Ritz-Carlton Tokyo Caroni 1997

This Caroni was bottled for the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo from the 1997 vintage, a hotel release from the closed Trinidad distillery. Caroni ceased production in 2003, and its heavy marks remain the most mythologised rums around. Drawn as a single cask at a full 60.2 percent, this 22 year old shows the industrial style in an unusually rounded form.

Distilled from molasses and matured in ex-bourbon oak, it pairs the classic dirty signature, tar, rubber, leather and workshop notes, with a welcome sweetness and fruit: dried fruits, chocolate and black tea over the savoury base. The nose carries fruit alongside the grime, the palate stays oily and deep, and the powerful proof reveals itself only at the close with a very long finish. The 60.2 percent is remarkably well integrated, giving big flavour without harshness. A smooth yet authentic heavy Caroni, ideal for those who want the full profile in a more polished, fruit-touched form.