El Dorado 15yo is a remarkable rum, whose greatest achievement was collecting the Wray & Nephew Trophy for Best Rum in the World at the International Wine & Spirits Challenge for an unprecedented four years running.

Nose: The best Christmas cake you can imagine. Refined, enticing aromas of candied peel, allspice, cinnamon, dried fruit and golden syrup.

Palate: Complex, spicy dried fruit, with interweaving layers of honey, gingerbread and toasty oak. This is very classy stuff, never overbearing.

Finish: Honeyed, spicy finish that persists.

Comment: An exceptional rum, which has complexity in spades yet is beautifully balanced. Anyone who dismisses rum as a one-dimensional category should try this, and prepare to be wowed.