Rum #1: El Dorado 12
Intro
As Sam Reich from Game Changer says at the beginning of each episode:
The only way to learn is by playing, the only way to win is by learning, and the only way to begin is by beginning. So without further ado, let’s begin.
In that vein, to not overthink what from my collection the “first” rum I review, I just picked one I had out on the counter as I was preparing myself a mai tai for National Mai Tai day. (this rum didn’t make it into the mai tai, it was just in the way of the rums that did 😝)
So in that spirit:
The only way to blog is by writing, the only way to review is by tasting, and the only way to drink is by drinking. So without further ado, let’s drink.
El Dorado 12 / .75oz / 40% / Guyana
Background
El Dorado 12 comes from Demerara Distillers Ltd in Guyana, the only distillery in the country so the sole source of demerara rums for the world. Per K&L wines, this bottling is a 4-rum blend with from their Savalle still blended with Coffey still and pot still rums aged in used American oak. From El Dorado’s website we can surmise the Coffey stills used are EHP Wooden Coffey and Metal Coffey stills.
The EHP Wooden still is a particularly interesting source as it’s the world’s only wooden Coffey still existing today. It dates back to 1880 and was originally located at the Enmore Sugar Estate, the EHP moniker coming from the estate’s former owner, Edward Henry Porter. But we can get more into that when we look at the singular expressions from this still.
All of the rums used in this blend are aged a minimum of 12 years, and aged in American oak bourbon barrels. We don’t know what the composition of the blend is or how much is used of each, but presume less Savelle and EHP due to those single expressions commanding ~3x the price of this bottle.
Nose
Starts with mountain honey, which is deeper than wildflower honey with more berry influence, with notes of sweeter cocoa like smelling a higher end instant hot chocolate powder. I then get hints of grain cereal ala plain Cheerios paired with medium roast ground coffee from a decent but not particularly fancy bean. Heavy syrup, caramel, and molasses notes at the end. Oak from the time in the barrel permeates throughout as an undercurrent aroma.
Mouth
Immediate impression is its middle body, likely due to the low ABV. Letting it sit the rum coats the tongue with sugar and those chocolate notes becomes amplified. First sip goes down very easily due to the low proof. The cereal/grain notes linger on my palette until it is eclipsed by that signature demerara heavy molasses flavor. After acclimating it becomes noticeably thin to drink, like drinking iced tea with some tannin bite (that barrel influence), and the caramel flavor pops more, maybe teasing out the slightest of oak notes too.
Verdict: 5/10
It’s fine, a middle of the road demerera, there are certainly more interesting expressions out there from independent bottlers but it’s not bad. The thin body is what particularly holds it back, that lower ABV making many of the flavors you’d like to see get flattened. For a mixing demerara though, it’s solidly what I expect and a go to for many to use for cocktails for good reason.