A Caroni trio from 1991 is on the agenda today. We shall start with a nice old school bottling by Cadenhead’s, proceed with the monarch of Caroni bottlers and finish with a very recent bottling that has received plenty of praise online.

Cadenhead’s Trinidad (Caroni) 1991 12YO (46%): Please excuse the poor picture quality but we were still a few years away from legal drinking age when this Rum has been released in 2003. By the way, I have tasted this Rum before, which is why I know it is a Caroni. Plenty of T.D.L. bottlings from 1991 have been released by the Indy-bottlers as well but there’s no doubt here. The full proof versions went under the name “Providence” by the way, which I always understood is supposed to denote a lighter Caroni style. Personally, I believe that this is a blend of LTR and HTR though. Nose: Indeed, this is a rather light and floral distillate, but it contains these typical Caroni notes of tar, scrap metal and engine oil as well. Even at its 46%, this lighter (or blended style) is still sufficiently aromatic to be enjoyable. It also has a sweet nuttiness, somewhat reminiscent of orgeat. Palate: Cleaner than the nose suggested. Floral and those sweet nutty notes make the start, followed by olive oil, old rubber (as opposed to fresh elastomer), oak and engine oil. It is not an incredibly complex Rum but a dangerously easy sipper. Finish: Not too long, with almonds, orgeat, avocado, oak and tar. A tasty Rum that’s a bit too watery for my liking. I believe this would have been really good at ~55% abv. (84/100)

Velier Caroni “Blended” 1991 19YO (55%): Nose: Initially very similar to the Cadenhead’s bottling, but quite to my surprise not really more intense. Relatively speaking, it comes with more oak and a bunch of roasting aromas (think cocoa, coffee). While there are no floral notes to be found here, it still has this nuttiness to it (the roasting aromas again I guess) and not too many of the “dirty” Caroni notes. Palate: Quite creamy and full, with oak, lots of chocolate, espresso and related roasting aromas, some oils (engine and olive), rubber and even a hint of leather. What is most notable in direct comparison is how much thicker and more concentrated this is compared to the Cadenhead’s. Finish: Medium long with cocoa, coffee and oak. A fine Rum, but not a bottling that’s worth the hunt in my humble opinion. (85/100)

The Duchess Nautilus Caroni 1991 31YO (54,1%): I don’t want to talk about prices but boy, this is one expansive bottling! Nose: Light and floral without those dirty notes we’ve found in the other two Rums, at least they are much, much more subtle. Essentially, this is an ultra light and cask driven distillate – at best I can name oak, vanilla, honey and a few floral notes but that’s about it. Palate: Much better than the nose and definitely drinkable. I get ripe green fruits, honey, passion fruit, oak, vanilla and sweet berries, as well as a hint of tobacco perhaps. It is nothing fancy, but it offers enough to make the time tasting the Rum well spent; not the actual buck of the Rum, mind you! The best part has to be the creamy texture here. Finish: Short with apple, honey, oak and vanilla. I am definitely disappointed. It is not a terrible, ultra neutral Rum like these old Moon Imports but with the reference we’ve had today, its age, the praise it has received online and the price point it comes with, you naturally expect a lot more. (80/100)

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