El Dorado 5-Year

Found a bottle for around $20, heard a lot or rave about Demerara rums, I've had Hamilton 151 but wanted to try a normal proof. Upon first taste I was expecting something special but found the this to be very familiar. Reached in my cabinet pulled out Pusser's, nope Pusser's has a darker taste. Next I tried Doorly's XO, yeah that's the one. Very similar.

This one took me by surprise, certainly not as sweet as I expected, in fact I found it quite dry.
Good colour, legs that cling to the snifter, and warms you all the way down.
For the price I can't think of many that would best it.
Not tried it with any mixer, to be honest I don't think I will, just sip it neat and enjoy it.
Enjoy, Graham.

It's nice but not compared to its older cousins. It's fresh and that's ok but there is a little alcohol harshness coming through even while mixed.

Nice and light on the rocks. Good value. Hint of Caramel I was thinking Kahlua. A decent rum but there is so little time. Won't be in my cabinet

The rum has character, is smoky and a little sweet.
Has a nice burn.
Not less than the other El dorado rums.

Recently purchased a bottle of El Dorado 5 yr rum, which is a bargain in my area. I am not an El Dorado fan as the majority of their product is too sweet for my liking. The El Dorado 5 yr, however, which tests at 12 gpl contains 1/3 of added sugar compared to their popular ED12 and ED15 so I thought I would give it a try.
My initial perception was that it is indeed a young rum, which lacks the complexity of aged rums, however, it is nevertheless a nice change and even acceptable as a sipper once in a while. The sweetness of this rum is detectable but not overpowering. I am not likely to purchase this rum again as there are too many dry rums I prefer but I enjoyed ED5 more than I thought I would.

Quite easy to drink. I could say that this is a good first rhum to start tasting hobby.

Can be mixed or taken neat with ice. Not so sweet but I did like the notes of toffee and nutmeg.

Nice rum, but not a touch on the 12 year and unfortunately there are better rums for the price. It tastes rather watered down straight, but retains a little character in cocktails where I think this one will certainly shine.

Light Amber in colour. The nose is of burnt sugar and some oak. The taste has a light burn but the burnt caramel taste takes over to a moderate finish. It is an excellent mixer but also not too hard to sip.

At only a couple of bucks cheaper than it's 8 year old big brother, I was hesitant to even buy this one. As expected, it is paler in color. The aroma is pure demerara sugar with no alcohol vapors. On the palate is demerara and caramel, with the same flavors going down the pipe with no bitterness. There is nothing complex in this pleasant tasting rum, but also nothing at all that is offensive. Since the El Dorado 8 is a much better buy, the only reason that I can see for someone having both in their cabinet is for subtle coloring and flavor differences in complex tiki drinks. This one was $20 and not really a bargain.