El Dorado 5-Year

Très bien pour le prix. Nez sur le caramel. Assez léger et facile a boire. Sur des arômes de chocolat et caramel.

Fairly sweet, smooth and delicious. The smell isn't that great but the taste is! It's very comparable to Diplomatico Mantuano in both price and quality. It's not a particularly complex rum but it's still totally solid and is extremely versatile. I highly recommend it and for $30, you can't go wrong!

Great complex taste with flavours of vanilla and caramel. Can really smell the vanilla on the nose. Only thing is the added sugar.

Yeah, it's sweet and molasses-y as you expect a Demerara rum to be, but beyond using it to mix drinks that call for it, that's really all you can use it for. I'd hardly call it a must-have for every bar, especially since there are other English-style rums that are a bit more versatile at the same price point.

Good as first rum and is my go-to for cocktails. On its own, it is smooth and easy to enjoy.

I was surprised to find myself wondering, does this simple rum have depth? It might!
An herbal flavor, with a... depth to it, left me intrigued. I think this flavor would be amplified in a beverage that was made with coffee.
Part of the Laka Lono 6/30/21 tasting

Good mixing rum. More refined than the 2 year. Like it better than the 12

Sampled at the Laka Lono Rum Club Tasting on 6/30/21. Rich deep gold. Mild caramel and banana aroma. Medium-smooth palate. Huge banana flavor. Coffee spiciness. This I keep in my bar for all tiki drinks calling for an unspecified demerara rum. A workhorse.

People insist it has 12 gpl. sadly it seems there is much more than it, some might be from added caramel for coloring. however 221 Kcal it can't only have 12 gpl if every gram of net carb equals 4 calories than it is more like 4.5-5 gpl/100 ml which will be around 45-50 gpl. i am a diabetic i have to know how much added sugar my alcohol has or else i will take to little Insulin. however added sugars and alcohol and Rum in special are a fantastic contradiction as Alcohol is basically sugar made out of Sugar which makes Rum and then another, industrial sugar is added as caramel, and also parts of the vatted molasses which are sugar are added. funny and sarcastic.
My second bottle of El Dorado 5-Year
Nose: Gentle Sweet Molasses toffee, Vanilla and dried Bananas slight gently sour hint of citrus peel, creamy birthday cake with rum essence. hypnotizing. could sniff it for hours.
Palate: Dry and Sweet on first encounter with the back of the tongue and throat. gentle burn, a good burn, no bitter aftertaste, Vanilla fudge creaminess, light toffee, meringue desert... don't laugh, Demerara Sugar (mix the demerara sugar with warm water and taste) slight burned wood. even though young and not too complex it's very pleasant and enjoyable
Finish: Sweet and Lingering, gentle afterburn which another dram will surely tune down.
Conclusion: though color is dark gold but it can't be called Dark or Black. it's very deeply diving into the realm of sweet deserts. perhaps it's the added sugar, which makes the difference however it's easy to understand where the famous El Dorado 12 comes from. here the sweetness is young and still kicking where in the 12 year version it is mature and dignified peaceful enduring experience. the 5 year version demands, drink more of me, drink more. if you drink more you will surely feel where i come from. i feel. indeed. it is a great outcome from a 5 year old age stated rum. as for value for money it really depends how far from the 8 and 12 year old version it's priced on the same shelves.
My score is 78/100 overall rum score. 8/10 on RumRatings specially due to it's young age. there can be a big gap between two same rated rums from same house however the RR rating system lacks this option. this is surely more than a 7.

I only tasted a spoonfull of this neat and got no negative feelings about it. Instead I did get some promise of that this will most likely be good in cocktails.