Editor’s Note: I neglected to post this review on Tuesday. You may or may not have missed it. But in the spirit of what The Tubes called The Completion Backwards Principle, I post it now.

You may recall that the first spirit of this Advent calendar was Novo Fogo barrel-aged cachaça. As we discussed way back then, cachaça is essentially a form of rum. Much of it is not aged at all, but the stuff we tried had been aged in oak barrels for two years.

Today we’re going to try honest-to-goodness rum. And it’s not any old rum; what we have here is El Dorado Rum that’s been aged for 12 years. El Dorado is an auspicious name, for at least two reasons. First, as I sit writing this, I am ensconced in El Dorado County (pop: 193,000). Second, it’s the name of a poem that Edgar Allan Poe wrote in his last months among the living.

But as regards the rum, let’s turn to their website:

“The county of Demerara in Guyana has been steeped in the history of sugar and rum production since the 17th century. Today, Demerara Distillers Limited operates the last remaining distillery in Guyana at Plantation Diamond on the East Bank of the Demerara River, after having consolidated all the old original stills and marques which make Demerara Rum so distinctive.

The El Dorado 12 Year Old possesses a rich fruity bouquet of explosive flavours, owing largely to the estery richness acquired from the EHP Wooden Coffey and Metal Coffey Stills.”

OK, so they are touting centuries of history, special stills, and lots of time in the barrel. Let’s splice the mainbrace!

Appearance: A very rich copper color, like a red oak hardwood floor that’s been freshly stained and sealed, before the kids and the dogs and grandma’s walker scratch it up.

Aroma: It’s a delicious aroma, like molasses cookie dough with a little added brandy, per the old Boilard family recipe. I guess a more precise comparison would be to rum balls, but that’s a little too on-the-nose. In any event, it’s sugary and rich, with notes of vanilla and Christmas spices. This seems quite promising indeed.

Taste: It’s as delicious as it smells! It’s got the full, round flavor of the aforementioned molasses cookies, with secondary tastes of orange peel and clove. The sweetness is balanced by the taste of salted nuts (the cheap, indistinguishable mix that my mom bought for my birthday parties) and a strong (but not harsh) alcohol astringency. It’s nothing fancy, but it has some complexity and it’s enjoyable to sip.

Finish: As opposed to the orange peel on the palate, the finish has a little bitterness like orange pith. It also has a bit of an alcohol burn, but what do you expect from straight rum?

Bottom Line: Yo-ho-ho! I would drink this Nelson’s Blood on a chilly night. It’s 80 proof, which is the same as most bourbons or Scotches. I may work it into my regular rotation.