El Dorado 21 Year Old Special Reserve

Rating: 21/23 I'll be honest: I wouldn't have bought this based on my past experience with El Dorado alone. I enjoyed El Dorado previously, but it was too sweet for me. Then I kept reading rave reviews of this and I found it slightly on the cheap side, so I got a bottle. I've got my fingers crossed hard. N: Holy **, this smells like a fine cognac! That wood and fruit - it makes me think of something between A De Fussigny XO and Hennessy XO, possibly with a dab of that richness from Delord 25 (admittedly not a cognac). Saying that this smells like "fine cognac" isn't an attempt to belittle rum, but an exclamation of surprise at the profile I'm getting here. It's also a big thumbs up since fine cognac is well...great? I haven't gotten to describing the scents yet, but i'm actually liking this better than any of those brandies I just listed. And now I am describing the scents - how rich and full! I get that rich, mature fruitiness of Hennessy XO mixed with the slightly spicy woodiness that's a bit more present in A De Fussigny XO. Then there's a bit more fullness to that combined profile, which I'm calling Delord 25's influence, but it's honestly not as clear that that's accurate. OK, now I'm actually describing the smells, not just comparing them. I get some really delightfully rich cherry. That syrupy rich red fruit blends beautifully into this mature, dry, woodiness that gives of these wafts of the most matured and subtle faint molasses richness that really is tough to differentiate from that fruit just being mixed with charred French oak. Faintly floral notes with some well-integrated orange peel. I could just keep digging into this nose for ages. It's absolutely delightful. P: Sweet yet dry with this initial bold woody dryness before some fruits come in from the sides. The orange peel and cherry stand tall, with the orange surprisingly overtaking the cherry. I get some faint floral notes and faint vanilla backing too. French oak blends into burn sugar, which has suggestions of molasses; however, the french oak brings in some clove tannins and mellow maturity. This palate is somewhere between a rum an a cognac. Eventually, there are some faint faint of dried tropical fruits mixed with a bit of raisin. The molasses gradually builds a bit and that's what signals that this is actually a rum. The faintest sichuan peppercorn. F: This isn't the boldest or most enjoyable finish. I get dry wood with suggestions of dried orange blossoms and faint dried cherry blossoms. The faintest of vanilla comes in, perhaps. I get a bit of that French oak richness and fullness helping to fill this out. It even adds a bit of complexity. There's a decent amount going on here, but I miss the vibrancy of the palate and nose. - Conclusion - OK, this is not what I expected at all and I love it! It's not at all like El Dorado 8 and it's massive more complex and balanced. I'd been intending to side-by-side them to compare the age difference, but they're just astoundingly different. Honestly, I though that there was a good chance I'd regret this purchase. Oh, how wrong I was. Side by side, I do get some more complexity out of A De Fussigny XO, but it's less full. That comparison does bring out the rum characteristics here, but it doesn't. make this taste wholly like a rum so much as it does like a rum-cognac hybrid. Likewise, Hennessy XO is fruitier, sweeter, and less complex side by side, really solidifying my impression that this is somewhere between the Hannessy and A De Fussigny. Apparently, I have the A De Fussigny at an 18 and the Hennessy at a 20. That doesn't feel quite fair, but based on those ratings and the weirdly right in the middle character of this, there's an argument that this is a 19. I think that there's a burn to the A De Fussigny holding it back and it could be a bit fuller too though. This has neither of those problems, so the case here is more of one where the product is better than the sum of its parts. Delord 25 also seems right in this range. Between the two, I lean a little bit in favor of this over the Delord, but that could change. I conclude the side by siding with Plantation Trinidad 12 (2003). So this is a fundamentally different beast - which is surprising because it's the only other spirit that I've given a very high score that's a rum. The Plantation is funkier with a lot of sweeter and more tropical notes going on. It definitely tastes more rummy. It's a tough call between the two as to which is better, actually. Actually, one more: this is fairly competitive with Foursquare Premise. Again, different styles though. Based on what I'd read really expected this to have good complexity buried underneath a mountain of sugar. I'm so glad that isn't the case and I'm frankly surprised by how much I like this. Considering all of the comparisons that I've made, this is looking like a 19 to 21 with a faint chance of being a 22. It's really a terrific rum, although it is far from the usual rum profile. I'm thinking it will be a 20 or 21. For a while, I was leaning toward a 20, but after the side-by-siding, I found that it just seemed better than the things I'd given 20s and was not clearly worse than the ones I considered to be 21s. So it's a 21.

EL DORADO RUM SHOWDOWN El Dorado 12-Year El Dorado 21-Year Continuing to work through spirits in my collection that I’ve yet to review. Almost to the finish line. I’d guess that 95% of my collection is comprised of whisk(e)y. But I love rum: not just for the taste, but for its place in American history. I’ve got my good friend @ataylor156 to thank for getting me into high-end rums several years ago. These two bottles of El Dorado, as well as the El Dorado 15-Year which is long gone, are due to his suggestions. El Dorado 12-Year Color is a clear and dark mahogany Pantone 167. Nose is closer to brown sugar than molasses, with fried plantains, an herbaceous note that manifests as both grassy and pressed sugar cane, cocoa powder, and oaky vanilla. The sweetness continues through a light glycerin mouthfeel, with brief cinnamon spice and simple syrup on the medium length finish. El Dorado 12 can be found for around $35. Would I buy it again? Yes. 4.0 on the Distiller scale. 80 proof. 12-year age statement. El Dorado 21-Year Color is just a little deeper than the 12-year, half a shade darker than Pantone 167. Sweet notes on the nose include dark honey and grape jelly. There’s banana and vanilla. And like the 12-year there is an herbaceous element, more here like celery seed (I’ve noticed this in a couple other spirits; @mikael @Stephanie_Moreno, how about the ability to search for text in reviews?). The palate has a nice viscosity, and the sugars are deeper and richer. The alcohol is lacking. El Dorado 21 is not cheap. It can be found today for around $130 (I found mine cheaper a few years ago). Would I buy it again? Yes, if price weren’t an object. 4.0 on the Distiller scale. 80 proof. 21-year age statement. As I recall, both my friend @ataylor156 and I thought that the El Dorado 15 was the best of these three some time ago; perhaps that’s why my bottle of that is long gone. There’s a vibrancy in the 12 that is lacking in the 21. Both rums are the same 80 proof, but it’s more noticeable on the 12, in a good way. But the 21 has a richness and depth that is not in the 12. That’s likely why I’d thought that the 15-Year was the best of the bunch, striking a balance between the two aspects. These “Showdowns” help me better understand different spirts in my somewhat subjective groupings, and even further, there is a broader context of a current group (or single bottle) against recently-tasted ones which are still fresh in my mind (or nose, or tongue). Lately I’ve been writing a lot of bourbon reviews, especially on various barrel-proof offerings, and these two El Dorado rums at only 80 proof pale in comparison in that regard. I do think both would benefit from a higher proof. As I’ve said many times, I am not a fan of any spirit bottled at the bare minimum ABV (which these are). It reeks of a focus on economics. While economics are part of any business, my tolerance for low-proof spirits is far greater for low-priced offerings aimed at mass-market consumers. These rums do not share that same target: they’re not mixers, but sippers. Even a token increase to 83 proof, as is common with many Scotch whiskies, would at the very least send a signal of a focus on higher quality. N.B.: All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

Nose - rich molasses, butterscotch, allspice, grape, raisin toast, clove, cherry, plum, fig, earthy mint, vanilla, chocolate, coffee, orange, overripe banana, leather, strong oak, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - butterscotch, molasses, sweet floral notes, vanilla, raisin, dark chocolate, grape, burnt brown sugar, cherry, allspice, toast, leather, tobacco, plum, orange, demerara syrup, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium long with rich molasses, butterscotch, grape, and baking spice flavors. I liked the 8 Year. Will I love the 21? The nose is rather surprising. It’s deep and complex, but not as dark as the 8 Year’s. Actually, it’s very reminiscent of a Cognac. Along with the molasses and butterscotch, there are pronounced grape, baking spice, and boozy chocolate orange aromas. The palate has more of that boozy chocolate, some burnt brown sugar, and a hearty dose of dark dried fruits. Well I definitely like this better than the 8 Year. It’s obviously older, although I wouldn’t say it strikes me as a particularly mature 21 year old rum. There’s a nice buttery oiliness to the mouthfeel that lingers into a rather pleasant Armagnac-like finish. Similar to some brandies though, there’s also a slight, unwelcome sourness to the palate that I wish weren’t as prominent. Nonetheless, this is great rum and one I’d happily sip any day. A big thank you to @ContemplativeFox for providing the generous sample!

Finally managed to get a bottle of this at a reasonable price. Tasting this for the first time with a small dram of both the 12 and 15 year for comparison and contrast. Nose: By far the most up front of the 3. Spicy oak smacks you in your nose hole, with plenty of burnt sugar, vanilla and molasses. Palate: Intensely oaky like a long aged bourbon. Spicy, dry and satisfying. Lacking the sweetness of the other two, especially the 12. Finish: Lengthy, warm, dry and spicy. Oak, oak and more oak. I've never had a rum like this before. Sipping neat, it's definitely the most complex of the 3 aged offerings. That said it is similar enough to the other 2, that I would be sticking with the 15 for sipping and the 12 for cocktails in the future. I will enjoy finishing this bottle very slowly though.

A rich, Dark Rum by Diamond Distillery in Guyana in which the solera style of rums have been aged for at least 21 years. It uses a selected blend of Rums from their World-famous stills, two of them – the Enmore (wooden Coffey still) & the Versailles (single wooden pot still) – are the World’s only functioning wooden stills. It has an aromatic & rich birth with notes of brown sugar, espresso, dark chocolate, candied orange, pipe tobacco, toffee, leather, pepper & vanilla; while a dry & mellow life adds notes of fruit, toffee, coffee, smoke & brown spice; that led to a long & rich death with notes of nut, tobacco, chocolate, pepper & spice. April / June 2019 / 2020 / July 2021

One of the best drinks in the world to my taste. Up with any whiskey I have had the opportunity to taste. Demerara rums are my favorite and this is to me their greatest expression. Amazing complexity that is both layered and evolving. Silky and lingering it is delicious at every check point. Many older rums, to me, are harmed by the taint of oxidation and can't survive the expression of wet leather and heated rubber which that can bring. Like an old Barolo it is amazing the freshness and the sophistication of this drink. The yummy factor on this is one is tremendous, and each sip will take you on a journey.