DDL El Dorado High Ester Blend LBI/DHE

"Finally we have a convincing El Dorado OB again! On the nose the LBI is in the focus with coconut, vanilla, caramel and some chocolate. The DHE adds some glue-y notes and fresh fruits. The blend works very nice on the nose providing a nice and (more) complex twist on a nice Guyana column still nose. On the palate the DHE is more present - some funk and fruit notes alongside vanilla, chocolate and some wood. Nice creamy texture."

"Nice extension of the El Dorado series. The only thing I don't really understand is the high ester. The label and the description don't deliver what is promised. Apart from that, it's a very successful rum. But it needs a little time in the glass. I think it's very good. As @Basti has already mentioned, there is a slight New Yarmouth parallel. Maybe that's why I like it so much 😉."

"#4819 17.08.2024 Tasting with Mads from Romhatten. This one is also a retaste that wasn't added in time 😊 Nose Wood, light roasted, cinnamon, faint caramel, plum, faint mint, pineapple, faint nutts. Palate Oily, round, balanced, wood, light roasted, faint chocolate, light caramel, prunes, cinnamon, faint nutts, warm. Finish Medium to long, wood, light roasted, dried fruit, faint nutts, warm, spice, light caramel."

"For my taste, it could be a little rounder. It reminds me most of an El Dorado Diamond 98 CBH, but younger, more molasses, not as harmonious and round, fruitier, a little citrus, less sticky. Alcohol is not optimally integrated."

"Really nice new addition to El Dorado. Guyana in its purest form. Caramelized demerara sugar meets roasted coconut, bitter orange and very dark dark chocolate, as well as strong mocha and salted caramel. Really exciting and very tasty! Nevertheless, I was expecting more funk when I heard the term "high ester". But it is an incredibly aromatic, delicious El Dorado in its purest form! I would actually really like to buy it, it's brutal fun!"

"Beautiful notes of coconut, chocolate, demerara sugar and dried fruit with a slightly estery underlying fruitiness. Little enough ester to remain elegant. Enough esters to stand out from the rest of the range. For me, the best ED apart from the Rare Collection. If you're only after esters, you'll be disappointed, I like it quite a lot."

"Very accessible aromas on the nose, strongly reminiscent of some NY94 bottlings. Chocolate, vanilla, caramel, popcorn, dried fruit, spices and some coconut are very present. I really like it. Almost everything the nose promised can be found in the mouth. I had actually expected a little more "funk" to come across here in addition to the accessible aromas due to the high ester content. In the end, it's a delicious rum with a profile very similar to Foursquare/NY94, but it doesn't really stand out from other bottlings. Edit: 3rd tasting (sample now unfortunately empty :( ) and now I perceive a dominant coffee note and also a good portion of malt. Almost in the direction of Skeldon. I still really like it, or rather I like it a little better and I give it another +0.1."

"Very tasty. The nose and palate immediately pick up the heavy, unmistakable Demerara sweetness. I don't particularly notice esters. Would have expected more. Nevertheless, a super rum that knows how to convince."

"I was really curious about this bottling and it did not disappoint! A super demerere-branded flavor profile: chocolate, coffee, caramel in an extremely mouthwatering taste! Too bad only for the finish that goes off right away if not I would have given it a much higher rating!"

"Delicious demerara profile with a rich sweetness of toffee, treacle and chocolate. There are also dark spices and café au lait as well as subtle astringent notes. On the palate, the high-ester flavors are found again in a somewhat bitter and astringent form and definitely stand up to the sweet demerara spectrum. I can't help but wonder whether the individual components of this blend wouldn't have worked better on their own - bare theory, of course. As it is, the release remains a very pleasing rum, but I find the overall spectrum somewhat unbalanced."

"Now I really thought it was going to be a High Ester board a'la DOK or HOGO Monster. Far from it. Delicious roasted notes, lots of chocolate, a little honey. The fruit and roasted almonds are also present. But where is the ester bomb fruit explosion? Personally, the alcohol is a little too present on the tongue and overpowers the aroma a little."

"Wow, this is a fantastic rum! It’s almost like the sour industrial funk snuck into chocolately Guyanese rum — but these are clearly not the same esters that dominate LROK or DOK. The strong sour cherry paired with the darker notes in here are sublime."

"I was expecting a more Jamaican profile, but in the end I found a very good Demerara, absolutely typical."

"Enjoyed this ED, not as high ester as I was hoping but an enjoyable drop. A lot more in this rum from the standard 12,15,21 - meaty, salty and peppery flavours coming through. Let it breath and have a few glasses to really unlock the potential."

"Schwere Süsse, kein Wunder bei den Geruchs und Geschmacksnoten von durchgehend süssem Zeugs. Ester, ja. Aber High Ester?"