Five Caroni 1997-1998


August 8, 2021

Five Caroni 1997-1998

Or more, we'll see. Caroni's a bit like Port Ellen, every time anyone releases a new expression they tell you that the stocks are nearly exhausted. But naturally…

Caution

A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace!

Caroni 23 yo 1997/2021 (48.5%, Rum Sponge, No.3B)

Caroni 23 yo 1997/2021 (48.5%, Rum Sponge, No.3B)
From two barrels of 'early landed' Caroni, so casks that have spent the larger part of their life in timid Europe before the restless Sponge put his paws on them and decided to marry them. Colour: deep gold. Nose: typical heavy Caroni, you would almost believe it was made by British Petroleum. So heavy oil, coal tar, olives and capers, eucalyptus, new rubber boots, then rather something meatier, around chicken soup, miso and baked marrow. Chorba, paprika, perhaps a few oak shavings, then pancake sauce, molasses… Mouth: you could immediately understand why this used to rather be a dresser in British-style rums, as even if this one was reduced by the Sponge, it's still fat, dry, rough, and really very petroly and tarry, with quite some salt too. I'm rather a sucker for this style (indeed, the Port Ellen of rum) but I would understand why some friends would say it is 'a little too much'. Finish: long tarry, salty, thick. Heavy liquorice and bitter oranges in the aftertaste. Comments: frankly, it's got everything you need and it further takes water, remaining very lovely and pretty fat even at just 40%. This starts well.
SGP:363 - 90 points.

Just a word about these 'shipped casks' that have not matured on location. Are they 'authentic', are they not? I would believe it's really all a matter of definition of what an origin is, as far as aged spirits go mine would/should address four pillars. 1. The origins of the raw ingredients. 2. The methods of production, usually traditional. 3. Where maturation takes place (own warehouse, region, country?) 4. Organoleptical assessment (possibly with a tasting committee). But in general, makers agree with what they do and tend to fly their own flags, which is only natural; for example, the origins of the molasses, let alone the sugarcanes, are rarely advertised as something important to rum, just as the origins of barley aren't very often in Scotch, while it is paramount in cognac or armagnac, or calvados... Right, to be further discussed over a glass of riesling.

Good, I'm afraid our holidays are over, all other Caronis we've got being high-voltage ones… (Fasten your seat belt S.)

Caroni 1997/2021 (60.6%, Wu Dram Clan, cask #59, 224 bottles)

Caroni 1997/2021 (60.6%, Wu Dram Clan, cask #59, 224 bottles)
This one seems to have been bottled for various most distinguished entities, including in Japan. Such a small world… Colour: amber. Nose: obviously very similar. Look, I'd have loved to write a long tasting note for this one too but frankly, the rums are the same and any differences, beyond what's related to the strengths, would probably be the work of the mind. Now we could comment on the label, which is very pretty and gracious. With water: perhaps a wee tad brinier, more on black tapenade perhaps… Perhaps not… Mouth (neat): it really is the same rhum, only punchier. Same tarry, olive-y, petroly, salty style. With water: again, perhaps a little more brine, a little more seawater, gherkins… Finish: long, excellent, bright. Perhaps grapefruits rather than oranges? Not too sure. Comments: these aren't easy to distinguish, really. Excellent.
SGP:363 - 90 points.

Caroni 1998/2021 (62.2%, Wu Dram Clan, cask #2109, 226 bottles)

Caroni 1998/2021 (62.2%, Wu Dram Clan, cask #2109, 226 bottles)
Colour: amber. Nose: rather different this time, a little more mineral and medicinal, more coastal too, with salted anchovies, a little harissa, overripe bananas… But at this high strength it's hard to get to its bottom, so to speak. So with water: it would converge again, as if water would work as a great equalizer. Perhaps a little caramel, beyond the liquorice and the tar? Some pencil shavings. Mouth (neat): a little brutal and varnishy, but that's the strength. Numbs your tongue if you're not careful. With water: yes, a little more on varnish and on coastal notes (clams) plus marmalade and a little toffee, and fir honey. Finish: long, on similar notes. Comments: very good rum once again, but I'm afraid this will be a very difficult session as you'll find many less differences and even nuances than if you taste, say six or seven Port Ellens.
SGP:363 - 88 points.

Not sure I should have thrown myself into this very narrow kind of session… I like to do them with whisky, but with rum? Umpff…

Caroni 22 yo 1998/2021 (60.7%, Liquid Treasures for Nanyang Whisky and Rejo Beverage, barrel, 218 bottles)

Colour: amber. Nose: a notch fruitier, more stewed and jammy, but once again the nuances are tiny at 60% vol. Flower jams? With water: a tad tighter than the previous one. Brinier yet? Some carbon dust perhaps… Mouth (neat): salted caramel, seawater, and the largest bag of liquorice there ever was. With water: very salty, almost smoky at times. I remember some ultra-young Ardbegs at the SMWS, a good 15 years ago… Finish: very long. A wee sourness in the aftertaste. Pomelos. Comments: very very good…
SGP:463 - 89 points.

You have to be careful with these kinds of session because when the spirits display extreme aromas, such as heavy smoke or tar, our brain (or is it a matter of olfactory bulb) will start to filter those out and you'll have the impression that the spirits are decreasingly peaty, or phenolic, or salty etc. That's hard to control but when you're aware of that you can 'straighten up' your feelings. So to speak…

Caroni 23 yo 1998/2021 (62.2%, Wealth Solutions, The Colours of Rum, cask #47, 249 bottles)

Caroni 23 yo 1998/2021 (62.2%, Wealth Solutions, The Colours of Rum, cask #47, 249 bottles)
We've had some very lovely Foursquares from this new series (and we'll have many more). Colour: amber. Nose: perhaps a little more biscuity, more on praline, cakes, nougat… But otherwise it remains a tar and liquorice bomb, only with less diesel oil than in the 1997s. Some menthol; I have to say some traits could suggest this was aged in the tropics rather than in Europe (or yeah, in the UK) but I'm not sure about that at all. What's more, with global warming, we may get a tropical climate in Europe too. With water: herbs and hay, dried kelp, some engine oil. Caroni, eh. Mouth: extremely punchy, with some concentrated lemon juice and just a lot of salt. Do not even consider not adding any water. With water: oh very good, citrusy, less buoyant than the others, more 'digestive', more 'old Macallan' (whatever that means)… In short, more malternative. Finish (neat): long, big and balanced. An elephant on a tightrope. Some tar is back in the aftertaste. Comments: this you could quaff.
SGP:463 - 90 points.

Good, I've clearly overestimated my strength and should have left this kind of session to proper rum experts (psst, I say all rum blenders deserve a rise!) A very last one… (cross my heart…)

Caroni 22 yo 1998/2020 (61.5%, Hunter Laing, Kill Devil for HNWS Taiwan, hogshead, cask #18159, 371 bottles)

No pic that I could find for this fairly new baby bottled for HNWS a.k.a. Home Need Wine & Spirits but it's probably similar to the one I've put. Colour: amber. Nose: this one seems to be even fruitier, easier, probably more elegant, but menthol and tar keep running the show. Clear whiffs of bicycle inner tubes too. Pomegranate jam? But remember, our brain's filtering out the smoky or phenolic notes… Nougat and praline. With water: sour cherries and sandal wood, that's rather very nice. Stewed apricots. Mouth (neat): huuuge, very 'nervous', almost biting. Loads of peppermint. With water: pink grapefruits, rubber, tar, liquorice, peach liqueurs… Finish: long, a tad medicinal. Cough syrup and orange juice. Comments: lovely drop but this is getting too tough.
SGP:552 - 89 points.

Phew, never again, they were all too similar (but as someone said, that repetition would have made Philip Glass proud, ha)... This was my Everest this year, it is much easier to taste 12 Ardbegs… or indeed 12 rums from various origins and at various ages. I believe that's what we're going to next time, this was way too narrow. But Caroni, what a make, mind you, to think that we could have had six Diplomaticos or Don Papas instead… (And I insist, all rum blenders deserve a significant pay rise!)

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