DDL’s El Dorado Rum earns sixth award at world contest
Guyana Chronicle
November 13, 2003
DEMERARA Distillers Limited (DDL) now boasts the achievement of the copping the sixth consecutive Gold Award for its premium rum, El Dorado 15-year-old at the international Wine and Spirit competition held recently in the United Kingdom.
The award was announced at the annual ceremony held in the Guild Hall of the City of London, and attended by over 3,000 persons representing all the major companies.
The Gold Medal is awarded to the best product in the category totalling over 90 points, while the silver medal goes to the best product in the category totalling over 80 points.
DDL Chairman Mr. Yesu Persaud during a press briefing held yesterday at the Tower Hotel to report on the success of the product said, “This has been an impressive five-year period for El Dorado 15-year-old Rum since it has won recognition in several quarters. When we go as a small company from a small country (Guyana) they think we are insignificant, but when the medals are announced, that’s a different story.”
The international Rum Festival of Canada held in August in Newfoundland, awarded the El Dorado 15-year-old rum a gold medal in the Super Premium Category.
The El Dorado 12-year-old rum won the number one prize - platinum rating - in the premium category at that festival. El Dorado rum also gained recognition from ‘Which’ - a consumer magazine that described the product as having “a mellow, brooding richness with lots of dark flavours and spices”, Persaud reported.
In January 2002, the 15-year-old rum was awarded the Platinum Medal and named the ‘Connoisseurs Choice’ by the Chicago Beverage Testing Institute. This Institute also presented a Gold Medal to the El Dorado Rum Cream Liqueur.
These achievements, Persaud said, come at a time when the company is continuing to build El Dorado into a global brand.
At present, El Dorado spirits are in western European countries and also in some eastern European nations, where the rum is being well received in markets there.
He said DDL will be allocating more resources to ensure the expansion of the brand in Europe. (Jaime Hall)