
October 2, 2016

Malternatives, Crazy Caroni

Many malt enthusiasts are turning their attention to rum these days, and some have already noticed that while there are many very lousy hyper-doctored rums, there are also a few ‘Islay-like’ gems that are coming from Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, and Guyana (but rather the independent ones in that case), while the ‘Highlands’ would rather come from the French West Indies. I know, not much sense, but I believe we can build parallels, high esters in rum corresponding to peat or smoke in malt whisky. Sort of. Now which are the Ardbegs or Lagavulins of rum is debatable, what’s sure is that there’s one Distillery that pleases many whisky lovers, and it is the sadly closed Caroni, in Trinidad.

Let’s have a few, as many whisky bottlers are having some theses days, which is great. First one at reasonable strength, then utter monsters!

Caroni 18 yo 1997/2016 (46%, Dornoch Distillery, Trinidad, 48 bottles)

This baby by these excellent fellows up there at Dornoch Castle, who have also started a very lovely pocket distillery. But this is well Caroni… Colour: deep gold. Nose: it’s a rather rounded Caroni, not a heavy one, with a Martiniquan side. Did they make agricole too at Caroni?? Overripe bananas, maple syrup, a discreet tarry side, and only in the back, a few black olives and a piece of salted liquorice, Dutch style. Perhaps whiffs of old roses as well. A very elegant Caroni, not a brute at all. Mouth: very good, bursting with liquorice and fruit jams, maraschino, sweet oak spices, agave syrup, and Grand- Marnier. You could quaff litres and litres of this, but there aren’t litres and litres of this. Finish: rather long, a tad saltier and more olive-y. Which is great, no need to say. Comments: shall we call it a fat light Caroni? Middleweight? Would that make sense? Quality’s very high, in any case. SGP:542 - 88 points.

Caroni 19 yo 1997/2016 (63.2%, Dornoch Distillery, Trinidad, 90 bottles)

I had first thought this would have been the same rum, only at cask strength, but the ages do not match, do they? Another beautiful label. Colour: golden amber. Nose: styles are similar, this is middleweight Caroni, with a tad more wood and oranges this time, but that may just be the higher strength. Cedar wood and sugarcane, with a drop of pitch and one of olive oil. With water: it’s rather narrower than the 18 yo, but also a tad earthier. Maybe is it my dear Vittel playing tricks.

Mouth (neat): rich and creamy, not unlike some bourbons, but with more fruits. Tropical ones of course, such as bananas and pineapples. Once again, I cannot not think of dear Martinique. How bizarre! With water: gets more congeneric and phenolic. Rotting oranges and more overripe bananas, plus a few drops of brine. Finish: long, perfectly balanced, salty. Salted oranges, have to try that one day. Comments: super-high quality once again, same ballpark, same score (coz we don’t do halves and quarters). A perfect example of ‘light’ Caroni – which is much heavier than, say Cubans, granted. SGP:542 - 88 points.

Caroni 1996/2016 (64.3%, L’Esprit, Trinidad, cask #BB4, 214 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: I believe this is the heavier style, it’s certainly got more petroly notes, more olives, more tar, and more damp earth. Diesel oil and coal tar. With water: amazing, really. Late harvest riesling and camphor, tarry ropes, and black tapenade (crushed olives with anchovies). Mouth (neat): Caroni for gangsters indeed. Drinking gasoline blended with lemon juice and gherkin brine. Makes Ardbeg taste like Glenkinchie! Quite. With water: more of that. I find this quite sublime, with these lemony touches that keep lifting it and making it fresh. Finish: very long, as long as a speech by Fidel, as we sometimes say. Comments: not a surprise, these good people in Brittany are doing a great job, but still, what a fantastic ‘heavy’ Caroni! You’d almost believe it was peated. SGP:454 - 91 points.

Caroni 20 yo 1996/2016 (70.28%, Velier, 60th Anniversary of La Maison du Whisky, cask #R3711)

This one aged on location, hence an angels’ share of more than 85%. There are other casks just being launched, but we’ll only have this one. Colour: dark red amber. Nose: a rounder one again, more in the style of the lovely Dornochs, so less Islayian than the L’Esprit. Oranges and warm sawdust, and some cakes straight from the oven. Water may help. Mind you, 70% vol.! With water: lemongrass, menthol, oranges, and pencil shavings. A kind of W.L. Weller of rum, if you like. Mouth (neat): super-strong! Rather citrusy, it seems, but let’s be careful and not burn our taste buds, because we’ve got an even stronger one yet to taste. With water: very extractive, and fairly sweeter again. I mean, than the L’Esprit. I do not think this is Caroni’s heaviest style, but indeed it’s very excellent. Finish: very long, with plenty of sweet oak and other woods. Comments: very, very, and I mean very good, of course. You have to like oak, having said that, and hyper-extractive rums. SGP:542 - 87 points.

And now, thunder and (hopefully) glory…

The Caroni 20 yo 1996/2016 (70.7%, Giuseppe Begnoni, bourbon, cask #R3719, 260 bottles)

Most probably one from Velier’s racing team. Giuseppe Begnoni, as you may know, owns one of, if not the greatest whisky collection in the world (it puts many ‘official’ largest whisky collections in the world to shame, including Edinburgh’s). And this Caroni too was matured on location. Giuseppe, the floor is yours… But hey what does ‘The’ Caroni mean? A nod to bonnie Scotland? Colour: dark red amber. Nose: plainly in the style of the Velier, which was to be expected. Perhaps a tad less extravagantly oaky, and a notch both earthier and fruitier. Ripe mangos, perhaps. And wait, our beloved late harvest riesling is back! Verbena, wormwood, elderflower… That’s nice! With water: between both Caroni worlds. Not quite ‘heavy’, not quite ‘light’. Love these hints of cough syrup… Mouth (neat): powah! Muhammad Ali’s own stimulant (when he was still Cassius Clay, of course). Quick, water… (cough, cough)… With water: oh very good! Less tannic than the previous one, yet still quite extractive, tarry, earthy… It’s this earthiness that I particularly love. I guess I’m down to earth… Finish: very long. Like two speeches by Raul in a row. Perhaps some bitterish herbs in the aftertaste? Cynar? Comments: one of the most imposing aged spirits you could find these days. As they say, not for the fainthearted. One question remains open to me, is ‘tropical aging’ really an asset? Sure it’s more romantic, and, in a way, coherent, but on the nose and on the palate… Well, we may need yet another healthy debate! Anyway, great great rum, Giuseppe (and Luca, I suppose). SGP:552 - 89 points.

Check the index of all rums I've tasted so far