TBRC Caroni Caroni Distillery HTR 1997

I let it in the glass, regularly shaking and smelling, for about 45 minutes before starting to drink. Such a lot of smells in the nose. Gasoline station and mechanic smells with diesel, tar, smoke and also rubber that turned to candle wax. Along, a lot of fruits, vanilla, chocolate, biscuits, cocoa and some honey. After some time, many of the smells mixing themselves with alcohol gave the nose a pastry and gourmand side by reminding me of a tiramisu. A very complex and delicious nose. The mouth starts pretty powerful then turns sweeter thanks to a very good integrated alcohol. More wood than in the nose. Many of the flavours found in the nose are there, but cherries, tobacco, leather, iodine and earth are also showing themselves flooding the whole mouth and palate with a perfectly balanced rum. The finish is long, the tarry and rubber/candle wax notes especially, which mix themselves very good with wood, iodine, caramel and cocoa. In the empty glass remain particularly noticeable the tar and the rubber, along with chocolate an iodine. And, though it is very subjective according to everybody having a different nose, but I also feel some notes of coffee and spice. This rum is a real gem, complex, balanced with very good integrated caroni notes and alcohol. The way smells and flavours evolve makes it incredibly delicious.

#4128 Found out that this is not a cheap bottle så the free sample is really appreciated. Typical Caroni with rubber and tar and some light fruit notes. Balanced yet nice and warm on the palate. There is a medicinal note in the profile i can't put my finger on but it melts in pretty well with the rest. ABV os really well integrated. Draws nice slow moving curtains in the glass. The empty glass has some caramel and light tobacco.

Ein sehr guter 97er Caroni mit ausgewogenem Charakter. Er vereint alle Aromen eines Caroni in harmonischer Zusammensetzung und ist einer der besseren 97er Abfüllungen. Es gibt sicherlich bessere Caronis, aber dieser muss sich wahrlich nicht verstecken.

Fruit takes center stage with sour apple, pineapple and acerola, backed by tar, rubber and machine oil. There's harmony and coherence on the palate. The aromas of the nose are present, and I sense a touch more chocolate. The finish is slightly acidic, which is a shame. It's long and all the aromas finish beautifully, with a wax-like perfume at the very end and in the empty glass, where smokiness and woodiness also appear, rather discreetly on the palate.

Wow, really surprisingly tasty and, from memory, certainly one of the best 1997s I know. On the nose and palate. There is enough dirt on both sides but also enough other aromas. Nice nut-chocolate with fruit on the nose. A little menthol is added on the palate.

Really good, complex, nicely rounded, not very dirty.

Village'23 fair tasting. Edit: I dug deep into my memories again. I found this rum very outstanding at the time. Now that I've enjoyed other tropical and continental Caronis, I've come to the conclusion that this is a very fine drop at a reasonable price. However, I have to adjust it downwards a little. Otherwise this would not be fair to my other Caroni ratings and would distort the picture a little.