Diamond Reserve Overproof Rum

Diamond Reserve Overproof Rum is real Demerara rum at 151 proof — which matters, because most overproofs are neutral firewater. Demerara Distillers Limited runs the last distillery in Guyana, at Plantation Diamond on the east bank of the Demerara River, where it consolidated all the country's historic stills and the marques that go with them; this is the same house that makes El Dorado. The 151 is a blend from three of those heritage stills — the French Savalle four-column, the EHP Enmore wooden Coffey still, and the Port Mourant double wooden pot still, the oldest working still in the world — distilled from molasses, aged one to two years in used bourbon casks, and bottled at 75.5% ABV (151 proof) in a 750mL bottle under the Demerara Rum geographical indication. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.

• Proof / ABV: 151 proof (75.5% ABV)
• Size: 750mL
• Origin: Guyana — Demerara Distillers, Plantation Diamond
• Stills: Savalle four-column, Enmore wooden Coffey, Port Mourant double wooden pot
• Aging: One to two years in used bourbon casks

An Overproof with Pedigree

Most 151s are built for fire; this one is built for flavor, with actual Port Mourant pot-still character in the blend. Tastings.com scored it 92, and importer notes describe dried apple, apricot, date, smoky leather and butterscotch, then dark baking spice, cocoa and vanilla. It is the natural fit for a 1944 Mai Tai, a Zombie, or any tiki drink calling for a 151 float — browse more high-proof mixing rums on our rum shelf.

Tasting Notes

Dried apple, apricot and date over smoky leather and butterscotch, with dark baking spice, cocoa and vanilla — intense, well balanced and squarely Demerara, even at full strength.

How to Enjoy

Use it as a float, not a pour: half an ounce over a Mai Tai or Zombie, a Demerara Dry Float, or a flaming garnish. A little goes a long way — one ounce where a standard rum would take two. More tiki building blocks live in our cocktails collection, and another cane-spirit mixing pour worth knowing is the Canada Oaxaca Rum.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Diamond Reserve 151 for sipping neat?
No — at 151 proof it is a mixing rum. It burns like 151 should; its job is to lift a tiki drink, not to be sipped on its own.

What makes it a Demerara rum?
It is distilled in Guyana from molasses on Demerara Distillers' heritage stills and carries the Demerara Rum geographical indication.

How much should I use in a cocktail?
About half to one ounce as a float or accent — the Port Mourant character comes through even in small amounts.

Stock the overproof with pedigree at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — for Zombies, Mai Tais and floats that need real Demerara behind them.