Aroma visualization from community tastings
DDL El Dorado 25 Grand Special Reserve 1988
A solid stepping stone for those building their palate: ultra-smooth, sweet Demerara with vanilla, chocolate, caramel and fruitcake notes at 43%. RumX members praise its elegance as a special-occasion sipper.
The community says- Silky smooth
- Rich Demerara sweetness
- But: Noticeably sweet
View price history
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Buy DDL El Dorado 25 Grand Special Reserve 1988:
Compare all 2 shop offers from 712.05 €
Prices & availability last updated on
The look inside the bottle
How does DDL El Dorado 25 Grand Special Reserve 1988 taste?
Aggregated from 20 community reviews.
Silky, sweet Demerara celebration sipper Highly praised for its silky sweetness, Demerara richness and elegant balance, offering a luxurious, easy-drinking 25-year experience that many consider worth celebrating over younger El Dorado bottlings.
Those who prefer smooth, sweet luxury sippers and already enjoy El Dorado 12 or 15 but want a more refined, celebratory bottle.
Anyone seeking dry, high-ABV intensity or very complex, challenging profiles; also not ideal for budget-conscious buyers.
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
3 of 20 left detailed tasting impressions
Recommendation
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How is DDL El Dorado 25 Grand Special Reserve 1988 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.4 sits in the “Very good” band. 90% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 5% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Community voices
What does the community say?
65% rate it 8 or higher. 5 selected write-ups from 20 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Stefan Persson
Most helpful positive review
A truly fantastic rum, but it’s always discussable if it’s worth the money. Fantastic nose of Demerara sugar, caramel and chocolate. At the palate it’s very complex, well balanced and elegant and after that a fantastic finish.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
Most helpful mixed review
A bit disappointed
Review by Émile Shevek
Very delicate, round, refined and silky, notes of vanilla and chocolate typical of demerara, with slightly spicy finish due to aging, but with little persistence. Very drinkable
Review by Kieron Wood
I tasted this in 2016 side by side with the 1986 and think I would need to reevaluate the notes made . This is better than the normal 25 year aged rum wow what flavourings , money well spent .. Honestly flavours cannot comprehend how good of a rum this is ... El Dorado
Review by R Wehner
Great! Just before perfect... Nose like a perfect El Dorado, tongue fantastic, round, spicy, sweet... No 100 points to leave room for improvement and a bit too sweet for me.
Expert reviews
Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by Rum Diaries Blog
Read full review →
Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Market value
What this bottle last achieved at auction. A research indicator, not a forecast.
Auction results 368 € – 559 €
from 3 sales, latest 04/2026
Prices incl. buyer's premium — what a buyer pays, not what a sale nets you.
Avg. community purchase price 496 €
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 25 Grand Special Reserve 1988
A rum from Guyana, distilled by Demerara Distillers Ltd, at 43%.
Which of the wooden stills is behind this rum? The RumX guide →
Community purchases
18 bottles logged by 17 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
11% opened, 1 emptied and repurchased.
What does DDL El Dorado 25 Grand Special Reserve 1988 cost?
Community paid 345–572 €.
Current best price: 712.05 € – 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+ →
18 purchased · 21 tasted · 14 wishlist · as of
Read on in the RumX Guide
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Oliver · FounderBy rum lovers, for rum lovers
I'm Oliver, and RumX began in 2018 as a small passion project in Stuttgart, back then under the name Rum Tasting Notes.
What began as my digital tasting diary is now the world's most comprehensive platform for rum fans, today carried by a small team with Jakob, Lukas and Katharina, with Robert supporting us as a freelancer. We combine the collective intelligence of our community with an integrated marketplace, so you can choose with confidence, without paperwork, detours, or expert jargon.
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