Bristol Caroni HTR 1995

Caroni is the legendary Trinidad distillery that closed in 2003, and this Bristol Classic Rum bottling captures one of its Heavy marks from the 1995 vintage. Bristol is a long-running closed-distillery specialist, and at twenty years and a full 63.1% this is serious, collector-facing rum, drawn from a still park that ranged from light to very heavy with the heavy HTR style the most prized.

The molasses spirit shows the industrial Caroni signature, roasted, rubbery and petrol-edged, but this cask runs unusually fruity and woody rather than tarry, with overripe and dried tropical fruit threading through. The palate is woody, burnt and rubbery; the finish woody and roasted with dried fruit and dark chocolate. It has been bottled at strength rather than watered down, and it rewards an experienced palate ready for power, depth and a slightly quirky twist on the heavy Trinidad template.