
Rum
Caroni, 1996
This 23-year-old rum from Caroni distillery is something of a unicorn in the world of distilled spirits. Caroni was built in 1923 in Trinidad and used both column and pot stills for spirit production, with a leaning towards a distinctively heavier spirit style, famed for its patronage by the British Navy. In 2001, it was sold by the government to Angostura, before being closed in 2002. Remaining stocks were rescued by independent bottler Luca Gargano, and this expression was constructed by a panel of 23 Caroni experts, resulting in a complex rum that gives a nose of pine resin, newly woven Moroccan carpets and ginger. The palate is big and oily, with lots of summer fruits, blackcurrant toffee, chocolate fondant, Mars bars, coffee and cigar boxes. The finish offers marshmallow, s’mores, figs, dates and coconut.
Score
Spirit Details
Master Category
Rum
Alcohol
63.5%
Tasting Information
Blind
No
Tasted by
Joel Harrison