LouisianaLonghorn
El Dorado 12 Year Rum
Aged Rum — Guyana
Reviewed
August 24, 2020 (edited December 31, 2020)
Please know that even though I'm giving this a 4.0, it's not because I know anything about rum or have much to compare it to, but to this Longhorn, this is a damn nice drink, and a sweet and tasty departure from his regular whisk(e)y adventures.
As I approach 200 whiskey reviews, I'm looking for a way to broaden my sprits palate. Tequila and Mezcal get expensive fast, Brandy was always expensive, but Rum seems to be flying under the radar for most folks. I had a bottle of El Dorado 15 year years ago, and seem to recall it was quite tasty (liquid alcoholic Nutella I believe I described it as), so the 12 year seemed a good way to get back on the rum train.
Nose is sugary sweet with treacle tart, chocolate syrup, hazelnuts, and hogo (which the least confusing description I could find describes it as "sweet, rancid fruit", which I guess makes sense...). It's buttery smooth on the palate; candy sweet and nice and coating. Cocoa powder, mango, papaya, hazelnut, pecan, espresso beans, and a puff of smoke. A lovely dram. Where should I go next? I've got some Plantation, Foursquare, and Diplomatico that I'm eyeing up. Anything else? Cheers!
30.0
USD
per
Bottle
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@BeppeCovfefe can’t go wrong there. It’s liquid Nutella! So good!
aged rums seem to be getting rarer, I'm gonna nab the 15 year soon.
@WhiskeyLonghorn Caroni is the Brora of rum. If you find a taste somewhere, try it. I wouldn't recommend buying a bottle at auction without tasting it first, as it is anacquired taste, but one that should be part of the journey. Also, if you ever happen to see the 2014 bottling of Transcontinental Rum Line Fiji, do try it. It's the most outraegous thing I've ever tasted :)
@WhiskeyLonghorn. Heavy regional, and increasingly more online stores - Seelbachs and K&L are two. I'm not sure how much in-store availability there is outside of the Northeast
@WhiskeyLonghorn Glad you like the Doorly's!
@Soba45 I was wondering. Saw the ten year, but no 20 year, and the price seemed a bit too friendly for 20 years! The Doorly’s is great! Super well rounded with a lush banana note on the finish that really seals the deal!
@WhiskeyLonghorn Nice! Sorry my original comment should have read R. L. Seale 10 year not 20...
Alright folks, I picked up the Doorly’s 12 today. Thanks for all the recommendations!
@WhiskeyLonghorn Yeah and it's soooo much cheaper than scotch!
@Ctrexman Totally agree on Doorly's 12 in particular. It's <$30 and better than most $50 rums. Fantastic for cocktails or sipping.
@jonwilkinson7309 +1 on the Trinidad 2003. That is some fantastic rum. I wish I'd stocked up on bottles when I could find it.
@Ctrexman thanks! Rum is proving to be a tasty addition to my whiskey habit.
Zacapa 23, Papa Pilar, Doorly12 are a few reasonably priced but the Sagacity is high on my list
@jonwilkinson7309 thanks for those detailed suggestions. What’s the distribution like on your favorite place from Mass.?
And I managed to forget perhaps my favorite of all - Privateer, which is a craft distillery on Massachusetts' North Shore. Authentic, sweet but no added sweeteners, and great wood finishes that a whiskey afficiando can really appreciate. Plus, the prices are quite reasonable. My wife (whose favorite spirit is rum) and I have made two visits to the distillery and have about a dozen bottles to show for it. We couldn't narrow down our selections any more than that.
I also like El Dorado's 12 and 15. I tried the 21 at a whiskey bar and found it to be overaged to a point it was trending towards syrupy. Tropical heat, I guess. Some quick thoughts on some others - Diplomatico Reserva is quite sweet, but it works well if you're in the mood for a rum that almost strays into cocktail territory. Plantation has some added sugar, but generally less than El Dorado. Their "Grand Terroir" series is quite good; my favorite may have been the 2003 Trinidad. Foursquare is exceptional. The Sagacity is a great place to start - the price point is lower than most Foursquares, but it's an excellent and complex dram I've also been exploring Jamaican rums quite a bit lately. The Jamaican "funk" is real, and it's unique. While I wouldn't recommend it to a spirits novice, you might like it a lot. It's not easy to describe, but I find that most Jamaican rums have an in-your-face boldness akin to Balcones. Hampden and Worthy Park are two of my favorite Jamaican distilleries. I highly recommend Stolen Overproof, if you happen to come by it. Stolen sourced a number of barrels from Hampden, and I've seen Stolen's 375 ml bottles for as low as $18.
@Soba45 I will roger that. Thanks for the suggestions!
Nice review! El Dorado is a decent drop, albiet on the very sweet side. Their 21 is a bit more balanced. depends if you want to keep down the sweet road or not. Personally I'd be going anything Foursquare. Their other labels are R. L. Seale and Doorlys. I really liked the RL Seale 20 year. I think people in the US have indicated they can get it for between $20 to $30 at Total Wines or someplace. Check out the rumratings.com website