Aroma visualization from community tastings
DDL El Dorado 12
Sipped neat or over ice, this drinks soft and sweet: brown sugar, toffee, vanilla and caramel up front, then a woody, lightly spiced tail with hints of coffee and dried fruit. Most people meet it early in their rum life and remember it fondly — "bit sweet but easy going." A few find it thin at 40% and one-dimensional, but it's a genuinely easy Demerara pour.
The community says- Smooth and easy
- Caramel and toffee
- But: Tastes sweetened
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The look inside the bottle
How does DDL El Dorado 12 taste?
Aggregated from 531 community reviews.
Soft, sweet caramel-and-vanilla starter Demerara Loved as an easy, caramel-heavy starter Demerara. Reviewers agree it's smooth and pleasant; the recurring gripes are sweetness, a light body, and less depth than the 15.
People who like sweet, soft, easy sippers and newcomers moving from whisky into rum
Anyone wanting dry, high-proof, complex Demerara with pot-still funk
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
128 of 531 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Recommendation
Your next rum
One difference each to this rum.
Rated better
DDL El Dorado 21
7.6/1085 €
More intense
DDL El Dorado 15 (2020 Release)
8.0/1046 €
Similar rating, cheaper
West Indies Plantation Barbados 5 Years
7.1/1023 €First choice: 61 of 80 tasters who tried both prefer it.
How is DDL El Dorado 12 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 7.3 sits in the “Good” band. 59% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 3% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Community voices
What does the community say?
73% rate it between 6 and 8. 45 selected write-ups from 531 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
One of the community's most-rated rums
Review by Mitchell Kennedy
The smell is a little bit hot and starts off with a stongish leather and dusty varnish smell. Then a bit more butterscotch and dried fruit comes in. The taste is a little spicy with dark chocolate, caramel, and a bit of the dried raisin flavor along with some spice and wood from the barrel. A couple more sips give some apple and vanilla flavor and some tropical fruit, like pineapple. Finish is medium and taste lightly of dried fruit.
Review by LukaŽiga
Most helpful positive review
8,2:The nose is relatively light with fruity notes, held together by a dry, toasty woodiness and warm spices , it begins to deliver its luscious nutty aromas after some rest.With aeration, the sweetness of pecans and maple syrup take over, very tempting indeed. The woodiness is combined with a caramelized, lightly roasted mixture, some vanilla, toffee, chocolate and an American oak notes, like orange peel, apricots and a pinch of smokiness, all very gourmand. 8,2:The palate is very smooth and thick, with juicy prunes and dried grapes, alcohol not felt at all. Nuts and spices then enter the scene, some coffee with caramel, vanilla conveyed by a gentle woodiness with notes of tangy fruit that bring a pinch of astringency. 8:The finish is light and spicy, a bit dry, smooth with some vanilla, exotic fruits are distant and smokiness.. Better than expected.Better than 15y. Edit:11.4.26
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Most helpful critical review
solid mediocrity. but much too sweet and syrupy, strangely bitter at the end
Review by Stefan Persson
It’s quite sweet, almost too sweet. The new 2020 release is therefore much better. It tastes a lot of Demerara sugar. But I believe it’s one of the better entries to the rum world if you still can get a hold of a bottle.
Review by Mirko Frosini 🇮🇪
Significantly lower than the 15-year-old.
Review by Luuzi
Beautiful rum. Makes the beginner want more.
Review by Insta: spiritofbernard 🇫🇷
It's still a must-have to offer to your friends even if the sugar takes over too much.
Review by BTHHo 🥃
Very sweet, soft and round, but with good depth and weight. Notes of brown sugar, toffee, vanilla and caramel.
Review by Rumbaer
Vorab: meine Bewertungen ist vom 21.03.2025. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt handelt es sich um einen Rum. Er hat nicht mehr die in der Beschreibung oben angegebenen 35g Zucker. Das wurde mit der EU-Verordnung on 2022 auf Null reduziert. Die alte Version mit viel Zucker hat das rote Logo auf der Flasche. Die neue Abfüllung das schwarze. Der Geruch ist ausgeprägt nach Holz, gefolgt von Gewürzen und Vanille. Nach etwas Zeit im Glas und auch im leeren Glas richtig tolle Tabaknoten. Ich bin Nichtraucher, aber der Geruch holt mich total ab. So ein Gefühl im Mund hatte ich bisher nicht. Ich empfand es wie ein weiches Kissen das sich auf die Zunge legt, würzige, weiche und warme Noten. Schmeckt mir wirklich gut. Toller Rum.
Review by TheJackDrop
"One of my first crushes, a sure bet. Vanilla, tobacco, fruit, licorice and very accessible. To sum up, my tasting notes: On the nose: Caramel, Glue On the palate: Caramel, Tobacco Finish: Coffee".
Review by zabo
Edit: great for baking. I made rum balls with dark chocolate. Great addictive potential for baking Was one of my first purchases in the rum world. But I don't regret it. But the taste is now a little too sweet for me.
Review by FabiDram
Verkostung 22.12.2023
Review by Marcus Ekornes
I've tasted the newer unsweetened El Dorado 12, and I absolutely love it.
Review by Vincent D
Pas grand chose à dire de ce rhum trop sucré. Caramel et vanille. Peut-être un léger boisé en bouche mais alors franchement discret.. Un profil sans grand intérêt à mon sens. Aucun relief, trop lisse. Bof
Review by Timo Groeger
Mmmmmh, a relief from rum after all the garbage of today. Anyway, every point counts :-) Here we have a pleasant sweetness on the nose and palate of vanilla and caramel. Very tasty in any case :-)
Review by Dunzi
I like it more than the 15YO Eldorado
Review by David Bonner
Chocolate and treacle
Review by Godspeed
Been using the 15 as a cocktail rum for a while but many swear by this one so I figured I’d try a bottle. Noticeably lighter body than the 15, quicker to dissipate and less dark in tone, but still very burnt and dark compared to most other rums of course. Versatile cocktail rum but when mixing I notice myself adding extra to get the same bite from the burnt notes compared to the 15.
Review by Rumclub Latvia
Demerara distillers have huge amount stock of rums in they wherehouses, from this point this is one of reasons why this brand are so available and for decent price versus honest age statement. If you like this, you can go to try Diplomatico reserva exclusiva.
Review by primus
Quite a classic, the rum tells a story about its cask, chocolate, coffee and caramel. Dried fruits set the right accents. Perhaps a cigar to go with it? I think this rum belongs in the basic equipment of a collection.
Review by Abrahan Reyes
There was another version of this one a few years ago which was sweeter, pretty good if you like sweetened rums. This one is more complex and definitely a better sipper than the previous 12 year expression. Caramel and toffee notes are present.
Review by Andi
The El Dorado 12 belonged to one of my first rum bottles, great sweetness with wood flavors and dried fruit.
Review by Righrum
A solid entry level rum
Review by rum_sk
Can't remember the details but I was not impressed. Raisins in the taste with dried prunes and wood. Medium finish. That one was not the one for me. Comparison with 15YO they are very similar but 15 is more subtle, better balanced and less harsh otherwise they are almost identic.
Review by Serge
Ok flavours but too thin and missing a lot. Also the sugar is clearly there. Maybe for mixing. Besides that not what i am looking for in a Demerara … no typical wooden pot flavours, as both heritage pots are not part of the blend.
Review by Trinkfluencer
In the finish slightly spicy. At the front of the tongue for it very little
Review by Rick Meyer
Personally liked this better than the 15.
Review by Anonymous Dee
Can’t really go wrong with the Eldorado range however a significant difference between this and the 15. A beautiful entry level decent rum very well balanced and great value for the price.
Review by Andrew Mainprice
Nice sipping rum but not too sweet
Review by Lutz Lungershausen
06.2024 First impression: beautiful mahogany color Nose: raisin, barrel, roasted aromas Palate: dried fruit, wood, chocolate, coffee, all the complexity of Demerara, Guiana ... Finish: again the whole program down the throat Overall impression: very powerful and spicy, as a Jamaica fanboy I wouldn't put ED12 in my cupboard again, but I'm looking forward to some nice spicy mixers with it. 201? I tried the ED12 on my pleasure trip through Dave Broom's "Rum - the Manual" and it has been sitting on the shelf for a few years now.
Review by Arjan91
My first rum. This El Dorado 12 made me switch from mainly whisk(e)y to rum. Very nice rum, a little too sweet, but definitely worth repeating.
Review by Montana
A smell of toffee, nut, some molasses, spicy, very pleasant.The taste is also slightly spicy and sweet (but only restrained), becoming slightly bitter in the medium-long finish, but also pleasant.Very pleasant rum.
Review by MarcT
Good sip, but a bit one dimensional.
Review by Henry Davies
You can certainly see why such rums developed such a following and at the same time with modern unsweetened rums now more common how naive we were to think this was natural! It is stupid easy to drink and lacks complexity, the nose is brown sugar and banana, mouth sweet and slightly peppery, finish syrupy and sweet with some coffee notes. There are many more authentic rums which achieve much more without dosage. At the same time it is in isolation not a bad rum and for those who aren’t used to strong natural or cask strength rum it’s a good gateway rum (and I don’t believe in artificially low scores for dosed rum despite my preferences)
Review by Jack M
Nice but a little dull.
Review by Mark Leggett
Smells of Demerara sugar, butterscotch, vanilla and hints of tobacco. Flavor follows the smell with touches of wood and spice. A sweet week rounded finish. Excellent.
Review by Stijn Zino
Rhumtour 2025 Didn't expect much but this was a nice surprise. Wouldnt mind having a bottle. Next time i'm going to try the 15 and 21 as well.
Review by JonasTh
Less full-bodied flavor than 15y
Review by Mateusz
Very interesting taste. I was surprised with intensity of alcohol burn, which was slightly disappointing. In my view the 15 is significantly better. I have read about reducing sugar in those rums and never tried those “sweet” ones in the past, but I have a feeling that the alcohol burn was mellowed down by sugar and that now it’s gone (which is great) it still needs some refining.
Review by Holger
El Dorado 12 is delicious without end for those who like sweet and spicy. Sugar 35-39g/l (3.5%).
Review by TheTobias
A bit overwhelming with all the sweetness, oiliness and barrel notes. I would love a bit more freshness and fruitynotes to counterbalance. One glass is ok but I don’t feel like having another just after that one.
Review by ordogh
Great rum for beginners, round and fruity with nice spices. Bit thick and not too complex, but safe bet even for outsiders.
Review by kudzey
Quite watery but at higher proof could be great
Review by RCR 🇫🇷
Very pleasant rum. The finish is short but reveals a light coconut flavor that I like very much.
Review by K.STRIFE
A dry, woody/oaky flavor with hints of spices.
No reviews match this filter.
Expert reviews
5 critics scored it, averaging 6.8/10. 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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Expert review by RUMprobiert
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Expert review by Rhummer
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Expert review by RumRock
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Expert review by The Fat Rum Pirate
Read full review →Which means that this is probably a rum which not many Rum Enthusiasts will be buying or raving about. It will remain very much for the more casual consumer. It's pleasant enough and creeps into being classified as good but only just.
Expert review by Rum Diaries Blog
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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 24 € – 37 €
from 23 sales, latest 09/2026
Prices incl. buyer's premium — what a buyer pays, not what a sale nets you.
Avg. community purchase price 32 €
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 12
A spirit drink on a rum base from Guyana, distilled by Demerara Distillers Ltd, at 40%.
Old Fashioned with Rum
Recipe, history, and four builds from a bar professional: why the ur-cocktail gets bigger with rum, with a video to mix along.
Read more →Which of the wooden stills is behind this rum? The RumX guide →
Community purchases
1,357 bottles logged by 1,235 collectors.
A drinker's rum.
38% opened, 226 emptied and repurchased.
What does DDL El Dorado 12 cost?
Community paid 25–47 €.
Current best price: 32.00 € – within 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+ →
+56 purchases in the last 3 months.
Added to collections, last 12 months — dark bars are the last 3.
1,357 purchased · 581 tasted · 447 wishlist · as of
Read on in the RumX Guide
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I'm Oliver, and RumX began in 2018 as a small passion project in Stuttgart, back then under the name Rum Tasting Notes.
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