Caroni 23 Years Old The Last 61.9% 1996

Distillery	Caroni
Bottler	LM&V
Serie	The Last
Bottled for	X
Distilled date	1996
Bottling date	2019
Country	Trinidad
Region	Laventile, Port of Spain
Age	23
Cask Type	Oak Casks
Cask Number	X
Alcohol percentage	61.9
Volume	0,70
Condition	In original container
Label	Perfect
Stock	0
Volume	0,70
Stock	0

Professional reviews

Serge Valentin (90)

With the wonderful colonne that looks like Notre-Dame on the label. This from 24 barrels, aged in Trinidad till 2008, then at Diamond until bottling. Now the question would remain, 'the last what?' Colour: reddish amber. Nose: chocolate first, then acetone, balsamico and ratafia, then olive oil and salted liquorice. Let's not forget that this was bottled at 61.9%. Some greases and a bag of black olives. With water: we tamed it, it became gentler, most obedient, pretty soft. Mind you, it's still not Bacardi. Yeah, or Bumbu or Don Papa, Pernod's and Diageo's new darlings (a move that I still cannot fathom). Mouth (neat): ripe wild strawberries, liquorice, wine vinegar, model glue, rotting oranges, olives of all kinds, tar liqueur and nail polish remover. Not that we'd drink that on a daily basis, mind you. I mean, nail polish remover. With water: menthol, liquorice, brine, olives, tar, and even more liquorice. No subtleties, but it's perfect. I've often noticed that large small batches do erase those subtleties (say north of 15 casks) while on the contrary, true small batches, like 3-5 casks, do highlight them. Only a personal feeling, mind you. Finish: long, tops, sweet, easy. Soft liquorice all over the place. Comments: it rather tastes like 'a great official bottling'. Of course it is/was excellent.

Whisky Notes (80)

‘The Last’ Caroni 1996 indeed, the latest bottling from a legendary batch of casks discovered by Luca Gargano (from the Italian importer Velier) back in 2004, after the distillery closed its doors in 2002.

The casks were moved from Trinidad to Guyana in 2008 before being moved to Europe in 2019, where they were decanted into stainless steel and glass containers. That’s 23 years of Caribbean ageing, responsible for an angel’s share of around 85%, no kidding.

This is a HTR rum (Heavy Trinidad Rum), distilled in traditional pot stills. A composition of 24 casks bottled at full proof.

Nose: sweet Shiva, such depth. Typical Caroni petrol, asphalt and car workshop, but also ripe bananas, blackberries, sour fruits (raspberries and passion fruits), kirsch and herbal honey. Mocha and dark chocolate underneath. Minty notes, leather, tobacco and crushed peppercorns. Molasses too, obviously. Exotic woods.

Mouth: dense, with the industrial notes in the foreground. Oils and exhaust fumes. Tar. Oak polish. Suddenly a burst of mango, roasted pineapple and pink grapefruit, against a background of baked apple. Figs. Some rye spices and charred wood. Musty, earthy notes. Liquorice. Menthol and eucalyptus. Herbal liqueurs. Dried mushrooms. It just keeps going on really.

Finish: very long, dry and spicy, with more tarry notes, dark brewed tea, cigars and plenty of mocha.

I’ve never scored rums but this is bloody excellent and one of my all-time favourites, no doubt. Intense yet balanced and extremely complex. An iconic last one and a must for all rum lovers. It doesn’t come cheap but nonetheless sold out now, at least in the online stores as far as I can tell.

BOW (90)