El Dorado 12 Year Old Rum is a Dark Rum from the El Dorado Rum Collection brand crafted in Guyana.
El Dorado 12 Year Old Rum is a beautifully complex spirit from Guyana, crafted using a unique blend of rums distilled in both wooden and metal stills. What's particularly fascinating about this rum is that it's produced using the world's only functioning wooden Coffey still, a piece of equipment dating back to the 18th century that imparts distinct flavors impossible to replicate with modern distilling methods.
El Dorado 12 Year Old Rum stands out for its unique blend of rums aged in second-fill bourbon casks, resulting in a complex profile that balances sweetness with oak influences. This Demerara rum from Guyana is crafted using a combination of column and pot stills, including the last functioning wooden Coffey still in the world, which imparts distinct character and depth to the final product.
El Dorado 12 Year Old Rum shines when sipped neat or with a single large ice cube, allowing its rich complexity to unfold on the palate. This versatile spirit also excels in rum-forward cocktails, particularly those with tropical or spiced flavors, and pairs beautifully with decadent desserts or grilled meats on balmy summer evenings.
Nose: Rich caramel and toffee aromas lead, followed by hints of tropical fruits like mango and banana. Subtle oak notes and a whisper of vanilla round out the bouquet. There's a gentle spiciness reminiscent of nutmeg and cinnamon.
Palate: Smooth and full-bodied. Flavors of brown sugar and molasses dominate initially, giving way to dried fruits and a touch of citrus zest. The oak influence is more pronounced here, offering a pleasant dryness that balances the sweeter elements. A subtle nuttiness emerges, reminiscent of toasted almonds.
Finish: Long and warming. The sweetness gradually fades, leaving behind lingering notes of dark chocolate, coffee, and a hint of tobacco. A gentle spice tingle remains on the tongue, alongside a subtle oakiness that provides a satisfying dryness to the conclusion.
El Dorado 12 Year Old Rum is crafted using a unique blend of rums distilled in both wooden pot stills and Savalle stills, then aged for a minimum of 12 years in ex-bourbon oak casks. The use of these traditional wooden stills, some of which date back to the 18th century, imparts distinctive flavors and aromas to the rum, setting it apart from many modern column-still rums.
So this is what rum is supposed to taste like!
I nice balance of age, flavor, and price, without added sugar (or not as much as they used to?). I love the burnt sugar notes of the Demerara rum. Their younger bottlings have a butterscotch nose to them, but this either loses it with age or is very muted, but it's still great!
I am new to drinking rum neat. I saw a review on this saying it was better than the Diplomatico Exclusiva Reserva, which I like very much, so I bought it to try. Very smooth with very little harshness if at all. I know I am probably going to get flack for this, but I like it better than the Doorly's 12 year, which to me seems better suited for a bourbon drinker. The only thing I don't like is that the flavors are not as intense as the Diplimatico, but that's probably because El Dorado doesn't have all of that sugar & coloring dumped into it that the Diplimatico does not to mention my inexperienced palate. However I would be perfectly happy if this was the only rum I could drink for the rest of my life. And it's cheaper than the Diplimatico and the Doorly's 12 year, which is also a plus.
I wasn't sure what to expect as I tend to be a fan of the mixer cheaper style rums such as Captain Morgan's stock. But this was a delightful rum that deserved at times nothing more than a ice cube and a clean glass to sip at instead of my normal mixing pleasure.
Still new to rums so grain of salt and all that, but this one is just so smooth to drink. On the rocks I get a lot of brown sugar notes. Not a lot of burn and no real funk so fairly void of off flavors. Would recommend
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Please drink responsibly. CA Residents: Proposition 65 Warning.
