It took a while but now i have finally been able to try out El Dorado`s eight year old rum. This is a blend of pot still and column still rums – aged in used whisky and bourbon barrels and was launched in the UK at Trailer Happiness in october-09 just after the UK Rumfest. I was so close to go but things weren´t in my favor so i never made it, maybe i have better luck next time.
When it comes to El Dorado rums i`m always so curious to know more about their stills, one can maybe say that i`m slightly obsessed with these old stills..and the process with which rum is made – i find it totally fascinating. What is missing for me is to actually go there and see them for myself and taste some rum – that would be totally awesome.
The stills used for the 8yo are between the 5yo and the 12yo – it is predominantly the EHP (wooden column still) with a tiny bit of the PM (double wooden pot still) and a couple of metal column stills. The 12yo and upwards all have more pot still than the 8yo whereas the 3yo & 5yo are 100% column still.
But i have a treasure here…its called liquid gold and i wanna tell you how i think it tastes.
The first thing i noticed when i took my first sip was that this one is lighter than the 12 year old, but heavier than the 5 year old so it places itself somewhere in between. The mouthfeel is a bit thinner than the 12 but the balance of flavors is as good as you would expect a rum from El Dorado and its not a weak rum. I totally expect every single rum from them to be good and so far i have never been disappointed and i don´t think i ever will be.
The new bottles are cool with a rounded shape but i really hope they never ever change the bottles of the 12,15 , 21 and 25 year old rums because those bottles are the very essence of really rummy bottles. All their bottles also has some stunning labels.
But back to the flavor… this rum is fullbodied and has notes of both vanilla, toffee, dried fruit and citrus and then molasses, wood and spice. Its hard to try to describe flavors and notes and taste is also so personal but i try to give words to the flavors that fills my palate. Its also a training thing – the more rums you taste the better you can detect the various flavors and rum has many flavors!
The nose is to me somewhat woody and spicy with some hints of vanilla. If i close my eyes i see old rum barrels…and the lingering of the flavor stays long with you. This is much rum you get to a good price and all i can say is that El Dorado has come up with yet another outstanding rum.
Its very mixable too and that is a good thing because now we´re gonna mix up two rum swizzles and we`re gonna do it in style with a real sturdy El Dorado wooden swizzle stick! I love the sound of swizzling as much as the sound of the shaker, its something about the sound of crushed ice chilling a cocktail – its like music – and then when the drink arrives, ice cold and eye-pleasingly garnished unless its a non-garnish drink – its one of life`s true pleasures.
So let`s swizzle!
Swizzling is fun and the sound of the crushed tells you about the tastiness that`s gonna soon be ready to be imbibed. When you see the glass has become frosted on the outside, then you know the drink is cold enough.
GOLDEN SUN SWIZZLE
1.5 oz passionfruit juice
0.5 oz fresh orange juice
0.5 oz fresh lime
2 oz El Dorado 8 year old rum
1/4 simple syrup
1/4 passionfruit syrup
Dash Angostura bitters
Dash homemade greandine
Crushed ice
Swizzle it all in a tall glass half filled with crushed ice, then add a dash grenadine and fill up with more crushed ice. Garnish with fruits, a little mint and your swizzle stick.
I was a bit worried that the rum flavor wouldn`t come through with all this fruit but it did and the rum is enough present – as it should. I also think its important with homemade grenadine here as the natural flavors blends beautifully while a commercial grenadine probably would take over the flavor too much plus tasting – well – “evil”.
I wouldn`t mind a float of LH151 in this… Let`s make another one with a touch of exquisite dark chocolate:
SAVAGE GOLD & RAW CHOCOLATE
2 oz pineapple juice
1/4 oz Campari
1/4 oz Mozart Dry chocolate spirit
2 oz El Dorado 8 year old rum
0.5 oz fresh lime
1/4 oz simple syrup
Crushed ice
Swizzle all ingredients in a highball glass and garnish with pineapple leaves.
I think i like this one much better, the chocolate flavor comes through and marries so well with both the rum, pineapple, and the campari which adds that little extra. If you like a less sweet drink you may omit the 1/4 oz of simple.
This is an outstanding all-round rum and El Dorado hasn`t disappointed me this time either, but i didn`t expect that. I have only mixed with it here but i can assure you – its great sipped neat.
