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.