El Dorado 15 ans is a traditional rum from the Guyanese distillery Demerara Distillers, which draws its aromatic power from its distillation method. It is a blend of several rums distilled in coffey stills and the Port Mourant wooden still.
The casks used for ageing are those that have previously contained bourbon.
Nico's tasting notes
The nose is largely roasted, so much so that you can almost guess the powdery side of coffee grounds. The rum's core is relatively light, as evidenced by the fruit candy notes that begin to pass between the toasted oak fibers.
With aeration, the profile remains relatively taut, with ethereal flights that seem to clean the surface of the barrel. They carry with them notes of varnish, toasted wood and flame-roasted nuts.
On the palate, the first impression is of a rather fluid attack. It's like a rum with a toasty woodiness and a slightly diluted maple syrup. The mid-palate then takes us to the heart of the Demerara style, albeit with a great deal of restraint. Toasted, caramelized nuts, ripe exotic fruit, sweet spices and a slightly mineral, powdery edge are all present, again with nuances.
The finish is slightly sweet, gently spicy, with the rum fading rather quickly from the palate.
"An expression in which the register of roasting is treated with great fluidity...".
The aromatic profile of El Dorado 15 ans has evolved over time, as we explain in the article El Dorado: Le Demerara revisits its classics. For the record, here's what Nico thought of the first version:
Nico's tasting notes (old version)
The nose opens with typical notes of molasses and roasted nuts. Walnut and caramel confirm that this is indeed a rum from the Demerara region. However, a certain classicism is broken by the arrival of very ripe, even aged fruit, which adds thickness. Finally, a smoky or burnt woodiness completes the profile, introducing the power of a handful of spices.
The nose thus gradually gains in depth, while insisting on its identity based on roasted and caramelized nuts. The woodiness is greedy and increasingly clear, albeit clothed in spice and vanilla. For connoisseurs, this nose can be summed up by the Enmore still.
The palate is soft, with spicy, caramelized wood. Pleasant, without aggressiveness, the "darker" notes of wood and molasses are balanced by vanilla and blond caramel.
The rum remains true to its identity from start to finish, with toasty, caramelized notes lingering on the palate.
"This rum offers a gentle discovery of rums from the Demerara region..."
