Velier Caroni 1st Employees Dennis „X“ Gopaul HTR 1998

This is the first in Velier's series honouring former Caroni employees, dedicated to Dennis Gopaul and drawn from the prized 1998 vintage. Caroni, the legendary Trinidad distillery, closed in 2003, and Velier's full-proof bottlings of its surviving stock define the heavy style. Aged 20 years in the tropics and presented at a colossal 69.5%, this is among the most powerful releases of the run.

Distilled from molasses and matured in ex-bourbon oak under Caribbean heat, it shows the industrial signature at full force. Tar, burnt rubber and oak lead, with caramel, dark chocolate and a vivid menthol-and-allspice freshness behind them, all over a dry, bitter-edged oak base. The finish is long, woody and resinous. At nearly 70% the strength is unmistakable and dominates if served straight, so it demands water and patience, after which the layers emerge. Bottled unsweetened, it is an uncompromising, benchmark Caroni reserved for drinkers well used to the heaviest, highest-proof style.