Caroni was the state distillery of Trinidad which began production in 1918, and had access to its own sugar refinery that guaranteed its supply of local cane sugar. Equipped with both column stills and double distillation pot stills, until 2002 it produced heavy rums with a distinctive profile described by some as "nail varnish", along with spices, syrup, and barbequed pineapple. For a long time the distillery remained known only to a handful of connoisseurs, which gave it a mythical status further enhanced by its closure in 2002 in tandem with the collapse of the cane sugar industry in Trinidad. Caroni's dwindling stock is mostly owned today by Velier, La Maison du Whisky, Bristol, and a few other private and independent bottlers. Caroni's bottled by Velier are the main reason for its rising fame, as these bottles have extensive tropical aging and high ABV, expressing the best that Caroni can offer.
This 1996 Caroni is part of Velier's Employees 6th release, and also the last bottling in this series. Selected by the "Caroni Tasting Gang", this vatting of 4 casks fully matured in Trinidad comes in at 66.6% ABV with only 754 bottles produced. The label is a tribute to Rudy Moore together with 15 former Caroni employees, and marks a poignant end to the "Employees" series.
Size: 70 cl
ABV: 66.6%
Fill level: Good
With box?: Yes