El Dorado CPL: A symbol of spirits’ link to the game

On Monday evening, the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) hosted at the Pegasus Hotel and Corporate Suites a grand reception that served to launch their long-awaited CPL 10th Anniversary Special Edition Rum. What was unexpected however, was the long history that unfolded and eventually served to reveal the relationship between the Caribbean and Guyana’s most beloved sport and their love for distilled spirits.

Taking in the 5S’s of Rum tasting, members of the diplomatic corps, private sector and CPL representatives got the first taste of what is touted to be a full-body flavoured rum of rich mahogany colour.
When everyone had their class in hand, patrons were expertly instructed to see, swirl, sniff, sip and savour, the aftermath of which birthed intense flavours of dried figs, apricots, pineapples, baked apples and other things. The ‘intense’ flavour was said to be deliberately set so as to embody the culture of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) that we have come to know and love.

However, what may not have been deliberate was the strong historic value that stands behind the chosen stills for the CPL and its link to Guyana’s rich cricketing history.
These points were firstly put forward by DDL Chairman Komal Samaroo, who alluded to the connectivity that the sugar industry has created between spirits and the sport.
“I’ve come to realise that, like El Dorado, cricket in Guyana also has a deep connection with the Sugar Industry. In fact, the heyday of cricket was when the owners of the sugar industry invested in developing the people on the sugar estate to play cricket,” Samaroo remarked.

“The synergies that we’ve built up over those ten years I think has been good for the game and our brand. We are pleased that we’ve been able to take the by-product and create a brand that is now sold globally in over 75 countries around the world; and still growing, and growing strong.”
Referencing Clyde Walcott’s fond memories of the game, Samaroo emphasised his point by stating, “I realised how cricket was so deeply imbedded in the sugar industry and the people who work in the industry, and how the product that we represent emerged out of the sugar industry. So, this union, this collaboration between the CPL and El Dorado, I think, is a partnership born in heaven, and I believe that is why it is so very successful,” he emphasised.
Hero CPL Commercial Director Jamie Stewart singled out this partnership as one that fits the CPL well, and, as such, this factor ensures its success.
Stewart related, “I think it’s fair to say there’s no better brand fitting the whole world of sports than between El Dorado, the world’s best rum, and CPL, the biggest party in sport.

We’re both brands that seek to bring people together, brands that spread joy, to bring people shared experiences. We’re about celebrating success, celebrating friendship, and I think it’s been an enduring part of the reason this partnership has been so successful.”
He continued, “The El Dorado celebrations have been an integral part in terms of what has made CPL a unique sporting property around the world. Those celebrations have been with us since year one. El Dorado, you truly are the spirit of CPL.”
Meanwhile, DDL’s Master Distiller Lennox Shaun Caleb revisited the link between spirits and cricket as he highlighted prominent components of the 10th anniversary rum.
Caleb explained, “To capture this spirit of the cricketing culture, and indeed to celebrate 10 years of El Dorado being the Official Spirit of CPL, DDL this year created a special blend to mark this occasion. The Master Blender drew initial inspiration from two traditional Demerara blends.
From those two blends, she was able to identify six different marks of rums that represent the six cricketing nations that form the CPL franchise. From the six marks that my colleagues would have chosen for this blend, and like I said, it was no coincidence that those are representative of our franchise teams.”
He went on to add about the cricket link, “It would be remiss of me to do so without emphasising what is perhaps the most impactful component of that blend, and that is the Port Mourant double wooden pot stain. Quite coincidental that Port Mourant had such a deep connection with cricket.”
The CPL Special Edition 10th Anniversary Rum was first laid down in September 2012, and some 2500 barrels are said to have been produced. According to initial reports, each bottle will wholesale for approximately Gy$14,200.