Caroni 17 Year (Velier)

The initial aroma is like varnish or nail polish, but it quickly fades, revealing orange marmalade, dried apricots, banana, mango, pawpaw, dark honey, and molasses. Spicy and woody elements mingle, including chocolate, vanilla, leather, oak, and tobacco. Herbal and funky scents like rubber tires, diesel fuel, sage, and rosemary emerge periodically, along with a cooling hint of mint and rosewater. The taste begins with woody, slightly herbal notes balanced by creamy sweetness. It soon shifts to a rich, sweet, hot-spice, and oily-fruity profile with prominent orange, dried mixed fruits, ginger, anise, allspice, white pepper, burnt brown sugar, and licorice. A tarry chewing tobacco and creosote undertone is present. Adding water enhances the herbal/spice character, bringing out cinnamon, cloves, ginger, fresh sage, oregano, spearmint, and peppermint, alongside a grassy note similar to agricole rums. The finish is long, with hot spices gradually subsiding into a warm tingle accompanied by herbal and fruity notes. This is a robust, bold, yet sophisticated and elegant rum. It possesses an enigmatic quality, unlike any other spirit. While not for everyone, be aware that if you truly enjoy it, it might make all other rums seem inferior. The distillery was founded around 1920 and had a significant history before its closure and demolition in 2003. The remaining stock was acquired by European spirits merchants, who have been releasing it gradually. Once this stock is depleted, it will be gone forever. This specific bottling was distilled in 1998 and aged in Trinidad for 15 years, during which approximately 75% of the spirit was lost to evaporation. It was then transferred to Scotland for further maturation before being bottled in 2015. "Excellent": 88/100 (4.5 stars)