Aroma visualization from community tastings
Gordon & MacPhail Demerara Rum 1974
"I love that molasses/smoke tail," writes one taster, even while shrugging that it isn't extraordinary — and that split runs through the reviews. This is old-school Demerara: dark and roasted, with molasses, mocha, dark chocolate, old tobacco and dried orange peel over dry, aged oak. At 50% it's still soft and rounded. A few flag heavy whisky-cask influence that not everyone loves.
The community says- Old Demerara depth
- Long dry finish
- Whisky-cask influence
View price history
+10Shopping safely on RumX Returns & cancellation
- Secure payment. You pay via RumX with PayPal, Klarna or card. Your payment data is encrypted and we never store your full card details.
- Clear seller. Sold and shipped directly by the partner shop. And you're never on your own: RumX handles support and communication with the shop, so you always get excellent service, whichever shop you order from.
- Honest shop ratings. The stars show your service experience with the shop, not the rum score. They come from RumX users, and critical ones stay visible.
- Returns & cancellation. Your purchase contract is with the shop, so returns and cancellations run through them under their own policy and your statutory rights. If anything goes wrong, RumX helps you sort it out.
The look inside the bottle
How does Gordon & MacPhail Demerara Rum 1974 taste?
Aggregated from 16 community reviews.
Old, dry Demerara: roasted wood and mocha Most call it a lovely old Demerara profile you rarely find anymore — dry, roasted, long-finishing. The catch: some taste too much whisky-cask influence and find it slightly bitter.
lovers of old, dry Demerara profiles
those wanting sweet or fresh-fruit rum
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
7 of 16 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
How is Gordon & MacPhail Demerara Rum 1974 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.6 sits in the “Very good” band. 100% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Community voices
What does the community say?
13% rate it between 6 and 8. 6 selected write-ups from 16 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Frank
Sample from the 12th GRF, Berlin. And this vintage is a very special one for me 😉. One of the old, venerable Demeraras... Nose: intense and beautifully thick aroma, characterized by toasty-woody and spicy-fruity notes. The first thing that stands out for me is pleasant but old tobacco. Next to it is molasses, more caramel than liquorice, dried orange peel and kumquat. A heavy sweetness of ripe blackberry and very dark sweet cherry. Atypical, but a very light coconut note can be detected. Overall, it also has a chocolaty effect. I like it very much. 9.1 Palate: powerful and clearly dark-roasted and woody, but without being unpleasantly bitter. Wood acidity and old wood can already be tasted, but molasses covers up nicely here too. Somewhat salty and lots of dark chocolate and mocha, with nutmeg and old tobacco at the back. Lags a little behind the beautiful nose. 8.9 It's really something special to be able to taste these old rums. I really like their profile, hence the very good 9.0 points.
Review by Vinkes89
😍😍 Für mich eine leichte röstige Note in der Nase. Eine leichte Note von Portwein ist ebenfalls dabei. Ein feiner Gaumen und Geschmack. Sehr weich. Kräftig im Mund. Der Rum schmeckt sehr rund. Ein Highlight zum Abschluss des Jahres 😄
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
21.06.2014 A nice company tasting sitting outside enjoying the view of the fjord. Notes Very dark in colour. Nose Intense, wood, roasted, berries, anise, earthy, light coffee, cherry. Palate Oily, intense, warm, wood, roasted, light coffee, light chocolate, spice, licorice. Finish Very long, wood, roasted, licorice, dried fruit, light caramel.
Review by Leo Tomczak
Fair evaluation Needs a lot of time
Review by Serge
Tasted at the 1st German Armagnc Festival in Stuttgart at the Catawicki stand. Tasted on recommendation ... but I think it was just too warm for this type of rum that day 😂 Perhaps it would perform better on a different day (and weather). Very good, dark Demerara with lots of malt, coffee, wood and citrus peel. It was not boggy but elegant. Given the weather, however, it was only 86 points for me
Review by Pavel Spacek
I love that molases/smoke tail ;) (the rum itself is not anything extraordinary)
Details about Gordon & MacPhail Demerara Rum 1974
A rum from Guyana, bottled by Gordon & MacPhail, at 50%.
Community purchases
1 bottles logged by 1 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
0% opened, 0 emptied and repurchased.
1 purchased · 16 tasted · 2 wishlist · as of
You may also enjoy
Rum enthusiasts who like this rum have also given the following rums high ratings:
Cadenhead‘s Uitvlugt (Port Mourant) PM PM 1964
Cadenhead‘s Uitvlugt (Port Mourant) PM PM 1964Old Port Mourant, huge proof, drinks round
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1982
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1982Tarry, powerful cask-strength Caroni for collectors
Cadenhead‘s Uitvlugt (Port Mourant) PM PM 1964
Cadenhead‘s Uitvlugt (Port Mourant) PM PM 1964Old Port Mourant, huge proof, drinks round
Velier Diamond <S> 1999
Velier Diamond <S> 1999Dark, oily Demerara heavy on licorice and leather
Velier Blairmont <B> 1991
Velier Blairmont <B> 1991Rich caramel-coconut Demerara with a short finish
Velier Enmore MEA 1990
Velier Enmore MEA 1990Never miss a price drop.
Set a target price in the app, and we'll let you know as soon as the rum becomes available at that price from one of our partner stores. This works for any rum on your wish list.
Oliver · FounderBy rum lovers, for rum lovers
I'm Oliver, and RumX began in 2018 as a small passion project in Stuttgart, back then under the name Rum Tasting Notes.
What began as my digital tasting diary is now the world's most comprehensive platform for rum fans, today carried by a small team with Jakob, Lukas and Katharina, with Robert supporting us as a freelancer. We combine the collective intelligence of our community with an integrated marketplace, so you can choose with confidence, without paperwork, detours, or expert jargon.
Oliver, Stuttgart
About RumX →
