El Dorado 12yr Old Demerara Rum

This write-up will see me rounding out my current El Dorado rum collection which in one way is quite sad, but it also means that I have an excuse to seek out the 3yr old, 5yr old and 8yr old offerings…..there is a 25yr old offering that is very limited and very expensive but I chose architecture as a career so that’s pretty much put an end to me ever owning that one! This is the first El Dorado rum that I picked up and is therefore responsible for my interest in the brand, both for the taste and the fantastic history of the producers. It was also my first Demerara sipping rum as opposed to mixers and it really opened my eyes.

As before, it’s going to be useful if you brush up on the history of El Dorado and DDL and you can do that by reading my El Dorado 15 write-up here.

I have also mentioned the stills that DDL use in their rum production and their own website has a terrific heritage section and that can be found here and is well worth a read.

El Dorado 12 is a blend of 3 stills. 2 column stills including the worlds only wooden Coffey still and a unique double wooden pot still. Like its brothers and sisters it has also been the recipient of numerous awards including Gold medals at the Beverage Tasting Institute of Chicago and ‘Best in Class’ at the IWSC in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. It featured in the New York Times ‘Top 10 list and won ’Best Rum aged over 12 Years Old’ at the 2010 Golden Rum Barrel Awards as part of the UK Rumfest. Again, as with the 15 and 21 year old rums, the age referenced is the youngest rum in the blend……again, pretty impressive stuff.

You’ll be wanting to know how this rum stands up against its older siblings…….

Tasting Notes

In the glass: The rum is a dark foreboding red and amber in the glass and swirling the glass releases nice medium-sized droplets. The first aroma that I get is that of sweet sweet sweet thick cut orange marmalade and spicy Christmas pudding. As stodgy as that sounds, the rum never smells like it will be heavy. I can also pick up on cinnamon, vanilla, brown sugar and toffee. I cant wait to taste it.

In the mouth: Instant unfaltering sweetness hits you immediately with a little burn and a spice kick on the middle of your tongue. There is so much fruitiness to this rum as it coats your tongue. Orange, banana, apricot, peach and raisins all jump out at you. My word its good stuff. The finish is dry and well-balanced with no real dominant flavour or burn……just a massively moreish smooth brown sugar.

It’s a difficult thing to try to place one of the rums over the other purely on taste grounds as I’d say that all three of them offer something unique that makes them worthy of a place in any collection. If I were to bring the other factor into it, cost, then it all depends on your own situation. All things considered though, I absolutely love all three but (sample of the 21 aside), the bottle that has most missing from it is the El Dorado 12….not by much, but it will definitely be the one that gets replace immediately as it is the one that I don’t think that I could be without.

© Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, both written and photographic without the  express and written permission from this blog/sites author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

 

El Dorado 21yr Old Demerara Rum

My love of El Dorado rums is no secret….I seem to talk about them to friends at every opportunity and sing their praises on a weekly basis. I’ve always thought that the older a rum, the better it is, but that opinion belonged to my younger, more naïve self. Having tried a few rums by the same producers, I’ve discovered that this is not necessarily the case. There are some amazing young rums. Fortunately for me, Love Drinks who are the UK distributor for El Dorado were kind enough to furnish me with a small sample bottle of El Dorado 21.

For the in-depth background on the El Dorado rums and DDL, it is worth familiarising / reacquainting yourself with my El Dorado 15 write-up found here…….

Right, now that you’re all refreshed, I can tell you that El Dorado 21 is a blend of rum from 3 stills…..the only remaining wooden Coffey still, a column still and a unique wooden pot still. Hot on the heels of the award-winning El Dorado 15, the El Dorado 21 itself is no slouch when it comes to plaudits. It scored 98 out of 100 at the 2007 Beverage Tasting Institute of Chicago, the highest mark ever handed to a rum. It also won Best in Class in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 at the IWSC and a Gold Medal at Canada’s International Rum Festival.

The above is all well and good, but what you really want to know is how it tastes…..so here we go…..

Tasting Notes

In the glass: The rum is dark bronze, oily and looks like it’ll be more of a snack than a drink. When I swirl the glass, slow walls of droplets slide down the sides….a little like a melting iceberg. I instantly smell brown sugar, molasses, vanilla, and toffee. As the glass sits I can pick up orange, spice and chocolate. It smells massively complex, revealing new aromas as the glass sits. This smells like it will be very sweet.

In the mouth: As soon as the rum hits my tongue my mouth is enveloped by sweetness. What does surprise me is how dry the rum is….I didn’t expect that. There is instant heat and warmth and I can pick up dates, spicy oak and toffee, immediately followed by an almost coffee like taste. This is definitely robust and full-bodied. It’s so oily you feel like you could bite into it. It is massively complex with layer upon layer of flavours. There is absolutely no burn, just spice, chocolate and date-like toffee lingering in my mouth long after the rum has gone. Later there is an aroma of leathery tobacco left on the glass…..its definitely a keeper!

This is certainly a special occasion rum with a price point of around £75. I don’t think that you’d ever be disappointed with the rum at any point but when you can pick up a bottle of the 15yr old and 12yr old for a total of around £76, with my income level, I’d probably look to buy the two younger offerings. I just feel that given the price, I wouldn’t enjoy it as often as I enjoy the 12 and 15. If money were no object…..I’d have a shelf brimming with the stuff.

It offers a completely different experience to the younger rums, they are most certainly a family and each offers its own stand out traits…..so if you do have the money and the desire to invest in something that would give you endless evenings of joy….go for it!

© Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, both written and photographic without the  express and written permission from this blog/sites author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

 

Ron Zacapa Centenario 23

This is a rum that has been written about many times by many people, most of whom go into a far greater level of detail than I ever could regarding the history of the families and industry behind the rum, but all that I would be doing is repeating what has gone before. Instead, I will link to some useful information sources.

The Zacapa plantation is located in the volcanic plains of south-western Guatemala in a place called Retalhuleu, over 350m above sea level. It is here that the fertile, acidic soil and constant sunshine lend themselves perfectly to the cultivation of sugar cane. Unlike a large bulk of rums that use molasses, Zacapa uses the concentrated first press of the sugar cane which is known as ‘virgin sugar cane honey’. This is thought to impart a sweeter, smoother flavour. This is said to be the first key step in creating the Zacapa taste profile. Next, the fermentation process begins using a yeast extracted from pineapples ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae ) which transforms the sugars within the ‘virgin sugar cane honey’ into alcohol. This slow fermentation takes about 5 days and the yeast is said to impart the aromatic compounds that Zacapa requires. After fermentation, the distillation takes place in a single column still, lined with copper to add flavour and to remove impurities. After the distillation process, the rum is taken into the highlands of Quetzaltenango, 2300m above sea level. This place is romantically called ’The House Above the Clouds’. This location has cooler temperatures with thinner air and atmospheric pressures which mean that the barrels are subjected to less air pressure variation and the infusion of flavours from the barrels is intensified. Zacapa rum is aged using a Sistema Solera which is based on a centuries old Spanish Sherry aging process. The Zacapa Sistema Solera involves the blending of rums of various ages ( in the case of Centenario 23, between 6 and 23 years old ) in casks that once housed Bourbon, Sherry and Pedro Ximenez Wines. Every single drop of rum drops through each type of cask during the process to allow the flavours and aromas present in each one to impart their influence on the aging Zacapa. This combination of the differing cask types and Sistema Solera allows for the production of a complex, rich and flavourful rum.

The Solera System, particularly the one employed by Zacapa is explained very well in the following page by Refined Vices

Zacapa Petate Band

Each bottle displays Guatemala’s rich, Mayan history proudly by adorning itself with a hand-woven petate band. Each one is hand-woven in the villages of the Departments of Chiquimula, El Quiche and El Progreso and therefore each bottle is unique. The petate band is a royal Mayan symbol said to represent ’the unity of time and space, earth and sky’

Ron Zacapa

Tasting Notes

In the glass: Zacapa displays a dark toffee brown colour with a slight redness. It looks quite oily and viscous and therefore you know that it will coat your mouth. I can smell caramel, toffee, vanilla and tropical fruit ( pineapple and banana ). As the glass sits, there is a warm oakiness developing with a burnt toffee / butterscotch aroma. Even if you’re not a fan of rum, this smells amazing. However, I am a fan of rum, so I go straight in for a sip.

In the mouth: My mouth is immediately warmed and coated with the spicy sweetness of the rum. Sweet fruits ( pineapple, apricot, banana ) appear along with vanilla, toffee and sherry. It is quite oaky but very sweet. There are untold levels of depth to this rum and absolutely no burn or roughness. The finish is long, sweet and with building levels of spice and tobacco ( maybe from the oak ). I found that the finish instantly made me want to take another sip.

This rum may be considered too sweet by some, which I can understand. I’ve even read of people pouring the rum over good quality vanilla ice cream! I however find it immensely drinkable. The price is pretty high at £50, but you do get what is considered by some to be one of the best sipping rums in existence. Everyone needs to try this at least once…..feel free to pay us a visit.

© Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, both written and photographic without the  express and written permission from this blog/sites author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

 

Plantation Extra Old 20th Anniversary Barbados Rum

This bottle represents the fourth bottle of Plantation Rum in my collection and was the third one that I picked up. My first bottle was their Guatemala Gran Anejo, my second bottle their Barbados Grande Reserve 5 Year Old and my fourth bottle (a wedding anniversary gift from my wife) was their Gerry’s Exclusive Single Cask Guatemala.

The Plantation Rums are the brainchild of Alexandre Gabriel, President and Owner of Cognac Ferrand. The basic theory is that Plantation Rums are aged in their country of origin for a number of years, generally in young Bourbon Casks. When the desired maturity has been reached, the rums are shipped at their cask strength to Cognac Ferrand’s Chateau de Bonbonnet in France. They are shipped at cask strength to preserve all natural aromas and flavours. Here, the ‘double aging’ process begins whereby the rum is aged for a further time period in small French oak barrels.

Plantation Extra Old

In the case of the Plantation XO, the rum is from a blend of the company’s oldest Bajan Rum reserves. These were aged in the Caribbean ( for 10 years according to the information that I have been able to find ) before beginning their ‘double aging’ process for 18 to 24 months in France in used cognac casks to impart a flavour not normally present in Bajan Rums. The rum is then diluted down to its 40% bottle strength over a period of months using French water

The instant thing that hits you about the Plantation XO 20th Anniversary Rum is the presentation…..it is stunning. An attractive case gives way to a clear decanter adorned with text detailing the awards that the Plantation Rums have achieved….and there are many. The bottle has a large synthetic stopper with a gold top. One thing to note ( and it may only be an issue with my bottle ) is that the covering of the synthetic stopper is such that unless the inside of the bottle neck is dry, it has a tendency to not seal the bottle adequately, instead lifting itself away from the bottle slightly.

Plantation Extra Old

Tasting Notes

In the glass: The rum is a dark copper with lighter bronze flashes. It instantly appears to have a sheen which leaves thick droplets on the sides of the glass. I can smell tropical fruit. Bananas, sweet mango and coconut. There is also a definite vanilla note. This is all rounded off by a slight oakiness that tingles your nose.

In the mouth: There is a tingle from the heat of the rum and a hint of oak but these instantly give way as the rich honeyed sweetness coats your tongue. Sweet molasses is present leading into a taste of mango on your tongue helped along by a little vanilla. There is a little peppery spice on the finish which is long and sweet but gradually becoming dry, then leaving the tropical fruit and coconut that I could smell in the glass. This is a massive encouragement to fill the glass again.

This is one of the more fully rounded rums that I have tasted and it offers massive rewards for anyone that makes the investment, as do all of the Plantation Rums that I own. Cognac Ferrand, Alexandre Gabriel in particular, should be praised for their treatment of these rums and you owe it to yourself to seek them out. Go on, you know you want to.

© Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, both written and photographic without the  express and written permission from this blog/sites author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

 

El Dorado 15yr Old Demerara Rum

I picked up a bottle of the 12yr old El Dorado quite early on in my collection and it wasn’t until a few months back that I picked up the 15yr old from Gerry’s in Soho as it was their ‘Rum of the Month’. It was inevitable really as I enjoy the 12yr old rum so much. But the 15yr old is a completely different animal. What has taken me by surprise is the warm and open friendliness of the ‘rum community’ that exists both online via Social Media, Blogs, Importers, Distributors and Brand Ambassadors. The ability to approach these people for further info and opinions is invaluable. Love Drinks are the UK-based distributor for El Dorado and Stef Holt is the International Brand Ambassador. Both have been very helpful in both talking to me about the products and pointing me in the right direction for info……and it’s the info that I will start with.

El Dorado rums are produced by Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) at the Plantation Diamond Distillery. This lies on the east bank of the Demerara River, Demerara County, Guyana (which is on the north-eastern shoulder of South America). Sugar and Rum production has existed in Demerara County since the 17th Century. The big breakthrough came in the 1650’s when the British planters introduced the pivotal process of distilling. This proved to be so popular that by 1670, every sugar estate had a small still attached to it which meant that by the 1700′s there were well over 300 independent estates involved in producing their own unique rums in over 300 stills. Through time these estates and distilleries have been amalgamated to the point that the Plantation Diamond Distillery operated by DDL is the last remaining distillery in Guyana. Here they have retained the old marques, traditional skills and original stills which make Demerara Rum distinctive. With 9 different stills, there is no other rum distillery that can offer the range and variety that DDL can spread over 20 different styles of rum.

As the only surviving distillery in the region, DDL operate the last remaining wooden Coffey still in the world as well as the only wooden pot stills, both of which add to the flavour profiles of the El Dorado rums. All El Dorado rums are produced using only local Demerara sugar cane. The rums are then aged in small American oak casks before blending to by the master distiller. The rums are left to marry for at least 3 months ensuring the development of flavour and complexity.

El Dorado 15yr old Demerara Rum is a blend of 2 column stills (one of which is the wooden Coffey still) and 2 unique, wooden pot stills.

El Dorado 15

The picture above is taken from the back of my bottle and shows the age statement. The unique thing about the El Dorado rums is that the age reflected in the title of the rum is the minimum age. There will be older rums in the blend. El Dorado 15yr old rum has received numerous awards and titles including ‘Best Rum in the World’ 7 times at the International Wine & Spirit Competition, the Platinum Award at the Caribbean Rum Taste Test and it received 96/100 at the Chicago Beverage Tasting.

El Dorado 15yr Old Rum

Tasting Notes

In the glass: The rum is a deep gold colour with orange flashes. Instantly it looks quite oily and when I swirl the glass it leaves short stumpy reluctant legs which makes me think that this will coat my mouth. I can instantly smell brown sugar, dark fruit (prunes and dates), vanilla, a little spice (maybe from the 15 years in oak) and what can only be described as liquorice! The longer you leave it in your glass before sipping, the more this reveals itself.

In the mouth: The rum instantly coats my mouth and tongue. It is warming but not harsh and there appears to be very little alcohol burn, even at 43%. Instantly the liquorice shows itself along with a dark treacle taste which provides a little bitterness. Dark fruit is present and I can taste the dates and prunes which add a chewy toffee flavour and feel. I can taste a slight orange flavour and then the liquorice returns to round out quite a dry finish. The finish is not too long but does leave your mouth with an almost leathery and tobacco warmth. This instantly leaves you wanting more and when you do, the liquorice returns, this time tasting slightly sweeter.

I drank mine straight with no ice, and that works fine for me. This is an amazing rum and deserves to be in your collection. I wouldn’t say that it is necessarily a better rum than the 12yr old, but it is definitely different to the 12yr old which appears to offer up more fruit flavours, and therefore if you have the means, both will offer plenty of enjoyment in return………I wonder what the 21yr old tastes like…..and the holy grail….the 25yr old…..

Pick up a bottle and let me know what you think.

© Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, both written and photographic without the  express and written permission from this blog/sites author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

 

Gosling’s Stormy Ginger Beer

My love of Gosling’s Black Seal is apparent as it was my first review and first dip into the world of quality rums. I was overjoyed to read that Gosling’s were releasing their own brand of Ginger Beer to accompany one of my favourite rums in one of my favourite drinks, the Dark ‘n Stormy.

The press release reads:

For 206 years, Gosling’s Black Seal Rum has been searching for the perfect mate, often paired with ginger beer that’s too sweet or too spicy. So Gosling’s Stormy Ginger Beer was developed with one thing in mind, to be the ideal partner to Black Seal Rum and make the most harmonious Dark ‘n Stormy cocktail you’ll ever drink. Gosling’s Stormy Ginger Beer, its official name, took well over a year to formulate and perfect.

“We needed to hit the perfect balance between sweetness and spiciness,” explained Malcolm Gosling, 7th generation President of the renowned rum maker, Gosling’s Export (Bermuda) Limited. “Our objective was to create a ginger beer that, when paired with our award-winning Black Seal Rum, would produce the absolute perfect Dark ‘n Stormy.” 

My main issue with Ginger Beer as a mixer is that, as the press release states, it is either ridiculously fiery and therefore completely dominates the drink or way too sweet which when paired with rum becomes a glass of sweetness and nothing else. I finally managed to obtain half a dozen from Corks Out and immediately set to work mixing my drink.

The ginger beer itself has a nice golden straw colour and the first thing that you notice is that is not massively carbonated (which I personally consider to be a good thing). The smell of ginger is also apparent but not overly so. On its own it tastes amazing which bodes well! Tasting it shows the perfect sweet/fire balance. Neither element dominates and the reduced fizz makes it very easy to drink. If you can drink both elements neat and find them enjoyable then it should be a sure-fire winner.

Mixing it into a Dark ‘n Stormy really shows how much effort has gone into its production. The best parts of each component shine through. The rich butterscotch and caramel of the Black Seal and the heat and slight sweetness of the ginger beer. An unbelievably simple but unbelievably tasty drink and if you have yet to try a Dark ‘n Stormy, then you now have the ideal way to try it!

© Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, both written and photographic without the  express and written permission from this blog/sites author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

 

English Harbour 5 Year Old Antigua Rum

English Harbour Rum is thought to be one of the best examples of a blend of light and dark rums produced in the Caribbean. It is named after the Antiguan port of English Harbour which saw naval confrontations between the two navy ’super powers’ of the 18th Century, the British and the French.

It is a single estate rum which is distilled in one of the few remaining all copper continuous stills in existence the Caribbean and is aged for 5 years in once used 220 litre charred ex-bourbon barrels. The rum is produced, aged and bottled at its source in Antigua.

English Harbour 5

Tasting Notes

In the glass: The rum is a golden mahogany colour and when I swirl the glass the rum coats the sides. It is initially very reluctant to do anything but in time it displays slow-moving thin legs. The smell is amazing. It is a rum that smells of rum. No additions, no interference, just rum. You get burnt caramel, the smell of toasted coconut, a little vanilla, oak, a smokey edge and a slight fruitiness. There is nowhere near as much alcohol burn as I would expect from a 5-year-old rum.

In the mouth: The taste is exactly the same as the smell which is nice and surprising. What it promises in the glass it delivers in your mouth. It’s totally consistent. There is the instant hit of smoke, oak and burnt caramel. What is apparent is that there is a hell of a burn from the rum. So although it does not show its age on the nose, it definitely does in the mouth. I decided to let the glass sit for about 20 minutes. This calms the burn down considerably. It does not remove it altogether but it does calm it enough to enable me to get more from the rum. I can now taste the toasted coconut, slight edge of vanilla and an amazing aftertaste of fruit. Definitely apricot, peach and maybe banana. The finish is medium length but the fruit really comes to the fore as does the smoke.

All in all, the rum is not as sweet and smooth as my usual choices of Zacapa Solera 23, Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva and Atlantico Private Cask, and it has been pointed out to me that it is unfair to compare it to those rums, but there is a certain honesty to it and the fruity finish really does endear itself to you, despite the burn. It’s a true old-fashioned rum and a rum that I am immensely glad that I picked up…..especially as it has a sub £25 price tag.

As an additional note, I received feedback from Anthony Bento, Managing Director of the rums producers, Antigua Distillery Ltd:

‘Many thanks Steven for your review.

I think you have hit the nail on the head pretty much.

It is true that you cannot compare it to the Latin American rums because our rum standards, which are similar to  scotch, do not allow us to add anything to the spirit, only caramel colouring (which must be tasteless and odourless). That is why we say Caribbean Rums are “True Rum”‘

© Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, both written and photographic without the  express and written permission from this blog/sites author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.