Berry Bros & Rudd Diamond El Dorado Single Barrel 2013 9yr 60%

"Interesting nose! The wooden pot stills are clearly noticeable, once the rum had some time to breath and steps beyond the strong initial solvent notes. Yet there is more to it. Additional fruits (citrus-y) and a hint of esters (DHE mind you, not Jamaican funk). Very interesting twist with quite some complexity. Similar picture on the palate. The blend provides an interesting twist on know Demerara profils from the wooden pots. Lots of fruits and an intense dark chocolate note are present. Yet, similarly to the other BB&R single barrel, this is very sweet and a factor to consider negatively in my book. Again very smooth and easy to drink despite its high ABV. This is interesting stuff out of DDL and far more engaging and exiting compared to some previous releases blends and cask finishes. Very happy to see stuff like this."

"Besten Dank an Tobias, der die Flaschen aus England mit gebracht hat und sie in unserer Franconian Tasting Gang gleich geteilt hat. Alles in allem eine sehr solide Abfüllung, die alle Erwartungen erfüllt, aber leider trotzdem nicht nach oben heraus sticht. Ein wenig schwächer als die andere Abfüllung."

"Fruity, tropically matured Demerara, which also contains parts of the two Wooden Pots (PM and Versailles) and DHE in addition to the MPRS. Fruit and the pots are in the foreground. Personally, however, I like the new LBI/DHE from El Dorado best of all the DHE rums released to date."

"First things first: don't expect an ester monster here. An intense caramel note plays first fiddle, surrounded by the typical markers of pot stills. The rum is heavy and sweet, the alcohol is excellently integrated. Despite everything, the caramel note is a little too dominant for me, so the sister cask from 2009, despite its lower ABV, comes out on top for me overall. Nevertheless, this is a rum that gives hope for DDL and is very fairly priced at £70."