Guyana knows how to welcome a king. At a State House reception in Georgetown, President Mohamed Irfaan Ali hosted King Charles III on the opening night of his two-day state visit, and the toast came in an unusual form: Royal Welcome, a limited-edition 2026 bottling created by local producer Banks DIH in the monarch's honour.
Charles smelled the glass, took a sip, and delivered a suitably diplomatic verdict: "very good." The blend, according to Banks DIH rum plant executive Gregory Garraway, was more than two decades old — a rich, aged spirit meant to show off the country's craftsmanship in a single glass.
The royal nod is a nice bit of publicity for XM, the house brand behind the special pour. Banks DIH says its five-, 12- and 15-year-old XM expressions all picked up Gold Quality Awards at the 2026 Monde Selection competition, so this isn't just ceremonial hooch. XM sits alongside El Dorado — made by a separate company, Demerera Distillers — as the reason serious rum drinkers keep Guyana on their lists. El Dorado 15, with its brown sugar, coffee, oak and dried apricot notes, is best drunk neat, and the distillery's Single Barrel ICBU is another bottle worth hunting down.
What makes Guyana interesting is its geography as much as its distilling. It's a South American country on the Atlantic, culturally tied to the English-speaking Caribbean, with a rum tradition rooted in the Demerara river region — heavy, flavourful, molasses-based rums that taste nothing like the light island styles. If the King's sip does anything, it's draw attention to a country whose bottles rarely get the shelf space they deserve.
The timing is notable too. Charles's stop in Georgetown comes as Guyana celebrates 60 years of independence, and his itinerary continues to Antigua and Barbuda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, having already taken in The Bahamas. But for travellers, the takeaway is simple: put Georgetown on your rum map. The reception where the King was introduced to the country's spirit happened to be one of its best exports doing the talking.
If you enjoy aged, characterful rum, Guyana should rank alongside Jamaica and Barbados on your list — and you can taste the story straight from the source in the capital.
