Velier Caroni 39th Release (The Last) Heavy Trinidad Rum 1996

Incredibly complex and yet easy sipping. A real Caroni highlight!

Epic Velier Caroni Tasting 2023: An almost endless bouquet. The classic Caroni notes interact magnificently with fruit, wood and an exquisite sweetness, resulting in a fantastic complexity. An outstanding representative of the Caroni style, and not just in comparison with other bottlings from the remarkable 1996 vintage. Or to put it another way: A better one is yet to be found. And this journey will continue in 2023...

Wow, simply a masterpiece! Definitely one of my absolute favorites by Caroni. Everything that makes up this style comes into its own here perfectly, the dirty notes of tar and rubber complement the intense fruit notes, spicy wood nuances and the depth of the aromas wonderfully. Mega complex and the JG. 1996 simply shows everything that Caroni has to offer. This rum definitely lives up to all the hype.

Still absolute top notch out of 96 and out of the Velier Caronis overall. Leaning a bit more towards the dirty notes vs. 30th and 34th, yet still incredibly balanced, delivering everything you would expect (and more).

The Last was my first rum, a crush and the cause of my passion for rums. I reserved its review for my five hundredth review. Bu also with friends who generally rated it very highly, even blind. A complex, warm nose with machine shop (tar and rubber), caramel and fruit. A marked vegetal side, vanilla and pastry. Well-integrated cedar wood and a hint of lime. Wild, aromatic herbs on the palate. The alcohol is marked but domesticated. The aromas invade the palate, first towards the back, then towards the front. A remarkable evolution on the palate. As on the nose, the mechanical workshop supports and never dominates. Incredibly complex aromas. Warm spices and brown sugar. The finish is also hyper-complex, with a vegetal side dominating first, followed by fruit, pastry and cedar wood. A finish that summons all the aromas in turn. At the very end, incense is revealed. A rum that has just been opened, and that will gain even more with oxidation. Already an absolute! I feel like I'm in a tropical circus, in a city orchard, with strong smells, loud music, thrills and lots of different circus acts. Wow!

What a Caroni ! Round, yet complex, little dirty, just perfect! Benchmark Caroni! Again and again - the Last!

My absolute benchmark what (for me) Caroni concerns. There just fits everything ... fruit, spice, wood and some dirty flavors (tar, leather wood polish) all harmoniously merged into a work of art of rum ... I could spend hours with it ... sip for sip a pleasure.

Update: tasted again against the Velier 21 - the reference. It is a good round better (in the nose and on the palate) in terms of balance and the aromas in detail. Really great. Wow, a feeling of enlightenment, like with my first Caroni. Sensational nose, wonderful palate and everlasting finish. Perfect balance of dirt, wood, sweetness and fruit. I am very happy that I was able to try this wonderful rum and hope it wasn't the last time 👌

A true masterpiece. Alcohol integration is perfect. Typical 1996 profile with sweetness balancing Caroni notes and cofee, dark chocolate adding more complexity. Very expressive rum, incredible profile, what else ? As we say, "Last" but not least 💘

Great Caroni with all the flavors you would expect from a Caroni. The dirty flavors are very pleasantly present, but do not displace the fruity flavors. A nice sweetness accompanies the whole thing. Probably the best Caroni we've had in the glass.

Discover and enjoy. Extremely versatile and something really great. Endless finish, wavy and with a bang. Incredibly full and rich rum. Great depths of flavor such as blackcurrant, cassis, grenadine and immediately mint, clove, cardamom, some green apple, pome fruit, caramel, subtle vanilla. And the dirtiness isn't too dominant, but rather provides a very fitting backdrop. In addition, you hardly notice the alcohol, perfectly integrated🔝

Small Caroni blind tasting with 4 great Caronis. The Last could also be tasted blind. It was a little rounder and more complex than the other 3 Caronis tasted. Nevertheless, it is not overwhelming. A rum for every day if it didn't have its price. :) Update: Tasted again at leisure. Almost a little subtle on the nose. But then the rum explodes in the mouth. The 23 years of maturation give it a good wood influence, but not at all unpleasant. Fruit and dirty components are also present. The finish is long and warm. It feels like you can still taste the rum hours later. A real highlight.

... Caroni is a distillery from Trinidad, producing at the time of its greatest glory rum, which was added at a ratio of 1:10 to the naval blend. It was too strong and strange to be pleasant on the tongue. In 2000, the distillery ceased production and closed. Only in 2010 did tasters appear who took a liking to the rum because of its special taste. And the interest grew. Caroni belongs to the category of "you need to try before you die" rums. I recommend it, Caroni is a truly unique rum.

Nose While Long Pond 2007 TECC was a disturbing Bacon painting, this Caroni is a tropical Monet! Full of elegance, complexity, herbs and an astonishing richness. We can honestly say that we've never had such a herbal nose. A bunch of gentians, laurels, thyme, Maggi, roasted vanilla pods, oregano and fresh cut eucalyptus (we love this!). Under the surface there is a deep molasses note, noble woods and leather, a lot of milk chocolate, liquorice, noble mold and wet mud and leaves in the forest. Pure sophistication! All traversed by this vibrant menthol-y freshness. We are in love. With water: my gosh, the herbs and chocolate level just went to the next level! This could be the most elegant interpretation of Jägermeister on this planet. Palate The thickest herbal oil. Smooth and mellow like an alpaca coat.There is no sharpness or edge at all. Incredible when you consider the abv. We get all the herbs, the chocolate and the mud we had on the nose. It's a shame, but we must stick to the protocol (who defined this?). With water: Smoother, oilier, sweeter, almost like liquid eucalyptus pralines (it's toxic we know). Not as complex as the bouquet, but still fabulous. ғɪɴɪsʜ Endless like a Pink Floyd record with a very pleasant cocoa + cola (mind the difference) bitterness and a small piece of a new tyre. You still taste it the morning after. Crazy stuff.

In a word: COMPLETENot only as Caroni, but also as rum in general. Rarely you have something so round and complex in the nose, insane! Fruits of all kinds, furniture polish, rubber, vanilla herbs, milk chocolate and an incredible honey sweetness. The cask is present, but not even close to over the top for 23 years. The rum takes over the mouth incredibly quickly with a sensational and creamy honey sweetness and is no less complex here. "No bitterness" sends its regards.Not for nothing a legend and a highly deserved appreciated rum