Forgotten Gems Caroni Traditional Column Rum 22yr 61,2%

"At first I was worried that I had a beast in my glass. Because of the totally black color, of course. As you might expect, the rum is very dark in flavor. Intense wood and roasted aromas, but there is still some fruit to be found."

"A very dark color, reminiscent of 1993's "The Beast". The nose is marked by wet wood, tar aromas and yellow fruit alcohol. Some fruit in the background too. The palate is much better than the nose, still with overripe apple alcohol, but also a slight menthol and maritime tar (from the deck of a ship). The wood, very present on the nose, is much more discreet here. The finish is long, as you'd expect from a Caroni, with pronounced aromas of sweet wood (licorice) that lend an almost sweet edge that's very pleasant. The empty glass sent me to an old wooden building that had suffered the ravages of time in the tropics. The color of this rum was a little frightening, as was its nose (too marked by damp wood), but in the end it's a Caroni, admittedly special, but quite good. I loved its chewy woodiness, which took me back to my childhood."

"The color suggests nothing good... But in fact, the nose and palate reveal mild, typical 98 bourbon notes. I like it very much! Would be very interesting to find out more about the vintage and the small number of bottles!"

"Its my first Caroni, and i think i need more time with getting used to it’s characteristics. I love Haiti and Jamaica but Caroni is just too extreme for me. I will edit that review someday"