EL DORADO Special Reserve 21 year Old Guyanan Rum, 70 cl Bottle (Packaging may vary)

Product Information

I seem to have enjoyed this more than others. I personally found it to be equally as good as some of the Velier Demerara’s I have tried. This age statement is quite different from those rums which feature a solera style age statement which highlights the oldest rum in the blend and usually includes a high percentage of rum which is much younger in the blend. In my opinion, this sets the El Dorado 21 Year Old Rum apart from its peers and it is very hard to find many comparably aged rums in my marketplace. The finish a medium length offering quite a lot of spicy oak and you get a nice tingle on the tongue which takes a long time to die down. Allowing you to savour some of the less immediate notes – a little leather, a touch of tobacco. There is also a quite familiar Enmoresmokiness to the finish. Demerara Distillers launched the El Dorado range of rum into the market in 1992, becoming one of the first rum producers to market a premium quality aged rum, El Dorado 15 Year Old Special Reserve. The El Dorado range has become the internationally recognised benchmark for many rum brands that choose to display an age-statement on their bottle. This is significant in that each age-statement on El Dorado rums specifically indicates the youngest rum in the blend, even though the oldest rum may be many years older. The El Dorado Rare Collection will likely need little introduction. This is a rum from the EnmoreEHP(Edward Henry Porter – original owner of what was the Enmore Estate) Wooden Coffey Still.

Demerara. The word alone is infectious. It’s derived from the Arawak language, meaning “river of the letter wood.” It sounds exotic. It is exotic. Demerara is a place, as well as the name of things related to that place. It’s a region near the wild coast of the tiny South American nation of Guyana, founded by the Dutch. It’s also a river and along it are fields of sugarcane lined with canals where herons and egrets wade. The air is sweet smelling. It smells of tropical forests, as well as the sea. Doubt around the age statements have been suggested (by the usual suspects in the rum world) however when you consider how much “bulk” rum DDL produce and either bottle themselves or sell on, I would suggest that such a thriving business concern can certainly afford to age their rums.Olfatto: Colpisce fin da subito per un adorabile sentore di miele di castagno e una presenza di zucchero di canna notevole. Si evolve con frutta tropicale e moltissime spezie. Adorabilmente piacevole! Il legno si fonde con un substrato di caramello man mano che si procede ad annusarlo! The immediate nose is full of baking spices, orange peel, vanilla, and dry fruits. There are absolutely no medicinal notes or harsh scents associated with the aroma. As the rum decants, I begin to sense glimmers of almonds and hazelnuts weaving through the tapestry of smells, and I sense a building oakiness which is bringing more spice to the fore. The fully decanted glass is steeped with brown sugars and toffee and even features a vague impressions of anisette and apricot brandy.

En bouche, plus sec, plus puissant et moins doux que le nez nous l’annonçait. L’alcool qu’on ne percevait pas au nez y est bien en bouche. Sucre brun et cannelle avec présence de chêne pour commencer suivi de tabac et café. Par la suite, légèrement fumé, plus fruité et sucré avec des raisins, prunes, cassonade ainsi qu’une subtile note d’anis. La finale est longue et en douceur, on reste en bouche avec le gout des raisins et de la cassonade, très plaisant! Autant complexe qu’en bouche qu’au nez. Flavour wise this matches the Velierreleases (their isno reason why it shouldn’t) its rich, intense and very full flavoured. The Demerara County of Guyana has been steeped in the history of sugar and rum production since the 17th century. By the 18th century, there were over 300 estates growing sugar cane, each with their own distillery, each producing their own unique rums. Through the centuries, these estates and distilleries have been amalgamated, fortunately, many of their marques and original stills were preserved.My suggestion is to sip this rum neat at room temperature to enjoy all the nuances. The addition of a little ice causes the rum to become somewhat drier and less sweet, which may be preferred by some. The Enmore1993 is a 21 year oldrum – I’m not totally sure when it was bottled but its maturation must have ceased in 2014 tomake it a 21 year old rum. The entry into the mouth is somewhat drier than the nose implied. The mouth is heated up with oak spice, and my first impression is that I am sampling a yummy oak and toffee extract filled with rich brown sugar. The oak is at the center of the flavour, yet the tannins do not inhibit the other flavours in the rum from forming and delighting me. Raisins, prunes, and dates give the rum an almost smoky quality while the impressions of nutty elements adds softness to the mouth-feel. Cinnamon, vanilla, and brown sugar create a wonderful baking spice flavour which weaves throughout, and the rum is an absolute marvel of complexity and balance. I didn't think I'd come across a bottle of this considering how limited the selections in the regional liquor stores are. However one store had this behind the counter on the top shelf and I had enough cash on hand to get a bottle. circa un mese fa mi sono fatto spedire due bottiglie giusto per iniziare a degustare i rum e capirne qualcosa. e vedendo che sono molto apprezzati presi un diplomatico exclusiva e un el dorado 12.

When the 21 year old was first created it was reviewed at the Beverage Tasting Institute of Chicago and they summed it up with this statement. “A monumental aged rum that is one of the world’s greatest rum drinking experiences” The presentation of the 21 Year Old is in keeping with the 12 and 15 Year Old. Same shape bottle and similar box. The difference really is the colour scheme. For the 21 year old they have opted for a very vivid blue. The age statement on the El Dorado 21 is also worth mentioning. Unlike solero style rums DDL guarantee that 21 Year Old is the age of the youngest rum in the blend. Some of the rum contained therein maybe considerably older. Esistono anche Rum prodotti esclusivamente con il distillato ottenuto da un singolo distillatore: in tal caso, troverete una nota in etichetta a segnalarvene l’origine. Restando nell’alveo dei rum venezuelani, potrei consigliarle il Santa Teresa 1796 che ha un costo analogo al Reserva Exclusiva. El Dorado 21 e Caroni 17 sono prodotti molto diversi tra loro. Caroni è un rum proveniente da una distilleria ormai chiusa e le cui scorte sono in diminuzione ogni anno che passa, molto ricco al palato e generalmente di corpo pieno e gradazione importante. Personalmente, riscontra il mio personale gusto e lo consiglierei senza riserve. Del 17 ho due bottiglie prese di recente, appena ne aprirò una redigerò la mia modesta opinione. El Dorado 21 è più melense, mantenendo al contempo le caratteristiche dei Rum del Demerara di cui tuttavia le più eminenti espressioni sono ad opera di imbottigliatori indipendenti. Ovviamente, i gusti sono soggettivi. Per “melense” intendo una dolcezza più elevata, ma non certo pari a quella del Don Papa che è, a mio parere, quasi stucchevole. Personalmente, apprezzo entrambe le tipologie: sia Caroni che Demerara sono ottime scelte. Se dovessi però prenderne uno, al momento opterei per il Caroni. Altro rum che potrebbe piacerle, facilmente reperibile, è l’Appleton Estate 21. The finish is perhaps just a touch dry and ends with a surprising amount of vanilla wrapped into the oak baking spice. A delicious chocolate almond fade is evident. At the end of each of my sample sessions, my mouth is heated with delicious oak and baking spice, yet my throat has felt no burn whatsoever. There is a feeling of sublime richness. The Afterburn 10/10

It’s a little disappointing that almost a year since they announced this release DDL have not released anything else new. I do hope they have plenty moreup their sleeve! Personally speaking I cannot give any rum a 10 because I do not believe a perfect rum exists. The late great Vince Lombardi once said, "Gentlemen, we are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will not catch it, because nothing is perfect. But we are going to relentlessly chase it, because in the process we will catch excellence. I am not remotely interested in just being good."" There is much more but my ability to discern the different sensations is well behind this rum’s ability to provide them. I can only attest to vague impressions of tea leaves, cocoa and even a hint of coffee in the swirls of flavours in my mouth. This is rich and elegant! In the Throat 13.5/15 I’ve experienced more Demerara rums in blends than I have individual still rums. Demerara rums are very popular here in the UK and make a pretty cheap and tasty weekend mixer. I have tried a VelierEnmoreand Port Mourant “blend” and a Silver Seal Enmore from 2002. So I kind of have an idea what to expect. Well I think I have anyway.

Even with an ABVof 56.5% I don’t find the Enmoreto be particularly aggressive on the nose. It doesn’t have the more aggressive notes I found withthe 2002 Silver Seal Enmore. Demerara is also a name tied to sugar, an extension of which is rum. Specifically, Demerera signifies the rum of Guyana, of which many call as the world’s best. Demerara rum, as you might expect, is produced on the banks of the Demerara River, just outside of Guyana’s capital of Georgetown. All Demerara rum is distilled in Guyana, regardless of where it may be aged and bottled. The rum is derived from sugarcane grown along the banks and is distilled by the last remaining Guyanese distiller, Demerara Distillers Limited, or the DDL. I rum ottenuti da questi storici distillatori vengono impiegati per la realizzazione della gamma El Dorado che spazia dal classico 12 anni al venerabile 25, passando per il conosciutissimo 15 e il nobile 21, oggetto di questa recensione.

(A Website for Spirited Reviews)

Il Beverage Tasting Institute di Chicago ha insignito l’El Dorado 21 anni della prestigiosa Platinum Medal con un rating di 98 punti su 100 e l’International Wine & Spirits Competitions di Londra ben 4 medaglie d’oro e una d’argento.