La Maison & Velier Caroni Navy Rum 100th Anniversary „Replica“ HTR 2000

Caroni is the most mythologised name in Trinidad, a distillery that ceased production around 2002 and was rescued from obscurity by Luca Gargano and Velier, who bottled its forgotten casks and created a cult. This 100th Anniversary Replica is a Heavy Trinidad Rum from the 2000 vintage, aged entirely in the tropics, where the warm, humid climate drives a fast, concentrated maturation and a heavy angel's share.

The heavy Caroni signature is all here: tar, burnt rubber, leather and asphalt over dark and dried fruit, with vanilla and citrus softening the edges. Bottled at 51.4% navy strength from ex-bourbon casks and reduced a touch from full proof, it is a gentler way into Caroni than the cask strength editions, the industrial grime still front and centre but easier to sip. For anyone curious about the style, it is a characterful and honest introduction to a vanished distillery.