Precious Liquors Caroni Lime House Caroni 1998 HTR

Precious Liquors bottled this Caroni Lime House from the prized 1998 vintage. Caroni, the closed Trinidad distillery, ceased production in 2003, and its heavy tropical rums are among the most collected. This single cask of HTR distillate was bottled at a powerful 64.7 percent, sitting in the dense, industrial camp while keeping an unusual degree of balance.

Made from molasses and matured in ex-bourbon oak, it brings the classic warm machine-shop nose alongside stewed and tropical fruit, dark chocolate and wood. The palate is deep and warm with tropical fruit, wood, caramel and a fine sense of balance, finishing on tropical fruit, spice, wood and tar. This is a well-selected 1998 that holds its sweet, fruity side in fine tension with the woody, spicy, tarry one, full-proof yet composed. A deep, rewarding Caroni for slow sipping by those who know the heavy style.