Thompson Bros. Caroni HTR 1998

8,7:On the nose, tar, polish and rubber, some menthol, roasted wood notes with dark chocolate, caramel, roasted nuts, the presence of oak is obvious, spicy with allspice, cherries, pineapple, dried fruits and lemon, bump into our nosetrils. On aeration, fruitiness grows stronger with yellow fruits, orange and berries, the molasses is slightly vegetal. 8,6:On the palate, the attack is typical with roasted wood notes like roasted nuts, butterscotch, burnt sugar, some confectionery, soicy vanilla, industrial with rubber, bicycle tube, some menthol, slightly metallic, fruity with lemon, dried apricots and figs.The molasses is herbaceous, dark with licorice, on oxidation, strong roastedness brings smoky touch, mocha and dark chocolate. 8,4:The finish is long, dry&tannic, dirty, industrial, fruity and creamy with various roasted wood notes, the barrel impact is strong..

Quite approachable nose, with lots of vanilla and caramel added to the typical dirty notes. The palate adds some smoke and coffee.

One of the more dirty 98 expressions. Dirt, Espresso with hints of red fruits.

A very smooth, velvety profile on this rum with vanilla and caramel, chocolate and sweet fruit. I thought of Velier Royal Navy batch 1 in a light, fruity version. It's very pleasant. It makes you want to try it. On the palate, the impression is very different. The barrel makes an appearance. The vanilla is still there. Smokiness, chocolate. And a strange metallic taste. Not unpleasant. But I expected something else from the nose. Rather long finish, with a heavy bitterness. It's good because it's a very particular profile. But I'm still a bit disappointed as I find it lacks depth overall. It would have been a killer if it had been a bit more peachy. Edit: metallic note present, which bothers me, but otherwise super pleasant. A rather smooth HTR despite its dark side.

A well made rum, but for a good Caroni lacks intensity! I miss the typical notes!

First RumX meeting. Un nez un peu en retrait mais avec les marqueurs Caroni de 1998, atelier mécanique, bois de chêne et douceur. Un nez tout en largeur mais auquel il manque un peu d’intensité et de profondeur pour égaler les meilleurs. L’entrée de bouche est légèrement acqueuse malgré l’ABV plutôt haut. Mais tout de suite une belle montée en puissance. Fruits, douceur et atelier mécanique à égalité. Chocolat noir, vanille, fumée et fût de chêne. La finale est longue, très longue, toujours avec cet équilibre bois fumé, atelier mécanique et douceur vanillée. Un très beau rhum auquel il manque un peu d’expression et de puissance aromatique.

//update: after some time in the bottle getting more intense and heavier, dirtier notes. Rated up a bit. Light Caroni without the typical heavy industrial notes. Surprisingly fruity nose, mixed with some tarnish, spices & vanilla notes. On the palate the fruits take a backseat and the wood takes control. Unfortunately not enough flavors to counter this and stays a weaker Caroni.

solider 98er Caroni.

Also a very pleasing Caroni. Not quite as dirty, easier to enjoy. Edit: re-tasted, but it remains an entertaining Caroni. Not quite as round. Corrected downward

Schön zugänglich in der Nase am Gaumen dann der schöne caroniaufschlag. Ordentlich Gummi im Geschmack, der aber nicht so dreckig daherkommt wie andernorts. Schön zu sippen.

... Caroni je destilerie z Trinidadu, produkujici v dobe sve nejvetsi slavy rum, ktery se pridaval v pomeru 1:10 do namornickeho blendu. Byl totiz moc vyrazny a divny nez aby byl prijemny na jazyku. V roce 2000 destilerka skoncila s produkci a byla uzavrena. Az v roce 2010 se objevili degustatori, kteri si rum oblibili prave pro jeho specialni chut. A zajem rostl. Caroni patri do kategorie rumu "you need to try before you die". Doporucuji, Caroni je opravdu unikatni rum.

It does not have the classic firey Caroni profile from the velier tropical aged releases. A much more approachable rum and if that is better or worse will be in the views of the drinker. A rather elegant nose with a strong vanilla vein, some caramel and the faintest hint of rubber (maybe I was looking for it). The mouth is fairly restrained, strong mouthwash and menthol notes, with green apple and spearmint, alongside some spicy barrel notes. The finish brings bicycle tubes and a warm nutty finish that goes on for some time. It’s a good rum, a bit unusual to be honest and not a typical Caroni