El Dorado Special Reserve 15-Year

The El Dorado Special Reserve 15 Year is for me the rum that gives me the most pleasure each time I take a sip. It's difficult to compare rums, because they are all so different and there are no existing quality standards. So, in the end, the rating is decided by the taste of the customer. And this one is my favorite so far. Very nice aromas of caramel, vanilla and a hint of chocolate. In the mouth with sweet but not too sweet taste, smooth and not burning. The price is about 60€ a bottle, but worth it with every drop.

This is a decent Rum and I can see how many will like this. It is sweet but still has some character and spice. All in all well rounded. However it doesn't blow me away. It does exactly what a Rum in this price class should do and I think this is why it has become such a stable for many. My personal taste is towards Rums that are less sweet but all in all a recommended Rum.

Edit: My tastebuds seem to transform each day. I've warmed up to this a lot more and now give it an 8 instead of a 7. Despite the rum being on the sweet side, I don't find its sweetness overwhelming, it's a rich and complex tasting Rum.

Got this as a Christmas present and was not disappointed! Delicious rum straight up, looking forward to trying it in an old fashioned.

This is a great rum. Dark and fruity. Smooth. Full of flavours. Great aromas. A delicious sipping rum. The best in this price range. A few cubes if ice and feel the warmth flow through you. One of my favorites

...at least in my opinion. I gave the 12 year a 9 out of 10 only because I had not tried the 15 year special reserve yet and man I was right. This one gets the full 10 out of 10 in my book. This rum is more mellow than the 12 year. A little less sweet however the flavors in this rum is more pronounced. You can really taste the hints of vanilla, almonds, oaky and fruits. This rum will coat your tongue like silk and does not give you any burn. Simply amazing to drink neat, on the rocks, simple coke an rum or other mixed drinks.

However I will say. This is a really fine rum. I would rather use the El Dorado 8 year or maybe 12 year for mixing. Leave this one for special settings and drinking neat or on the rocks.

El Dorado 15 Year is een wereldwijd geliefde rum die bekend staat om zijn volle en rijke palet die barst van de tropische smaken en kruidige tonen, zowel op de neus als op het palet. Beschreven als een aantrekkelijke, rijke koper tint. Een complexe neus van banketbakker suiker, bananen en cederhout. Een zijdezachte binnenkomst leidt tot een matig full-bodied gehemelte van levendige, maar toch verfijnd droge caramel en gedroogde tropische fruitsmaken geschoord door warme alcohol en eiken kruiden. Dit premium product is een mix van speciaal geselecteerde oude rum. Sommigen zijn zelfs 25 jaar oud en zijn gerijpt in eiken vaten.

As promised, Rum Ratings send me a nip of this rum in the mail for joining the site and writing reviews. It's not bad, although I suspect it's probably harder to tell drinking it from a miniature bottle. It's smooth, good taste, but to be honest it's not going to take me away from my favorites. I'd like to try other vintage from El Dorado, as they strike me as the genuine article. Hope I don't get lynched here...

I always marvel at the complexity and balance of the Luxury Cask Aged rums of El Dorado. These rums, the 12-Year, the 15-Year and the 21-Year all have a very obvious oak influence at the core of their flavour. Yet, in every case the oak is harnessed and made to be part of the overall flavour of the rum without sacrificing those other rum-filled flavours we love so much. The vanilla, the toffee, the fruit, and the leathery tobacco all meld perfectly with the oak creating rums of exquisite balance and complexity. The El Dorado 15 Year Old Special Reserve Rum is a well crafted, sipping rum which should be on the rum shelf of every serious rum collector.

This is a really solid choice and a good value, especially now that the added sugar content has been lowered (or possibly removed), but even though this is thicker, deeper and more robust than the 12, it's not as solid a value as it is slightly less sweet and interesting. For $15-20 less the 12 might be the better choice. N: deep sugary molasses, thick, solid. T/F: sweet but not too much so, deeper, thick again on the finish, mid spicy, with some oakiness.

Absolute balance of taste with great smell. Perfect for neat drinking.
My #1 choice so far.