u/bozzletop

Haven't seen a review for this specific one yet, so I figured I'd hop in. Sadly, I think this review may end as more of a warning than a celebration.

In general, there's a lot of subtlety to this one. As far as I'm concerned, all of the notes are pretty reserved, which I don't feel ultimately works in this bottle's favor. Specifics below:

Nose: A bit musky and sour, with notes of tar, marjoram, molasses, cherry

On the palate: Old, wet straw, roasted coffee beans, bitter dark chocolate, stone fruits, dust

Aftertaste: Burnt greens, lemon balm, mint, traces of vanilla

I would say sour and bitter are the strongest overall flavors here. The sourness cuts a little more than I think I would like, and it wasn't entirely pleasant. It's certainly not a bad rum, but in the end, it just doesn't strike me as having a lot of personality. So, overall, at $100 from my liquor store, I don't feel like this one is worth the price. I did have a glass of it alongside a dark chocolate dessert, and they paired nicely, but for the same price, I would absolutely get the El Dorado 13 year I reviewed a few months back. That had many of the same components (plus honey!) that came through in bolder and more interesting ways.

5/10 (Will finish, will decidedly not buy again)

This is a review for an El Dorado that, as far as I know, can only be bought at Spec's locations. Priced at $100 a bottle and only aged 13 years, I was curious about why the price point was so much higher than, say, ED 15. While I am just getting into the world of fine rums, I have to say this is one of the more unique I've tasted (compared to other ED releases, Four Square exceptional casks, Duncan Taylor 16yr), and ultimately, I'm glad I bought it.

Nose: Honey, burnt sugar, molasses, wet pine and amber

Palate: While the initial taste is similar to many other rums, with brown sugar, vanilla, and oak it quickly gives way to many more complex flavors that are less common in rum: burnt herbs, manuka honey, tar and dust--many slightly vegetal and sour chemical flavors with an underlying kind of earthy smokiness, plus tiny bit of stone fruit hidden away.

Finish: Strong honey and leather flavor with some creamy butter and brown sugar to round things off.

Note: Given some of the earthy and chemical qualities, I am reminded of the first time I tried Scotch. It strikes me as very dry compared to other Demerara rums.

I think this is worth a buy if you already have more "common" rums stocked--in most cases, I would probably go for a similarly priced, oaky Foursquare over this. That said, this offers some variety if you already have your standard brown sugar/vanilla/oak rums, and I will likely be trying to get another bottle once I run out because of its uniqueness. I also imagine it would make for a unique pairing with Indian food (I think it would pair nicely with some of those spices and herbs, especially fenugreek and cardamom) or grilled vegetables.