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DDL El Dorado 21 (2020 Release)
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Sipped neat, this 2020 Demerara pours dark and drinks drier than older El Dorados — several tasters flag that the near-zero sugar really helped. Expect burnt sugar, dark chocolate, dried fruit and a big load of toasted oak, with warm cinnamon and pepper. A "no mix needed" sipper, though a few find the wood and finish a touch flat.
The community says- Less sweet now
- Rich dried fruit
- But: Very woody
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How does DDL El Dorado 21 (2020 Release) taste?
Summarized by AI from 95 community reviews.
Dry, woody Demerara sipper, less sweet now Well-liked and much drier than the old syrupy version, with oak, caramel and dried fruit. The recurring gripe: it can lean woody and one-dimensional, and many rate the 15yo just as high.
Aroma profileFans of dry, oaky aged Demerara rum
Anyone wanting sweet, syrupy old-style El Dorado
Style & occasion: Mature & oakySipping neatCocktails & mixing
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
32 of 95 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
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Community voices
What does the community say?
95 community reviews
25 selected write-ups on this page, all of them in the RumX app
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Ranges include their upper bound: “7–8” means above 7 up to and including 8. See the full rating guide
Positive from 8.0 · Mixed 6.0–7.9 · Critical below 6.0
Review by Stefan Persson
Most helpful positive review
Tasted the new less sweetened El Dorado 21yo after a better dinner at a restaurant downtown Stockholm. It’s still very tasteful, but drier which suits me better. So they’ve made a good job at DDL to make it such good without much of the sugar.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
Most helpful mixed review
I love that they have reduced the sugar content to near zero. This has improved the quality of this rum a lot. Nice and fruity with spices and a warm palate. Draws nice curtains and the empty glass is really nice.
Review by Aussierumfan
I was fairly pissed when I tried this but I did like it. No where near as sweet as the previous version and it has a reasonable amount of complexity. Can't go to far wrong with it. Wood, caramel and dark chocolates.
Review by Michael Schillheim
In direct comparison, the 21 has for me the poles of the 3 standard El Dorados. Pleasant herbal notes, light wood, beautiful dried plum. On the palate, it falls slightly short of the 15. The younger brother is somewhat stronger and spicier. Overall, I still think the 21 is slightly ahead. For me, it's the more harmonious rum in the range. However, the PLV is clearly better with the 15.
Review by LukaŽiga
This super round rhum is made from rums of between 21 and 25 years of age and is very well rounded. 8,7:On the nose it is buttery, with chocolatey notes behind it. Ripe banana and fruity Christmas cake. Airing brings hints of tobacco and sandalwood in the nest of coconut, leading into spent match smokiness. 8,8:On the palate there are dry sultanas, dates, blackcurrant and macadamia nuts, a touch of rose water. The wood is toasted. The mid-palate brings dark chocolate and nutmeg too. 8,6:The finish is long and it just keeps going in! There's fried banana and handfuls of raisin notes right through to the end, with just a little hint of spicy cinnamon... Quite an upgrade from 15y.This is rum with a big R. A super sipper! Edit:11.4.26
Review by cigares
A rum tasted at the Rum and Gin Festival in Lucerne.the nose is of caramel and dried fruit, with a well-integrated woodiness. The palate is smooth, with a hint of bitterness from the long stay in the wood.the finish is of medium length, with caramel and dried fruit.this rum lacks a little depth and breadth of flavor, a little disappointing.
Review by Eric Frechin
My first El Dorado. Pleasant, well-balanced nose, with a scent of dried fruit, caramelized and moderately strong woody notes. On the palate, the entry is special, I think soap and a little floral! This is perhaps due to the opening of the bottle and the lack of oxidation. Then bitterness, wood and licorice. I liked the finish with prunes and figs.
Review by HenryL
Great nose, in the mouth it is a bit too woody for me. Nose I like a little better than from the 15, taste a little worse, therefore equal points
Review by Rumpalumpa
There is a lot of wood. Lots of warm, spicy aromas on the nose. Somewhat fruity, with hints of raisins and nuts. On the palate there's a lot of barrel, a little smoky and bitter. Interesting, but almost too much barrel spice for my taste.
Review by w00tAN
Very good that it now contains less sugar. The nose is really a delight, delicately sweet and spicy. In the mouth it is also well spiced and very round, but unfortunately also somewhat one-dimensional and, compared to the 15-year-old, a better nose but clearly behind in terms of taste. For almost twice the price, it's absolutely not justified, if you ask me.
Review by Tim
Feels the roundest among the El Dorados 12/15/21: so fewer edges that could, for example, come from a wooden still, but more reminiscent of an Albion. Nicely toasty and fruity with a good dose of caramel and chocolate. For me, though, hardly better than the 15y, which is a bit different but just as good. The extra cost for the 21y doesn't seem worth it.
Review by Jus Liens
The alcohol is much better integrated than the 15 years. Still notes of toffee, chocolate. On the palate and finish, still this bitterness, this dark chocolate. The finish is still average but rather pleasant and I didn't expect much given the price of the 21 years; and given the finishes of the 12 and 15 years. The 12 and 15 years are pleasant, I find this one good. This one is interesting to drink alone. Maybe in a cocktail but I find it less interesting for a personal infinity bottle or a personal navy rum.
Review by Rodolphe
Tasted quickly on the El Dorado stand. I find that the fact that there is no more sugar (or very little) is a very good thing. It's an excellent blend from Guyana, very dark and sticky, very good. After that, it is much more expensive than the 15ans and it is not much better... So nice to taste, but it won't replace my bottle of 15ans.
Review by Émile Shevek
The nose is intense and pleasant, with roasted and toasted notes, burnt sugar, barrel, leather, vanilla, plums and light spices. I didn't remember such a good nose. On the palate it is full-bodied and tasty, basically finding the same aromas as on the nose. It is less sweet than previous versions. The finish is quite delicate and lacks depth.
Review by Tyler L
Initial nose is lively. Orange peel and Demerara sugar dominate with perfume suggestions. After some time the orange transitions to coconut and tropical fruits and finally back to that Demerara sugar, now mellowed with time. The taste does not match and I was surprised by assertive cinnamon and pepper notes. There is a hint of that sweetness but this is very dry, toasty and has greenish/menthol faintly appearing every so often with coffee. Med long finish of roasted dried nuts, chocolate and some char. Bourbon-like. This is much much different then the 15 year old which I am more accustomed to. I mean it doesn’t taste like the same rum aged another 6 years, this tastes like a totally different rum. It’s complex and I’ll look forward getting to know it better.
Review by X-Savior
On The Rocks: On the nose Mild fruit, floral and spice notes with a slight alcohol presence. Taste packs a strong spice punch followed by a fruit/floral/oak that evolves into a slightly bitter and then back into a sweetness with moderate fruit and floral notes with a oak undertone. Long in the finish with sweetness and subtle oak evolving into a slightly bitter. This is an very smooth and very enjoyable rum that is developing some complexity. This has developed more complexity once the bottle has had time to breath. Mixed Pepsi Zero: On the nose there is mild spices and oak. Taste is moderately sweet and extremly smooth. Finish is short but sweet. This is also very enjoyable mixed and could enjoy it either way.
Review by Jo Hoo
All-around good Demerara... and as far as known 'without' sugar.
Review by Verner Sørensen
Great rum, it's soooo good. Enjoy it neat and many times over
Review by Shaun Abel
Complex tastes...when mixed it's a sweet taste, more of a drink I would mix and enjoy
Review by Lupo Alberto
From one of my old reviews: This nectar, part of a luxury series aged in oak barrels (besides a 12-year, a 15-year and a 25-year), is composed of a blend of rums selected from the Enmore still, the Versailles still and the Albion. All rums in the blend were aged in 45-gallon oak barrels for a minimum of 21 years, making this one of the most aged series rums in the world. It is important to note that the age statement specifically indicates the youngest rum in the blend, while the oldest could be many years older; this method of indicating the age of the product is very different from those rums that use the Solera method, where the age of the oldest rum in the blend is indicated, while usually there are high percentages of much younger distillate. The El Dorado 21 was awarded gold at the 2003 International Rum Festival in Canada and silver at the 2003 International Wine and Spirit Competition in London; moreover, it was the rum with the highest score ever obtained at the Beverage Tasting Institute in Chicago. The bottle, which is the same for the entire series, recalls the times of pirate exploits, with its squat shape and bulbous neck; completing the work is a nice cylindrical box that will surely be much appreciated if given as a gift. In the glass, the liquid, a beautiful mahogany color, reveals aromas of vanilla, chocolate and banana, orange and tobacco, a true pleasure that preludes the next step. On the palate, an intoxicating scent of oak, caramel and dates delights the palate, perhaps a bit drier than expected, considering it was sweetened a bit; a universe of further aromas and flavors continue to unfold, very balanced among themselves and giving this nectar an exceptional taste. A finish of vanilla, oak and banana concludes the pleasant experience. A complex rum, never obvious, which is nevertheless enjoyed with extreme pleasure even at first experiences. Highly recommended with a piece of dark chocolate.
Review by ZeroCool
Very nice rum, fruity, long finish, pleasant to sip, no mix needed
Review by VincyPepperPot
This rum has a long lingering beautiful taste of sunshine. As soon as you have your first sip, you know you're in for something special. The smell gives you a hint that you need to take your time. Don't be in a rush, but don't let your ice have all the fun. This is quality which will set you up for higher level. I had the 12year old in my collection, after trying the 21 I gave the 12 away to a good friend. Life is too short "live to enjoy and enjoy to live" . A great classy rum, enjoy
Review by Nathan1188 Nath
Beautiful amber color in the glass, the nose dives in eagerly and immediately clings to candied fruits, caramel mixed with wood, oak matches with light spices, the palate is not fooled afterwards, the solvent takes time to give way to wood and candied fruits, dried fruits that line the palate, very pleasant without great complexity, like cream but kitten I am no longer ...
Review by Viktor Gu
Eldorado 21 rum, one of the most successful positions in its basic lineup. The aroma of the rum is honeyed and a bit fruity, you can very well feel vanilla and spices, the taste is very sweet with lots of spices, honey, and dried fruits. If you love sweet rums, this is for you 😎
Review by Barney487
Nice rum with depth, develops well with some standing in the air, rather something for progress, little sweetness, alcohol well integrated, I find the price around 80€ also reasonable
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Community shelf
133 bottles logged by 125 collectors.
Both drunk and collected.
34% opened, 8 emptied.
What does DDL El Dorado 21 (2020 Release) cost?
Community paid 56–134 €.
Current best price: 89.55 € – within the typical community range.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 89 €. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
+9 purchases in the last 3 months.
Added to collections, last 12 months — dark bars are the last 3.
133 purchased · 98 tasted · 68 wishlist · as of
Details about DDL El Dorado 21 (2020 Release)
A rum from Guyana, distilled by Demerara Distillers Ltd, at 43%.
Which of the wooden stills is behind this rum? The RumX guide →
Read on in the RumX Guide
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