Aroma visualization from community tastings
DDL El Dorado 12 (2020 Release)
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Newcomers and anyone who wants an easy Demerara sipper will feel at home here. Think caramel, toffee, raisins and dried figs with a light oak edge — sweet but, in this newer release, not the sugar bomb the old 12 was. Most find it mild and pleasant; a few wish the 40% wasn't quite so thin. One taster even catches a faint "model glue" note on the nose.
The community says- Caramel and dried fruit
- Smooth and easy
- But: Added sugar
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The look inside the bottle
How does DDL El Dorado 12 (2020 Release) taste?
Summarized by AI from community reviews.
Easy, caramel-and-raisin Demerara sipper Most people like this newer, less-sweetened 12 as a gentle Guyana sipper — caramel, raisin and wood, easy to drink. The recurring gripe is that 40% leaves it a touch thin.
Aroma profilePeople new to rum who want a soft, sweetish Demerara sipper
Anyone wanting bold, high-proof, complex rum
Style & occasion: Mature & oakySweet & dessertSipping neatCocktails & mixing
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
Relative to this rum's strongest aroma family
54 of 121 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Which glass for which rum? The community guide ›
Buying advice
Is it right for you?
Yes, if you're after mature, oaky rums for sipping neat. Of 275 rums from Guyana in this style with at least the same score that ship to you, none is cheaper.
Similar in style and available now.
Fruitier
Foursquare Wagemut PX-Cask8.0/10 (460)45.59 €
44 rated both: 19 scored it higher, 21 scored El Dorado higher, 4 gave both the same score.
More intense
DDL El Dorado 15 (2020 Release)7.9/10 (263)52.85 €
56 rated both: 40 scored it higher, 11 scored DDL El Dorado 12 (2020 Release) higher, 5 gave both the same score.
What does the community say?
121 community reviews
39 selected write-ups on this page, all of them in the RumX app
Rate it in the app
Positive from 8.0 · Mixed 6.0–7.9 · Critical below 6.0
Review by Aussierumfan
Quite a nice rum and great value for what you get! I had a few glasses of this on ice with non rum drinking friends and we all agreed that it was a great sipper. Not massively complex but not a sugar bomb like the previous version, I'm getting caramel, brown sugar and some wood on the nose, same again on the palate of some fruits mixed in as well. A good rum for those new to the spirit I would say.
Review by Tim
Most helpful positive review
Amazing what you get here for so little money. Forget a typical sweet rum, no! Delicious Guyana profile without added sugar, even with herbal notes in the mouth, like some Diamonds. Intense candy/confection/caramel on the nose with vanilla, oak wood and some fruit. Roasty, but less roasty than the 15y. I didn't expect this whole package!!
Review by rum_sk
Most helpful critical review
I am not a fan. I do not like it very much. I would rather go with pusser's all the time. It is similar but there is something in the taste that I particularly do not like and cannot describe.
Review by Stefan Persson
Had 6cl of it after a better dinner at a local restaurant. It’s long time ago since I tasted the old 12yo with 35gpl sugar, but I’m pretty sure I like this new one with 6gpl sugar better. Overall an pleasant well balanced rum with a certain complexity.
Review by Rumpalumpa
A really lovely Rum. Without added sugar in the new bottling, but still a pleasant sweetness. and pobaply the best value for money in my opinion. the 15 yo is quite a bit more expensive but not much superior
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
#5363 30.05.2025 Running a few samples at home while watching a TV series about American football murders. Nose Wood, light roasted, dried fruit, spice, orange, sweet, light honey, light caramel. Palate Oily, wood, faint smoke, light caramel, dried fruit, light orange, light vanilla, sweet, light apple. Finish Medium long, wood, raisin, light chocolate, light caramel, light orange. Empty glass Vanilla, chocolate, toffee, sweet, light honey, faint coffee. We usually use this over ice cream or when baking chocolate cake.
Review by HenryL
Great with a cigar, somewhat flat on its own due to the low alcohol content. Edit: Now tried again on its own. A simple and pleasant rum that is not boring. Even a newcomer can probably be seduced by it, even if the alcohol is a little too present for the 40%.
Review by Serge
Today a small comparison of the two newer, less sweetened El Dorado standard bottlings 12yo (rx9644) and 15yo (rx9643) Both benefit from the reduced sugar content ... you can now taste some of the rum - although unfortunately not much, as both are quite heavily (too heavily) diluted. The robust pot characteristics of the 15yo may come across a little better on the palate. Nevertheless, I like the 12yo better, as the Diamond Column profile appeals to me more and the nose is thin but nice. A high proof of the 12yo would certainly be a great niche.
Review by Timo Groeger
Surprisingly, I really didn't miss it. It's mostly sweet, but still somewhat bearable. Lots of vanilla, caramel, sugar-bund toffee, also some wood on the palate. Can't drink it every day, but okay now and then.
Review by Joachim Guger
"Real" rum in Austrian supermarkets? 3 bottlings are available, this is one of them. Caramel, dried fruit and light spice. Very well balanced, not very complex and easy to drink. At 43%, you shouldn't expect a tour de force. The 15 is a lot spicier, but this one is more caramel-oriented. A reasonably priced introduction to the wonderful world of tropically matured demerara and a guest rum that I prefer to drink myself 😅😅😅😅
Review by Hansi
Nicely complex in taste, caramel, wood, toffee, and dried fruits. The smell is similar and quite spicy. The spiciness also lingers a bit longer in the mouth, so you get to enjoy your sip a little longer. Are the old and the 2020 bottlings sometimes confused here? I might be mistaken, but there’s no sugar in it, or only very little.
Review by Chrischi78
Very pleasant nose with the typical dark notes. On the palate it gets difficult though. You have the nice Guyana notes of dark chocolate and leather, but the boy lacks the proof which makes it seem thin and the few existing less complex notes easily turn into dull bitterness and unpleasantness. Mixer? Guyana sipper? For me a bad buy.
Review by Mr Return
A pretty good rum with a good price/performance ratio. On the nose caramel, a little wood, some vanilla and orange. On the palate caramel, brown sugar, dried fruits and a little wood. In the medium-long finish allspice and dark chocolate.
Review by Schorgelorsch
Still very sweet. It stands out mainly through the first taste in the mouth. Then it gradually flattens out. All in all, though, it's a really good sipper for the price and was probably an entry point and companion in rum for most people.
Review by paulgi86
Another sample to get through! One of many so will have to blitz through them over the next couple of months so that room for full bottles can be made! For a rum, it tastes awfully bourbon like to my palate - heapings of caramel, brown sugars, caramelised sugars, touch of vanilla and the faintest touch of oak. Not really much in the way of fruitiness - if there’s fruitiness then it’s very well hidden as my palate has been blasted with caramel! I don’t dislike it - in actual fact I do like it! I do feel however it doesn’t scream “rum like” to me - would probably have to try a high or cask strength version to really understand the DDL signature if there is one Enjoyable sipper - I wouldn’t be annoyed if either someone gave me this bottle as a gift or if I even bought it myself Revised score after sampling other DDL rums
Review by Jan Králík
I was a little worried when I learned that this icon of sweet rums is now made with minimal sugar. However, my fears were unnecessary - the rum is beautifully smooth and the taste is just slightly sweet. There's a hint of spice, honey, oak and a pleasantly light citrus. I like it very much. The over 15 year old version, which is similar in flavour but more pronounced overall, especially after the citrus, and that doesn't sit so well with me anymore.
Review by Decky Hicks Doughty
On the nose there's lots of plum, raisin and almond backed up with a good amounts of toffee, cocoa and oak. The palate is smooth and quite subtle. Cocoa, raisins and caramel. Lots of wood towards the end. The finish is medium in length and has herbal, eucalyptus notes along side the wood and caramel from the palate. Overall, this is a great rum. Something to sip with good company. A shining example of Guyanese rum.
Review by akkisz
The rum tastes classically chocolatey, malty, woody. An old-school rum. Good base but not particularly complex. The 40% maybe a bit low, too standard. It should be emphasized that this was the unsweetened version.
Review by Rum man
Great starter expression from Guyana. This is a rum that I can happily drink and also use to introduce rum to my friends. It has a great nose: fruity, sweet and woody. The palette falls a bit short due to the ABV (and perhaps the added sugar). It is actually the finish that is more interesting than the palette. It seems like when the sugar is gone, you pick up better on the woody notes (in that finish). Where I was a bit underwhelmed by the 15, this 12 is better than expected.
Review by Pandemonia
Rich, creamy and full-bodied, mmmm what a rum! Leans heavily into dark caramel, dark chocolate and medium spicy baked pastries. Caramelized sugar, cookie dough, roasted nuts and not least lots of notes adjacent to rich dark chocolate and sweet cocoa. Deep and round! This is one of the tops for me - I imagine it will stand out in a lot of cocktails as well as being a rich, savoury sipper all on its own. Can be enjoyed neat at dinner, at a date, while watching a movie or even as a dessert/digestif. Love it! Must get more.
Review by Marc 48531
Wonderful uncomplicated beginner rum with pleasant sweetness and the typical rum aromas of raisins and toffee. For the price a nice drop that you can serve to unexperienced guests without hesitation.
Review by Marc X
Very nice, round and tasty. Slightly dark in flavor, caramel-like and a bit of woody spice with dark fruit. I like to warm it in my hand and give it some time in the glass. Not overwhelming at all. Great value for the price!
Review by Strassi 🇦🇹
Excellent rum with a really good price-performance ratio. The reduced sugar addition did not harm the overall impression in any way.
Review by DerAlexausHRO
Price-performance ratio is awesome, especially if you get it under 30 euros.
Review by Nik;
Relatively thin and not particularly full-bodied. The smell is rather woody and slightly vanilla, while the taste remains noticeably more restrained.
Review by Abrahan Reyes
More complexity and definitely a better sipper than the previous 12 year expression. Caramel and toffee notes are present.
Review by Motte
Rounded taste experience with a pleasant but not exaggerated sweetness. Plum and raisins paired with caramel and toffee are rounded off with a wonderfully woody note, like fresh sawdust. Excellent value for money - currently my daily sipper when I feel like a light, sweet rum.
Review by Tupiaz
Har en sød start. Smag af mørke tørret frugt; rosiner. Efter dette kommer noter af lid træ og ristet smag. Selvom den er meget blød og mild i smagen. Har den en rimelig efter smag som er forholdsvis kompleks som man kan dykke ned i.
Review by Jannes55
Mein bester rum bis jetzt ist echt geil.
Review by Steffen Angersbach
Balanced, not very complex
Review by Philipp F.
The bouquet starts for me with a strong dried fig, paired with light oak notes, as well as brown sugar and caramel. The taste is very mild and pleasant, with caramel notes, oak and light spice notes reminiscent of nutmeg. The fruit is only subtly present in the form of dried plum. Apparently, I received one of the newer batches with less added sugar, the rum is not very sweet. The finish is medium-long with a strong caramel note. Overall, exactly what I expected from a Demerara rum. Recommendable, both neat and as a mixer. Not a total knockout, but definitely tasty.
Review by Onkel_Ig
A very nice El Dorado 🥰 It has a classic profile, with all the notes you associate with a rum. On the nose, caramel tones, dried fruits, light hints of vanilla, very mild, without alcoholic bite. On the palate, a light sweetness followed by caramel tones and toffee, nice fruity and roasted notes. The finish is slightly bitter, spicy, and with light wood. My conclusion: A great rum that I really like and would buy again anytime. Together with the 15-year-old, an absolute must-have for every rum fan ❤️
Review by Jakub Kula
had to try this i would say one of the best basic worth to buy rums. tasted it as it was and i liked it tasted it in icy drinks as cuba libre and also with pink tonic, lime and rapsberries and it was pretty solid too and also with ginger beer and lime
Review by Goodoboy30
This rum is sweet but not too sweet. Very good. Definitely not a mixer. Only sip.
Review by fortepian
Incredible nose, incredible taste. Just perfect :)
Review by JonasRum
A smooth charmer. Everyone likes it.
Review by Tyler L
This is nice. Comes through on the nose with very strong fruit forward notes. Raisins and dark wood with a bit of orange at the tail. There is a strong pastry/confection vibe as well. More brown sugar sweet notes take over as the glass sits. Tasting reveals that dark fruitiness tempered by toffee and wood notes with some pepper through the middle. Well balanced for me. This balances sweet and dry quite nicely. The finish is on the dry side and rather short. Some more wood and some underlying herb/spice that fades into a bitter mocha like quality.
Review by Áron
Very nice rum. I get this "model glue" note in the nose, interesting but pleasant. It drinks smooth with a loong finish. I never tasted the oldder, sweet version but I wouldnt want sugar in this one. Quite smooth as-is.
Review by Kieron Wood
It's brilliant to see El Dorado abandoning the sugar dosing . This is apparently very low when tested with hydrometer... Nosing Chocolate,raisens ,figs and dates . Tasting Smoke ,apples and figs
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Expert reviews
Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum.
Expert review by Single Cask Rum
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DDL El Dorado 12 (2020 Release) at live auctions
A bid is not a final price: the house sets the buyer's premium, shipping and any customs duty.
All live auctions ›Community shelf
216 bottles logged by 191 collectors.
A drinker's rum.
44% opened, 34 emptied.
What does DDL El Dorado 12 (2020 Release) cost?
Community paid 27–39 €.
Current best price: 31.52 € – within the typical community range.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 31 €. Full price & collection history in RX+ ›
+47 additions in the last 3 months.
Additions per month over the last 12 months; dark bars: the last 3.
216 purchased · 141 tasted · 104 wishlist · as of
Details about DDL El Dorado 12 (2020 Release)
A rum from Guyana, distilled by Demerara Distillers Ltd, at 40%.
Which of the wooden stills is behind this rum? The RumX guide ›
Read on in the RumX Guide
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