Need Some Advice for my Shopping Trip

[martybmccabe]

Well, I'm headed through NJ with my wife this weekend, and I've found a store that has:

Santa Teresa 1796
El Dorado 5yr
El Dorado 12yr
El Dorado 15yr

My questions:

1) I certainly want them all, especially the 1796, but do I need them all, specifically the El Dorado 5yr?

2) I know the 12yr was recently reformulated? How do I know if I have a newer bottle?

Thoughts in general are always appreciated, and I promise to post followup reviews!

Ciao,

marty

[Matusalem]

I think the 15 was the more noticeable re-oriented bottle of El Dorado (but am not sure as that is based on my own limited taste).

I'd also guess that DDL's effort to up the Guyana economy and bold expansion of export destinations (afer the millennium) probably cut into or required rum which might have been designated for the bulk market previously. From what I understood, a minimum of about 60% of what was produced was not bottled under the "El Dorado" marca but sold off.

Personally I'd go with the 12 year old bottle of El Dorado if forced to choose 2 bottles and probably get the Santa Teresa as the second for comparison purposes. If you only need to eliminate one, dump the 5 year El Dorado. Regardless of difference in bottles (new vs. old) the rum was very good before and remains a great pour today in all iterations (MHO - except I'm not familiar with the 25).

To me the 12 is the most "assertive", the 15 and 21 show age and establish what I might refer to as "tenure".

[Scottes]

I just had the 15- and 21-year-old El Dorados this past weekend. As I've never had a Demerara before I didn't know what to expect, and I was extremely pleased with both. Pleased as in: "Wow! What a lot of great flavor!"

[angelsword]

The Santa Teresa and El Dorado 15 both have special spots on my shelf. But I also chose El Dorado 12 as my personal favorite in the tasting competition.

[Edward Hamilton]

When El Dorado reformulated their 12 yo, they put it in a bottle that is the now the same as their 15 yo bottle but with a red label.

As much as I enjoy this 12 yo rum, I have a place in the locker for the 15, but that's a tough call. I'd base it on the budget and buy the other one the next time around. Maybe tell your wife how much more you're not spending unless she's a rum drinker. In either case, get her something she likes as well.

I like the 5 yo as a good mixing rum, but that doesn't help your decision.