Caroni RA Rum HTR 1998

This is a 1998 vintage Caroni bottled by Heinz Eggert for the Rum Artesanal line, aged twenty-six years as a single cask. Caroni closed in 2003 and its stocks are finite, so any bottling carries the weight of the closed Trinidad distillery behind it. Rum Artesanal is a respected German house working in the unsweetened full-proof tradition, and this release sits among the more accessible faces of the famous 1998 vintage.

Distilled on the column still and matured in ex-bourbon oak, this is European-aged rather than tropical, which keeps it leaner and more direct than its island-aged peers. The profile leans into the heavy Caroni signature, tar, rubber and barrel on both nose and palate, with a touch of tropical fruit and mint surfacing on the finish. It runs savoury and industrial rather than fruit-forward, a powerful and straightforward way into the classic 1998 style that holds its 63.4% with intent.