1. “PORT MOURANT” HISTORY

According to Demerara Distillers Ltd (DDL) the Port Mourant Sugar Estate was founded in 1732.  However, a map from 1802 shows that the entire region around this estate was planted solely to cotton at that time. Moreover, no source until 1813 mentions the name “Port Mourant”, which it is now known must have been a cotton plantation founded by Stephen Mourant along the Berbice river.

Cotton quickly went out of fashion and at some time between 1813 and 1821 the estate must have shifted towards growing coffee and sugar instead. Consequently, it doesn’t make much sense that a distillery might have been at work before that period.

What is known is that a distillery did operate at Port Mourant until and that the last active year of production there seems to have been 1955. It was just another victim of rationalisation measures by the Booker’s group.

The “Port Mourant” Wooden Double Vat Still was then seemingly moved to Albion Distillery and later, after Albion’s closure (1967-1969), moved again to to Uitvlugt Distillery, Booker’s main distillery. All available Port Mourant rums up until 1999 were distilled at Uitvlugt Distillery, before some of the remaining Guyanese rum stills were finally consolidated at DDL.

Concerning the year stated by DDL (1732), there’s a theory that if this number was engraved in the copper parts of the Port Mourant still, DDL might have mistaken it as the founding date of the estate.  But what if Stephen Mourant simply bought the still from an upstream or other estate in the region?  Perhaps the metal parts were just bought following the easing of trade relations in 1732 and then combined with the native Guyanese wood. If this is correct, the still, or parts of it might indeed date back further than the period 1813-1821.

  1. UITVLUGT DISTILLERY

Uitvlugt (pronounced “eye-flut”) is a village in Guyana, located on the West bank of the Demerara River.  The name is Dutch.   Back in the 17th century, most sugar cane plantations produced their own rum.  The Dutch-owned Uitvlugt Distillery was established around 1750, housing double wooden pot stills that produced a heavy style rum.

However, the spread of Coffey’s continuous still and competition to pursue the lucrative European export markets accelerated a decline.   By 1970, there were just four distilleries left in Guyana.   The process culminated in 1974-75 with the Government privatising the sugar plantations and distilleries and amalgamating them into one large distillery owned by what was termed the Guyana Liquor Corporation.   The process was completed when Enmore Distillery closed in 1993 and Uitvlugt Distillery in 2000.

The stills and other equipment from these distilleries were moved to the Diamond Distillery, leaving this as the sole surviving distillery in Guyana.

  1. THE “PORT MOURANT” STILL

In the foreground of this photo is the famous and much travelled Port Mourant still …..

Interesting, to say the least!

  1. SEVENTIES “PORT MOURANT” RUMS

So, “Port Mourant” rums distilled in the Seventies were distilled in a very famous still.  What’s more, at the time of distillation, this still was located in the iconic lost Ultvgult Distillery.  Hence, perhaps, why the few Seventies Port Mourant rums ever bottled are very, very highly prized by rum drinkers, collectors and investors alike.

  1. PORT MOURANT 1974 41YO FROM SKENE WHISKIES

Later in Summer 2021, Skene Scotch Whisky is set to bottle its first ever rum.

Incredibly, this will be a Port Mourant 41 yo distilled in 1974 at Uitvgult Distillery.   Make sure that you don’t miss out on this historical heritage release by pre-registering your interest. Simply email andrew@skenewhisky.com