Mezan are in Independent bottler from the UK.  This Mezan Guyana 2005 is another rum they have been able to source from DDL.

Mezan have been offering good quality Independently bottled rums from a variety of distilleries for a good number of years now.  They have offered numerous vintages and marques.

As with all Mezan bottlings this rum is very keenly priced – around £35 for a 70cl bottle here in the UK.  Mezan’s presentation is consistent with only the island/country of note and the shield ever changing depending on the origin of the rum.  Recently they have began packaging some of their rums with cardboard protective sleeves.  This is one that has benefited from that. In the UK this rum will set you back around £35-40.

As well as bringing us the range of Mezan rums the owner Neil Mathieson is also involved with distributor Marussia Beverages who import Foursquare rums (amongst others) to the UK and Europe.

As already noted this Guyana rum comes in Mezan’s familiar bottle – a rounded stubby bottle with a simple colour scheme.  The card sleeve gives you a lot of information regarding the rum.  This is a pot still rum from the Port Mourant still at DDL.  Mezan are relatively inexpensive so its perhaps underrstandable to learn that the ABV for this rum is 40%.  Like most of their other rums.

I’ve previously reviewed a Mezan Guyana rum from the Uitvlugt column still which I found to be fairly average.

In the glass the Mezan Guyana 2005 is a gold/straw colour.  In keeping with Mezan’s ethos the rum has not been coloured.  The only process other than ageing and bottling that Mezan undertake is a light filtration of the rum.  As a result the rum is clear and doesn’t show any “haze”.

The nose is quite powerful.  Strong notes of aniseed and licorice alongside black bananas and quite heavy sweet and sour spice from the bourbon oak.  This rum has been aged solely in ex-bourbon barrels.  There is a savoury slightly malty note – a little twang of whisky.  It’s quite inviting.

Sipping on this rum reveals a lot more of the sweetness.  You get a lot of the aniseed and licorice notes that are perhaps what is distinctive about the Port Mourant still.  It’s quite a fresh tasting spirit.  There’s nothing “sugary” or syrupy about this rum.  It is isn’t what I would call hugely complex or rich like the Velier Demerara’s.  However, what flavours that you do get are well defined and enjoyable.

It’s intial sweetness gives way to a more savoury spirit.  Slightly salty and almost sweet and sour with all the tangy spices.  It’s a rum which has really interacted with the cask.  As already touched upon this is a clean, largely uncomplicated rum.

As a Pot Still rum it is reasonably aggressive.  The 40% ABV may have clipped its wings a little but I don’t get much sense that I have lost a lot of flavour.  It’s still reasonably challenging and definitely not a beginners rum.

European Aged Demerara’s can be quite complicated and difficult to judge.  Compared to Tropically Aged Indies and DDL’s own output they are in many ways completely different rums.  Which is something you need to be aware of before buying such bottlings.

Factoring in how inexpensive this bottling is I feel that as long as you have done your homework  you are unlikely to be too disappointed with this rum.  It’s not a show stopper and it isn’t sweet in El Dorado terms but it is a solid example of Pot Still rum from the Port Mourant still.

Good if not quite great.  Solid, workmanlike rum which won’t bowl you over but is nicely made all the same and goes down easily and pleasantly enough.