Lemon Hart 151 Demerara Rum from Guyana

Introduction

The Lemon Hart 151 Overproof Demerara Rum comes from a distillery with a long history and a lot of experience. This can be immediately recognized by its quality and the excellent taste. 

It is 151 proof, yet it does not reek of alcohol. It is not for nothing that the grandiose spirit is considered a legend among rums. 

Lemon Hart is brewed in Guyana. It sets such high standards that it is used as a benchmark to measure the quality of other overproof rums.

Lemon Hart 151 is best used as a float in drinks and rum cocktails. In fact, it is referred to in many of Trader Vic’s and Don the Beachcomber’s classic drinks recipes.

“…there’s no substitute for Lemon Hart 151 …and nothing comes close.”

– Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, Author of Beachbum Berry Remixed

Lemon Hart 151 (75.5% abv) is blended to exacting standards from an age-old recipe of select high proof Demerara rums originating from the East Bank of the Demerara River in the lush tropical Caribbean country of Guyana.

Interesting stuff: Do you know how is rum produced?

Old vs New Lemon Hart 151

Around May 2014, LH151 owners decided that they would not produce this rum at least until mid-2015. Eventually a red and black new bottle was launched.

However, rum connoisseurs and bartenders who have tested and used the original yellow red bottle of Lemon Hart 151 don’t quite agree with the new rum.

The old Lemon Hart 151 was big on fruitiness and had a generous aroma of caramel, burnt sugar and molasses. For 75.5% ABV it was surprisingly smooth and well rounded.

The new Lemon Hart 151 in comparison lacks the depth and character of the original 151. Its flavor profile is not as rich and the rum seems to have been watered down. It also burns noticeably more than its predecessor.

This is not to say that the Lemon Hart 151 in the market today is not good. It’s older version set a gold standard that this rum simply does not meet.

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Characteristics

Color – This crystal clear spirit has hues of deep rich amber and mahogany. 

Smell – As we said before, the most wonderful aspect of this rum is that it does not release overpowering alcoholic fumes that characterize other high alcohol spirits. When you nose Lemon Hart 151, it smells intensely sweet, like dark treacle complemented by various fruit notes.

Taste – Toffee and caramel notes dominate, enriched with baked apples and fresh apricots. Gradually, the flavor of cinnamon, raisins and bananas comes through. This is followed by delicate hints of oak, vanilla and brown sugar. This blend is heavy but soft at the same time.

Towards the finish, all flavors continue to linger.

How to Use Lemon Hart 151?

Due to its complex taste, the 75.5 percent Lemon Hart 151 Overproof Demerara Rum is a terrific mixer. It is a popular basis for tiki or float cocktails, such as the Demerara Swizzle, the Zombie or the Blackberry Ginger Shrub. This blend is something for connoisseurs, so if you see a bottle, grab it with both hands!

About Lemon Hart

In the late 18th century, Mr. Hart was the first to sell rum to the British Royal Navy. The LEMON HART brand was launched in Cornwall, England in 1804, and in the same year Mr. Hart moved to London with his small shop. He bought the best rums from the Caribbean (Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados and Guyana / Demerara) to blend them in London and to make his brand known beyond the borders.

Lemon Hart rum has come in many variations throughout its history. Sometimes as a blend from the best rums in the Caribbean, sometimes as pure Jamaica or as pure Demerara rum. But its aroma spectrum and character were always the same.

In 2010, the Canadian beverage company Mosaique bought the brand from Pernod Ricard. Today Lemon Hart is made exclusively from Guyana Demerara Rum and distributed worldwide.

Lemon Hart 151 Substitutes

151 proof rums such as Goslings, Bacardi 151, Cruzan 151, El Dorado 151, etc do not come close to the taste profile of Guyana Demerara overproof rums. The 3 rums below are the closest it gets to LH151.

Hamilton 151 – $29

Rating: 8/10

Hamilton 151 is the most similar a rum can get to the original Lemon Hart 151. It’s more dry and earthy than the original Lemon Hart, with notes of tobacco, chocolate, dried grass, and the characteristic caramel. Brings in a load of flavors into cocktails.

Plantation Overproof O.F.T.D. Rum – $23

Rating: 8/10

While Hamilton 151 maybe the best replacement for Lemon Hart 151 Demerara, it is not readily available in the market. So the next recommended substitute in Plantation’s OFTD. This distillery is so good, you can buy any of their products without thinking twice. At 69% ABV, it packs a big punch in terms of flavor.

Pusser’s British Navy Overproof Rum – $39

Rating: 8/10

Pusser’s 75% rum is a blend that is made from select single rums produced on various Caribbean islands such as Barbados, Trinidad and Guyana. It is stored and bottled in Guyana. In fact one of the rums in it comes from Demerara Distillers LTD in Guyana that make Demerara rum.

Cocktails with Lemon Hart 151

Price Comparison: Lemon Hart 151 vs Others

Price in Stores