Spinnaker Rum - Guyana MPM 2012 (Port Mourant)

Reviewer: Tashtego

Distillery: Demerara Distillers Limited
Origin: Guyana
Bottle Size: 375 ml
Bottle Count: Exact number not given; website states “under 300” sets
ABV: 63.2%
Distilled: 2012
Base Material: Molasses
Still: Pot
Aging specs: 8.0 years at origin in an ex-bourbon cask; 4.4 years continental (UK); 0.4 years in Texas, recasked in Still Austin ex-bourbon
Bottled: 2025

Nose: Chocolate, gingerbread, cocoa, acorns
Palate: Chocolate cake, cherry, plum, rose petals, bourbon barrel, nectar (honeysuckle, columbine)
Finish: Scotch whisky

I’m not sure what the most famous distillery in the world is, but I do know what the most famous still is: Guyana’s Port Mourant wooden pot still. It’s legendary in the rum world for making distinct rums that have bold, herbal and even funky flavors. It’s possibly over 200 years old, and it’s made of greenheart wood from the Caribbean (the still is made of wood!). It’s been moved around a few times, and its wooden components changed over the years so it’s kind of a Ship of Theseus situation, but it’s still cranking out awesome rums.

This Port Mourant rum comes to us from new independent bottler Spinnaker out of Austin, Texas. Part of owner Kevin McBrayer’s initial four-rum release, this one was, like the others, bottled at cask strength and finished in bourbon barrels in Texas. This is a nice, tamed Port Mourant that’s a real crowd-pleaser. I get a lot of chocolate on the nose along with some spice, and a hint of oak from the barrel. On the palate, this is like a rich chocolate cherry cake with some flowery notes alongside some of the deep Demerara rum base flavors. You can taste the age and the Port Mourant notes, like you’re drinking this in a cedar cabin. The bourbon finish offers some acidic sourness that actually works as an effective counterpoint to the chocolate dessert flavors.

This comes in a 375 ml half bottle that’s a nice size if you’re a bottle collector. I go through bottles quite slowly, so I don’t mind smaller sizes. I like how he’s put tasting notes on the label, and the attention paid to the marketing and packaging is admirable. I don’t live anywhere near Texas, but I know Kevin’s done interactive tasting sessions, and he’s sent out helpful emails that go deep on the history and details of these rums.

This is a great sipper that’s almost like its own mixed drink. For Taste, it’s a 4. This is a nice example of how a Port Mourant can be approachable and fun. For Haste, I’ll give it’s a 4 as well. It’s available online, and at $59 for a half bottle, it’s priced right if you want to experiment with the Spinnaker lineup that includes rums from Hampden Estate, Worthy Park and Foursquare. Quite an impressive list of distilleries to launch a rum brand with!

Taste/Haste Scale: 4 / 4