Aroma visualization from community tastings
DDL El Dorado High Ester Blend LBI/DHE 2012
Don't buy this expecting a funk bomb — despite the "High Ester" label, almost everyone agrees the esters are tame. What you get instead is a rich Guyana profile: chocolate, caramel, roasted coffee, coconut and dried fruit, with a creamy body. Several tasters blind-guessed Foursquare or NY94. The 57% is well-integrated for most, though a few find the alcohol slightly forward.
The community says- Rich chocolate-caramel
- Long roasted finish
- But: Not really high-ester
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The look inside the bottle
How does DDL El Dorado High Ester Blend LBI/DHE 2012 taste?
Aggregated from 87 community reviews.
Rich chocolate Demerara, not the ester bomb Loved as a rich, chocolatey Demerara, but the "high ester" name misleads — the funk barely shows. Most agree it's a very tasty El Dorado, just not the ester bomb expected.
Fans of rich, chocolatey Guyana rum
Anyone chasing real Jamaican-style ester funk
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
46 of 87 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Recommendation
Your next rum
One difference each to this rum.
Rated better
Albion El Dorado Rare Collection AN 2004
9.0/10263 €
More intense
Versailles El Dorado Rare Collection VSG 2002
8.3/10176 €
Similar rating, cheaper
Foursquare Exceptional Cask Sélection XXIX (Mandamus) 2025
8.5/10100 €First choice: 40 of 45 tasters who tried both prefer it.
How is DDL El Dorado High Ester Blend LBI/DHE 2012 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.6 sits in the “Very good” band. 96% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 1% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Community voices
What does the community say?
93% rate it 8 or higher. 18 selected write-ups from 87 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by DomM
Most helpful positive review
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.
Review by F.L.O.
Most helpful mixed review
Jetzt hab ich wirklich gedacht, es kommt ein High Ester Brett a‘la DOK oder HOGO Monster. Weit gefehlt. Leckere Röstnoten, sehr viel Schoko, bisschen Honig. Auch die Frucht und gebrannte Mandeln sind vorhanden. Aber wo ist die Esterbombenfruchtexplosion ? Der Alkohol ist mir persönlich ein wenig zu präsent auf der Zunge und überklatscht a bisserl das Aroma.
Review by zabo
Schöne Erweiterung der El Dorado Reihe. Nur das mit dem High Ester verstehe ich nicht wirklich. Da hält das Etikett und die Beschreibung nicht, was versprochen wird. Wenn man davon absieht, ein sehr gelungener Rum. Braucht aber ein wenig Zeit im Glas. Ich finde ihn sehr gut. Wie @Basti bereits erwähnt hat, eine leichte New Yarmouth Parallele lässt sich erkennen. Vielleicht mag ich ihn deshalb so gern. 😉
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
#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.
Review by Galli33
Hier haben wir einen tollen Rum aus Guyana, aus der Pot Still mit dem sehr interessanten Mark LBI/DHE. Freude der jamaikanischen Ester, suchen hier leider vergeblich nach bekanntlichen Noten wie gegrillte Anananas, Uhu, vergorene Früchte etc. Hier haben wir einen Rum der so ein richtig schönes und volles Guyana Erlebnis bietet. Gefällt mir🤙🏻😎
Review by Johannes
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.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Wirklich schöner Neuzugang bei El Dorado. Guyana in Reinform. Karamellisierter Demerarazucker trifft auf geröstete Kokosnuss, Bitterorange und sehr dunkle Zartbitterschokolade, sowie kräftiger Mokka und Salzkaramell. Wirklich spannend und sehr lecker! Hatte insgesamt beim Begriff "high Ester" dennoch mehr Funk erwartet. Dafür ist er aber ein unfassbar aromatischer leckerer El dorado in seiner pursten Form! Würde ich mir tatsächlich echt gerne kaufen, macht brutal Spaß das Ding!
Review by Serge
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.
Review by Giorgio Garotti
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!
Review by Basti
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.
Review by Jakob
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.
Review by Beancheese
Picked this one up because I was curious to see what the high ester would impart. The nose is fairly straightforward but nice. Chocolate, caramel, soft spices, some fruitiness and obviously some wood. There are some glue notes in the mix as well. On the palate it ain’t bad. Pretty similar to the nose, this one is all about chocolate and caramel, with vanilla and other soft, warm, baking spices, balanced out with some dry wood. Creamy texture. The alcohol is perceptible - not troubling, but it could be better integrated. All said, this one is no ‘ester bomb’, but as long as you put that aside, it’s quite a pleasant rum. Pretty decent value as well.
Review by TheJackDrop
I expected much more, but it's still nice. The esters aren't present to much, but the nose opens up slowly to popcorn, chocolate and roasted hazelnuts, followed by white pepper on the palate. It's very good, a little heavy perhaps, but very greedy.
Review by Mirco
Sehr lecker. Die Nase und Gaumen direkt die schwere unverkennbare Demerara Süsse. Ester nehme ich nicht besonders wahr. Hätte da mehr erwartet. Nichts desto trotz ein super Rum, der zu überzeugen weiss.
Review by Jussi Piirainen
Have to review this before my NYC trip to see if this bottle is worth of buying. On the nose: Lovely caramel, vanilla and chocolate with roasted notes. Woody notes and spicy notes. Abv seems to be integrated perfectly. Balanced. Taste: Chocolate, caramel, vanilla with toasted coffee mouthfeel. Dark and rich notes. Wood notes. Demerera sugar notes appear in the end. Balanced. Delicious. The abv is integrated perfectly. Finish: Long finish. Caramel and more dark chocolate notes. Roasted coffee are now also stronger. Touch of salt. Finishes of as a mildly bitter in the end. Looks like I have to buy this rum and so should you. Absolutely delicious!
Review by Skyfly
Hätte ich die Bewertungen mal vorher gelesen hätte ich wohl wissen können, dass man hier "High Ester" vergeblich sucht. Die ganze Komposition erinnert stark an einen FSQ und weist Parallelen zu 94er NY auf. Von Anfang bis Ende ein rundes Ding und richtig lecker!
Review by abaker-rum
I love the nose on this rum. The most predominant notes are chocolate, caramel, and wood, but it is complimented by other notes of cherry, vanilla, baking spices, and a slight hint of butter. The palate is fruity, with caramel and mocha, that carries in a long finish that keeps you mouth watering and wanting more.
Review by Ian Gilman
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.
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Expert reviews
2 critics scored it, averaging 8.8/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by New World Rum Club
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.
Expert review by The Rum Champion
Think El Dorado But a brighter expression of it. Amazing amazing, amazing stuff
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Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Market value
Avg. community purchase price 146 €
What members paid for this bottle, self-reported. Not a market value — the purchases are over three years old at the median and unverified.
Details about DDL El Dorado High Ester Blend LBI/DHE 2012
A Pot Still Rum from Guyana, distilled by Demerara Distillers Ltd, at 57%.
Which of the wooden stills is behind this rum? The RumX guide →
Community purchases
78 bottles logged by 67 collectors.
A drinker & collector.
24% opened, 4 emptied and repurchased.
What does DDL El Dorado High Ester Blend LBI/DHE 2012 cost?
Community paid 81–153 €.
Current best price: 152.90 € – above the typical community range.
What members actually paid for their bottles. A typical range, not the current shop price. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
78 purchased · 86 tasted · 87 wishlist · as of
Read on in the RumX Guide
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