El Dorado Special Reserve 15-Year

Smells of paint thinner. Much too strong on the nose. The aroma does revela distinctive fruit flavors such as cherry, orange, and banana.

Sipping it neat was not pleasant. The initial flavor follows the same fruity notes that are in the nose, however the banana comes in strong for me throat the middle.

As this rum goes does it leaves a distinct burn that some might enjoy. I however am not a fan of this particular burn.

Much more plaetteable on the rocks.

Much better rums at this price.

After enjoying this mighty fine rum ....I noticed , that the younger brother of this , the 12 year old .....was MUCH more flavourful !..

Lovely rum for the price. So smooth on the palate and easy to like.

Smooth and neat rum with rastes of vanilla and honey.

Something that is needed at home

I had a shitty day today, but the first sip of my beloved El Dorado 15 years turned it all around. For me, the best rum you can get for such a modest price (€38 in Holland).
It starts with a great sweet smell that brings you to a tropical place of relaxation. Then it gets even better with the taste: sweet but round, a little burn but nothing too overwhelming. Well balanced. The only con that I can think of is the lack of a long aftertaste. Which results in taking a sip again quite swiftly. Which starts the whole great experience over again.
I tend to try out as many good rums as possible and this is one of the spare ones that I keep coming back to. Cant go wrong with this one, cheers!

Nice, dark amber color.
Nose: honey, dried fruit, orange peel, some chocolate
Taste: a bit spicy in the beginning, then orange peel, dried fruit, chocolate and honey.
Nice rhum to sip.

I still never tried El Dorado 12 but I really doubt it can be better than this one. If this one has no alcohol I could drink it a whole day, like water hahaha.... el dorado is the best, hands down ;)

Der El Dorado Special Reserva 15 Jahre ist ein Blend aus pot und column destillierten Rums aus Guyana. Dabei werden angeblich noch hölzerne Brennkessel genutzt. Der Rum soll zwischen 15-25 Jahre in Ex Bourbon Fässern gelagert haben. Am Ende landet der Blend mit 43% Alkohol in der El Dorado typischen Flasche. Es wird neben Zuckerkulör für die Farbe wahrscheinlich auch Zucker beigefügt.

In der Nase ist der Rum recht kräftig. Würze und Röstarmonen und er ist fruchtig und süßlich. Aber auch scharf mit Alkohol Biss. Mit etwas Zeit im Glas wird das besser. Geht aber nicht ganz weg. Am Gaumen ist der Rum relativ süß. Etwas Säure und Frucht ist dabei. Honig Noten sind erkennbar. Aber auch Holz nehme ich war. Der Körper wirkt vollmundig, aber auch etwas künstlich. Leider kommt die Schärfe auch hier wenig ausbalanciert zur Geltung. Sie begleitet den Abgang deutlich welcher holzige süße Fassnoten beinhaltet. Evtl. etwas Lakritze.

Insgesamt ist der Rum nicht schlecht trifft aber nicht ganz meinen persönlichen Geschmack. Dafür ist er zu süß. Auch wenn diese nicht sofort als künstlich erkennbar ist. Wer es mag bekommt hier für 40 Euro einen soliden Rum. Wer es trocken mag, z.b. Mount Gay würde ich hier eher raten nicht zu kaufen.

The El Dorado Special Reserva 15 Years is a blend of pot and column distilled rums from Guyana. In the process, wooden boilers are used. The rum is said to have been stored in Ex Bourbon barrels for between 15-25 years. In the end, the blend ends up with 43% alcohol in the typical El Dorado bottle. In addition to sugar caramel for the colour, it is likely that sugar has been added.

In the nose, the rum is quite strong. Spice and toasted flavors are there, but he is also slightly fruity and sweet. And there is a sharp alcohol bite. With a little time in the glass, this gets better. But it doesn't go away completely. On the palate, the rum is relatively sweet. There is a little acid and fruit. Honey notes are recognizable. But also nice wood. The body is full but could be artifical from the sugar. Unfortunately, the sharpness is not very balanced here either. It clearly accompanies the finish which contains woody sweet barrel notes. Maybe some liquorice.

Overall, the rum is not bad but does not quite meet my personal taste. He's too sweet for that. Even if this is not immediately recognizable as artificial. If you like it, you can get a solid rum here for 40 euros. If you like it dry, e.g. Mount Gay I would rather advise not to buy this one.

This rum is a perfect sipper- I love it! Very smooth. On the rocks of course. I still prefer the 12 year more.

After the 12 I was curious to try the 15. Yes, it's a little step up, more complex, more serious.
The color is dark. I detect a smell of varnish (not unpleasant), then caramel and dates. The taste is sweet (but not too much) with hints of caramel, vanilla, dried and candied fruit (dates, figs, raisins). I would rate the 12 at 7.5 and this one at 8. But if you want a good affordable rum you can't go wrong with the 12.