Velier Sancti Spiritus & Caroni Papalin

Tasted at SDR2024.

Tasted at SDR’24 The nose is a pleasantly complex combination of its origin, Cuba (sweet and creamy) and Trinidad (hearty and dirty). The aroma opens with brown sugar, frangipane and dried fruits, counterbalanced with lemon zest and sour currants. It’s very accessible, yet the Caroni lingers in the back with sweet soy sauce, unlit BBQ coals and a hint of tar. In the mouth, the Cuban component is even more front and centre. It’s sweet and light with notes of rock candy, mocha biscuit and caffè americano. Slight garage notes on the back of the tongue. Could have done with a bit more ABV. The finish is short, overly sweet and watery. This rum has been on my radar for a while, but has always eluded me. Glad to have been able to finally try it. Despite my expectations not being very high, I was pleasantly surprised.

Tasted st german rum festival Really good rum. Better than currently rated in my opinion.

There's some Caroni in there, but it's still light and sickening.

Buh 😅This is kind of a strange Rum… It has a lovely, fine and soft tar note, followed by a strange leather note like old leather… like old stored shoe soles that are found in the cellar paired with umami🙈 The finish is quite short, soft and thin. Totally crazy, if you’r looking at the price tag of 280€🫨

02.11.2021 Only have notes on this one. Nose: wood, roasted, raisin, light caramel, tar. Palate: oily, wood, light roasted, fruit cake, spice, caramel, dried fruit. Finish: medium to long, wood, raisin chocolate.

Geruch ist fruchtig, leichte karamell note und minzig. Geschmacklich ist er sehr dünn, und schmeckt etwas nach spülmittel. Kann den geschmack auch nicht wirklich zuordnen, gut aber das ich nie die flasche bekommen habe😆

Cuba and Caroni should be a unique combo in a blend - but given the profile, it seems obvious to me that it must be an LTR Caroni. Flavor-wise, a surprisingly heavy, oily texture on the palate. The rest is relatively straightforward - approachable thanks to the fairly opulent sweetness, relatively unspectacular besides. Some minerality, minimal wood, subtle fruit notes...the complexity is manageable, the finish as well - resulting in clear deductions in the B grade, even if the rum itself is pleasing.

A rum tasted at the German Rum Festival in 2024. A rum I'd heard a lot about but never tasted. The nose is clearly Spanish, caramel and wood. With a dark, complex, oily side that needs to be sought out. The palate is rather weak, acqueous, oily, with wood and caramel and like a background of bitter medicinal herbs and soap. Aromas I should attribute to Caroni? The finish is short, except for those odd aromas that linger a little. Not at all the expression I was expecting. The empty glass reveals Caroni aromas, but more on the oily side than tar and rubber.

A Spanish style rum, sweet and light, with a slightly wood influence. Caroni component is not overwhelming, rather just an hint of the typical tar, and an heavy oilyness. Not impressive at all, fun to try but I'll never buy a bottle.