Velier Caroni Blended Rum 1988

This Velier bottling is an early blended Caroni from the 1988 vintage, a gentler, more approachable face of the closed Trinidad distillery than the cask-strength heavy marks Velier is famous for. Reduced to 43% and built as a blend rather than a single heavy cask, it works as a relaxed introduction to the Caroni universe.

The column still molasses spirit, aged in ex-bourbon oak, shows tar, coconut, vanilla and wood on the nose, then tar, roasted notes, wood and vanilla on the palate, with the finish softening into leather, caramel and dried fruit. The industrial signature is present but dialled right back, and the lower strength gives it a soft, almost Spanish-style ease that reads sweeter than its dry build. A calm way in for the Caroni-curious, provided they do not expect the full dirty freight train of the heavy releases.