And very recently some seriously geeky and exclusive editions of El Dorado Single Still Rum have appeared, distilled in 2006. Most rum geeks will start salivating when they hear about El Dorado Single Still Enmore (EHP), El Dorado Single Still Port Mourant (PM) and El Dorado Single Still Versailles (VSG). All are bottled at 40%.
A few years ago some interesting blends turned up. Among them El Dorado Port Mourant Uitvlugt Diamond 2010 Violet at 49.6%, El Dorado Port Mourant Uitvlugt 2010 Orange at 51% and El Dorado Uitvlugt Enmore 2008 Blue at 47.4%.
But today I am tasting something a little more down to earth, namely the more available and affordable El Dorado 12 years, El Dorado 15 years and El Dorado 21 years.
El Dorado 12 years.
El Dorado 12 years contains rum components from three different stills: the Enmore wooden Coffey still, the Diamond Coffey still and the Port Mourant double wooden pot still. All the rum is at least 12 years old. The rum is bottled at 40%.
El Dorado 12 years used to contain as much as 35-39 grams of sugar per litre. As is well known, since May 2021 it has no longer been permitted to add more than 20 grams of sugar per litre of rum if it is to be called rum. But even before the EU's new spirits regulation took effect, El Dorado had started reducing the amount of sugar in their rum, and it actually happened rather quickly and without problems as far as customers were concerned. El Dorado rum is still quite popular. Most recently the Swedish Systembolaget measured the sugar content in El Dorado 12 years and writes that it is 0 grams, or in fact under 3 grams, because they cannot guarantee there is not a tiny amount of residual sugar from the cask.
Nose:
On the nose you find a discreet chemical note of contact adhesive peeping up out of the glass. Do not let that put you off, it fades quickly once the rum has some air in the glass. It is quite balanced. If you are a Guyana rum fan you will immediately notice the Port Mourant character on the nose, which also carries vanilla, toffee, crème brûlée and roasted hazelnut.
Palate:
The palate is nicely balanced with decent body, carrying eucalyptus, liquorice and molasses, sweetish pipe tobacco and dried apple. There is a very decent finish that holds on well, which suggests the sugar content is very limited to almost nothing. You get a lot of rum for the money here.
El Dorado 15 years.
El Dorado 15 years is made up of rum from the Enmore wooden Coffey still, the Diamond Coffey still, the Port Mourant double wooden pot still and the Versailles single wood pot still. The rum is blended from spirit at least 15 years old, some as much as 25 years old. It is bottled at 43%.
Like the 12, El Dorado 15 years also used to contain considerably more sugar than it does today. There are plenty of measurements available across various blogs and shops. It has previously been measured at a stable sugar content of between 31 and 35 grams per litre. One measurement even says 37 grams per litre. And in 2022 an old bottle was measured at 40 grams per litre. But when the EU rules changed, they were quick to cut the sugar content down to the permitted 20 grams per litre. A measurement from 2022 of a new bottle shows the sugar content is down to 10 grams per litre.
Nose:
A slightly more complex nose than the 12. The Port Mourant character is more restrained but still present. There has been a tightening up of the rum, which comes across as more grown-up. There is a little coconut on the nose, sweet berries, fresh apple peel, mild sweetish pipe tobacco and a slightly medicinal liquorice cough syrup.
Palate:
More acidity, more freshness, more dryness. Liquorice root and a little eucalyptus. There is more complexity in the 15. It is as though, beyond the older rum, some slightly more exclusive drops have gone into this blend, which is cut rather sharply. It lands right where it should. It tastes really good.
El Dorado 21 years.
This rum is put together from components from the Enmore wooden Coffey still, the Versailles single wood pot still and the Albion Savalle still. The rum is bottled at 40%. There are fewer sugar measurements available for this one, but those I have been able to find say the rum previously contained up to 33 grams per litre and was then gradually reduced to 22 grams. The most recent measurement I have seen, from 2021, says 16 grams per litre. It is surprising if it sits that relatively high. Let us see whether we can taste it.
Nose:
Glue and cola are the first notes leaping out of the glass. There is also honey, perhaps blossom honey, and honey-roasted nuts.
Palate:
This is a seriously complex, long and lovely palate. Remarkably grown-up and charismatic. The rum tastes stronger than it is. I would have guessed it at around 50% even though it sits at 40%. I would really like to taste this one entirely without sugar and perhaps at around 53-55% too. The finish is heavenly. Lasting, competent and very, very good. Absolutely a competent glass. It is considerably more expensive than the two other rums, but you still get a great deal of lovely, complex, flavourful rum for the price. Strongly recommended.
Enjoy, and have a good time with El Dorado.
