Velier Caroni 6th Employees United HTR 1996

Among the last of the Trinidad distillery's spirit, this Caroni comes from the heavy 1996 vintage and Velier's continuing tribute to the people who once worked the plant, bottled after 26 years of Caribbean ageing at 66.6%. Caroni closed in 2003, and releases like this draw on a finite, mythologised stock.

Deep tropical maturation in ex-bourbon oak gives a dark, wood-forward reading of the industrial style, tar and rubber over heavy oak on the nose, then menthol, rubber, liquorice and roasted notes across a dense palate. Bitter herbs and a cooling mint streak run through it, and the finish stays long on liquorice, tar and charred oak. This is an intense, unsweetened expression for drinkers who want their Caroni big and woody, rewarding a long rest and an unhurried glass.