Precious Liquors & The Auld Alliance Caroni Rum 1998

This 1998 Caroni was bottled jointly by Precious Liquors and the Singapore bar The Auld Alliance, a single cask drawn at 23 years and presented at cask strength, 57.1%. It comes from the Trinidad distillery that closed in 2003, whose surviving casks remain among the most prized in rum.

Unlike the tropically aged Velier releases, this one matured in cooler continental conditions, which tends to give a gentler, slower oak influence at the same age. Distilled from molasses and aged in ex-bourbon oak, it still shows the heavy signature clearly. Dark chocolate, tar and rubber lead, with dried fruit and roasted notes filling the body and a long, woody, vanilla-tinged finish closing it out. The 57.1% is powerful but well integrated, and the profile keeps a real sense of balance between the grime and the darker, sweeter notes. Bottled unsweetened, it is a deep, rewarding Caroni for experienced drinkers who like the style bold.