The Caroni distillery in Trinidad closed over 20 years ago, but the last casks from its heavy, cult-status production still surface at independent bottlers like Valinch & Mallet.
Expert Description
Caroni 1997/2022 Valinch & Mallet 24 Year Traditional is a Trinidad Rum from a single cask, aged for 24 years and bottled at 57.9%.
The rum comes from the Caroni distillery, founded in 1923 on the site of an old sugar factory in Trinidad, with both column and pot still equipment, which in its day supplied heavy, powerful rum to the British navy. The Trinidad government sold the distillery to Angostura in 2001, and production ceased the following year. In 2004, Italian rum expert Luca Gargano discovered a warehouse full of forgotten casks at the abandoned distillery, sparking what many collectors now call Caronimania. This cask, number 887, was selected by Valinch & Mallet and yielded a total of 245 bottles. The rum was distilled in 1997 and aged for 24 years before being bottled in 2022.
The result is a dark, earthy rum with the characteristic "heavy", almost rubbery depth that has become Caroni's hallmark among collectors worldwide.
Tasting Notes
Nose
Spiced rubber, wet earth and a hint of dark liquorice.
Palate
Tarry, earthy and spiced with notes of pitch and dark fruit.
Finish
Long, dry and smoky with lingering oak.
Specifications
Name: Caroni 1997/2022 24 Year
Distillery: Caroni
Bottler: Valinch & Mallet
Region/Country: Trinidad
Type: Trinidad Rum
Age: 24 Years
ABV: 57.9%
Size: 70 CL
Distilled: 1997
Bottled: 2022
Number of Bottles: 245
Serving Suggestion: Neat in a snifter or with a few drops of water
Flavour Profile
Dark · Earthy · Spiced · Smoky · Rare
Investment Potential
High. Caroni has been closed since 2002, and stocks of original casks shrink every year, making single cask releases like this one some of the most sought-after rums among collectors.
Did You Know?
The phenomenon known as Caronimania began after Italian rum pioneer Luca Gargano discovered an abandoned warehouse full of forgotten casks at the closed distillery in 2004, since making Caroni one of the most hunted rum labels of all.
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