El Dorado Rum is a rum that many people consider to be the epitome of a quality English style rum. Don't be fooled by the name: this Rum is full of the tradition and craftsmanship that is inseparable from the world of English style.
History
El Dorado is a brand of Demerara Distillers Ltd. A company that has its origins in, how could it be otherwise, Demerara county in Guyana. Demerara is an area along the Demerara River that was reclaimed from the ocean by the Dutch settlers. This nutrient-packed soil was the perfect area to grow sugar cane. From 1640, the history of Demerara sugar begins there.
Rum production started later, and in the 1700's many distillers were active in the area. They made traditional molasses rum with the well-known pot still. Craft rum full of flavor.
From the 1800s, the aged variety became extremely popular and blends from various distillers in the area were combined to create a high quality Rum. Port Mourant Distillery was a pioneer in this.
When sugar in Europe was increasingly extracted from beets and it was no longer economical to operate a sugar cane plantation, all plantations and distillers on the east bank merged in 1999 into what is today Demerara Distillers.
This immense company makes more than just Rum, but is best known for its El Dorado Rums. And this brand in turn is known for their very complex and high-quality Rums that in some cases are made with 1 of their very authentic pot and coffey stills. This distiller is the only one in the world that still actively uses wooden coffey and pot stills that are praised by rum enthusiasts for their unique taste.
Production
El Dorado is made from molasses that undergoes intense fermentation with its own strain of yeast, not in the open air. This fermentation is quite short, 26 hours, and with a minimum of 7% ABV. The CO2 that is released in this process is captured and then, as is often the case, used in the production of soft drinks.
Afterwards the 'wash' goes to the stills. Here, based on the quality of the fermentation, the alcohol content and the availability, one of the modern stills or one of the authentic stills is chosen. The distillate then goes into a stainless steel bath where it is brought to the correct alcohol strength. The Rum is then transferred to oak ex-whisky barrels. Some Rums spend up to 35 years in a barrel. The warm and humid climate in Guyana ensures intensive ripening.
Once the maturation is complete, the master blender proceeds to compose the Rum. In some cases, a 'single cask' or special editions such as the 'single still' versions will also be created. This strongly depends on the course of the production process. The latter Rums are usually very expensive and often become collector's items.
Varieties
Blended Rum:
3 Year Old
5 Year Old
8 Year Old
12 Year Old
15 Year Old
21 Year Old
25 Year Old Grand Special Reserve
Single Still Rum:
Enmore
Enmore Cask Strength
Port Mourant
Port Mourant Cask Strength
Versailles
Versailles Cask Strength
In addition to these versions, there are also quite a few limited editions that are mainly based on different finishes on barrels. There are red wine, port, madeira and sauternes versions.
In conclusion
El Dorado is a high quality Rum that owes a lot to the name and fame of Demerara distillers, and their almost legendary stills. It remains a classic Rum that, even in special finishes, will always have a good full flavor that is so characteristic of a molasses rum. The finishes and the intensive maturation and blending ensure that, as a buyer, you always know what to expect and so this is a Rum that, in its basic version, never contains any risk.