DDL Announces El Dorado Rare Collection

The Black Tot · Post by **The Black Tot** » Thu Jan 14, 2016 7:59 pm

Ruh roh.

http://www.velier.it/prodotti/inventoru ... collection

Initially, something to get excited about. For about a split second.

After this has waned, we must face that what we were worried would happen is happening. Take a look at the pricing on a website in Denmark:

http://www.romhatten.dk/artikler/el-dor ... ction-rum/

For those who don't know their Danish kroner rates off by heart, this translates to:
Versailles 2002 VSG - $275USD
Port Mourant 1999 PM - $347USD
Enmore 1993 EHP - $305USD

Yikes.

A Google Translation of the Velier blurb states "the rum are really sensational, the level of selections Gargano, and also in terms of value and growth over time must be considered as similar."

Double Yikes. So before they're even out of the gate, they're being sold as collectibles/investments, and certainly at investment prices.

Oh well, it was nice while it lasted!

I believe I would love the taste of these rums. They're my favorite rums in the world.

But at these prices I wouldn't touch them with a 10 foot stalk of Demeraran sugar cane.

Sigh, I can't wait for liquor companies to return to the business of selling liquor, and to get out of investments.

This is some great liquid, which after a short period of novelty is going to rot on shelves. At their price, they certainly deserve to.

Fail, DDL!!!

mamajuana · Post by **mamajuana** » Thu Jan 14, 2016 8:39 pm

Well, I would rather buy all three of those than a black tot. That much I can say. Though the prices seem a bit on the high side.

The Black Tot · Post by **The Black Tot** » Thu Jan 14, 2016 8:43 pm

Fair enough, mama.

Not exactly apples to apples though.

These rums aren't extinct formulas warehoused for 40years, with military/royal significance.

They're 10-15yr aged rums. Good ones, but not the same concept.

DDL should have stuck with the Velier price points, which had plenty of profit built into them.

This way they're going to choke off the artisinal still rum concept before it can gain traction.

Anyway, it's not really a case of one or the other. It's a case of pay silly money, or don't pay silly money. My choice is made.

AK9 · Post by **AK9** » Fri Jan 15, 2016 2:01 am

You can buy 5-6 of the Bristol PM 99 for the price of the DDL.
Velier was expensive but not to this extreme.
The will loose market share.

Post by **Capn Jimbo** » Fri Jan 15, 2016 9:31 am

Speaking for moi only...

If I ever parted with super-premium pesos, it'd be for the Black Tot, a true piece of history. I couldn't agree more that when a new release is promoted from the get go as a "collectible", I fear what's next is the slicing and dicing of the investment into credit default swaps, lol...

cyril · Post by **cyril** » Thu Jan 28, 2016 5:47 am

the history behind the Black Tot release is not really that clear to me, and i didnt really liked it (the rum in itself). Definetely too expensive for what it is supposed to be, and u can have so much better for less.

im wondering about the new DDL release, what it worth

Post by **Capn Jimbo** » Thu Jan 28, 2016 8:28 am

Cyril, you will find a decent history both at the Pusser's site, and here as well:

http://rumproject.com/rumforum//viewtop ... ers+tobias

What is so very important about the Black Tot is that the formula was kept secret by the British government for over 200 years. It was blended in England - again in secret - by the E D Mann & Co. British sailors had their daily tot (two in the old days) for all those many years, and came to both revere and to respect it.

Sadly, in about 1970 the advent of nuclear submarines led the British government to finally decide it would be safe if the 300 year tradition was finally ended, ergo "Black Tot Day" was had, with special ceremonies. A limited quantity of this very special, truly historical and traditional rum was set aside in large containers, then later bottled as a once-in-a-lifetime release.

Later an American marine - Charles Tobias - finally managed to convince the British government to allow him to continue to produce Pussers with the strict proviso that he (a) never reveal the blend's specifics and (b) that he would give I believe, to give about half the profits to the British Sailor's Fund. Pussers was/is a labor of love, he does not make a lot of money, and he has refused to sell out to the Big Three.

I can tell you without fear of contradiction that Pusser remains one of a kind, represents 300 years of history and what real rum tasted like. It is most assuredly an acquired taste, one well worth developing.

Carry on...

Beukeboom · Post by **Beukeboom** » Thu Jan 28, 2016 10:06 am

For whatever it's worth the first and thus far only bottle of Black Tot I've seen in person was at a small liquor store in Apalachicola, Florida called Honey Hole Liquors. If memory serves me correctly they wanted $999.99 (USD) for it.

Beukeboom · Post by **Beukeboom** » Fri Jan 29, 2016 10:46 am

Speaking of El Dorado special collections, has anyone actually tried these 15-year special cask rums they released. The ABC Fine Wine & Liquor stores locally sold three of the six for $99 a bottle and I saw 4 of the 6 types sold at Dorignac's in New Orleans but for $156 a bottle. How much different are they from the El Dorado 15-year special reserve (which I have tried and like very much)?

AK9 · Post by **AK9** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 2:43 am

The 15yo cask finished have landed in this side of the pond. Sorry but wont pay £99 for these. Has anybody tested then?

Review on the rare cask collection. One seems to have additives.
Can they just follow Velier .. just copy them.
They are very expensive compared to IBs.
http://rumcorner.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02 ... 8.html?m=1

Post by **Capn Jimbo** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 11:00 am

From the Master Sugar List:

Pusser's 15 yr: 27 Drejer
Pusser's 15 yr: 29 thefatrumpirate
Pusser's Blue 54.5%: 20 Drejer
Pusser's Blue 75%: 6 Drejer
Pusser's Blue Label (40%): 6 thefatrumpirate
Pusser's Decanter John Paul Jones: 43! Drejer
Pusser's Gunpowder (54.5%): 7 thefatrumpirate
Pusser's Red 42%: 6 Drejer
Pusser's Super Overproof (German only): 0-1 thefatrumpirate

El Dorado Single Barrel EHP: 0 Drejer
El Dorado Single Barrel ICBU: 4 Drejer
El Dorado Single Barrel PM: 0 Drejer

Hope that helps...

http://rumproject.com/rumforum/viewtopic.php?t=1683

AK9 · Post by **AK9** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 11:51 am

Thanks Captain. I was referring to the 15yo cask finishes (port, madeira, etc...)

There are 6 of them:
https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/b/339/el-dorado-rum

Beukeboom · Post by **Beukeboom** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 12:32 pm

Capn Jimbo wrote:From the Master Sugar List:

Pusser's 15 yr: 27 Drejer
Pusser's 15 yr: 29 thefatrumpirate
Pusser's Blue 54.5%: 20 Drejer
Pusser's Blue 75%: 6 Drejer
Pusser's Blue Label (40%): 6 thefatrumpirate
Pusser's Decanter John Paul Jones: 43! Drejer
Pusser's Gunpowder (54.5%): 7 thefatrumpirate
Pusser's Red 42%: 6 Drejer
Pusser's Super Overproof (German only): 0-1 thefatrumpirate

El Dorado Single Barrel EHP: 0 Drejer
El Dorado Single Barrel ICBU: 4 Drejer
El Dorado Single Barrel PM: 0 Drejer

Hope that helps...

http://rumproject.com/rumforum/viewtopic.php?t=1683

Just to make sure I understand, the number given in the Master Sugar list is the grams per ounce?

Post by **Capn Jimbo** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 12:52 pm

Yes, with one twist: the ALKO tests show two numbers, eg 1/3. The first is sugar, the second includes "extractives" other than sugar. All other listings show sugar as a single value or as a range, eg "0" or "0-5". All numbers, eg "5" reference grams of sugar solids.

I urge all readers to spend some time in the sugar section, and get a feel for the rums. To the good, about half would be "pure" and unaltered by our standards. Please also check the post where the rums are organized - not alphabetically - but by amount of sugar.

You will quickly see that it's fair to observe that in general, for those who cheat, the more expensive the rum, the more likely it is more heavily altered. The drinking public has been trained to interpret syrupy sweetness as somehow meaning quality.

This also supports the notion that the more expensive rums are still largely blended with cheapies, and then rely on being adulterated with sugar and other non-rum additives to justify the price.

Beukeboom · Post by **Beukeboom** » Tue Feb 09, 2016 1:03 pm

Capn Jimbo wrote:Yes, with one twist: the ALKO tests show two numbers, eg 1/3. The first is sugar, the second includes "extractives" other than sugar. All other listings show sugar as a single value or as a range, eg "0" or "0-5". All numbers, eg "5" reference grams of sugar solids.

I urge all readers to spend some time in the sugar section, and get a feel for the rums. To the good, about half would be "pure" and unaltered by our standards. Please also check the post where the rums are organized - not alphabetically - but by amount of sugar.

You will quickly see that it's fair to observe that in general, for those who cheat, the more expensive the rum, the more likely it is more heavily altered. The drinking public has been trained to interpret syrupy sweetness as somehow meaning quality.

This also supports the notion that the more expensive rums are still largely blended with cheapies, and then rely on being adulterated with sugar and other non-rum additives to justify the price.

I admit that I am like the average American rum drinker in that some of my favorite rums do have added sugars but due to me trying many rums of differing types from differing countries of origin I have found several rums that I really like that are very low in sugar added (Clement being an example). I've also found that I'm drawn to a lot of rums from Barbados and Martinique.