool climate of Scotland, allowing for a steady and sophisticated interaction with the wood.

This bottling likely originates from one of Diamond’s iconic heritage stills, such as the Port Mourant Double Wooden Pot Still or the Versailles Single Wooden Pot Still. Bottled by Cadenhead’s without any chill-filtration, added sugar, or artificial colouring, it offers a “high-definition” look at the heavy, oily, and intensely aromatic spirit that has made Guyana a legend among rum collectors. At 55% ABV, it delivers an explosive and uncompromised tasting experience.

Our Tasting Notes

Nose: Bold and complex. You are greeted by deep aromas of burnt sugar, molasses, and dark chocolate, followed by a distinctive “industrial” note of engine oil and old leather. As it opens, lighter notes of stewed plums, tobacco leaf, and a hint of salinity emerge.

Palate: The mouthfeel is exceptionally heavy and viscous. Initial flavours of bitter espresso and charred oak are balanced by the sweetness of raisins and black treacle. Mid-palate, it reveals a spicy complexity of cloves, black pepper, and aniseed, typical of the historic Guyanese wooden stills.

Finish: Long, powerful, and drying. The finish lingers with smokey oak tannins, dark cocoa, and a persistent, savoury note of dried herbs and dunder funk.

The Distillery

The Diamond Distillery (Demerara Distillers Ltd) is a living museum of rum history. Located on the east bank of the Demerara River, it houses a collection of historic stills rescued from closed distilleries across Guyana, including the world’s only working wooden pot stills and wooden Coffey stills. A unique factual detail: The wood used in these stills is Greenheart, a native Guyanese hardwood that is incredibly dense and rot-resistant, which imparts a singular, heavy bodied character to the spirit that cannot be replicated by modern steel or copper equipment.

Overall Review

The Cadenhead’s Diamond 12 Year Old is widely reviewed as a “powerhouse” of a rum, praised for its authentic, additive free presentation. Critics have lauded its intense wood influence and high-proof delivery, making it a top tier choice for enthusiasts of the traditional, heavy Demerara style.