Spirits Shop Selection Caroni LMDW HTR 1997

Spirits Shop Selection bottled this single cask of Caroni for La Maison du Whisky, distilled in 1997 and held twenty years at cask strength. It comes from the closed Trinidad distillery's rescued stock, the heavy industrial rum championed by Velier and prized by collectors.

Matured in ex-bourbon oak from molasses, it shows dirty notes, leather, mango and nutmeg on the nose, then a silky, complex palate of dirty leather and tobacco, closing full-bodied and heavy with tropical fruit and sweetness. At 61.5% it is round and pleasing, though some find it lighter and less intense than the heaviest 1997 Caronis, a touch flat for those chasing the dirtiest examples. The tropical fruit sweetness and savoury leather make it an engaging pour. A characterful Caroni for those who enjoy the marque's fruitier, more rounded side at full strength.