Aroma visualization from community tastings
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum (Old Whisky) HTR 1996
Rubber, tar and smoky wood hit first, then caramel, vanilla, banana and dark chocolate roll in behind them. That's the classic dirty Caroni "garage" side wrapped in real sweetness. What amazes nearly everyone is the alcohol: at 70.8% you'd expect a punch, but tasters keep saying they can't feel it. A drop of water opens it up. Rank it among the best Caronis they've had.
The community says- Alcohol vanishes
- Endless finish
- Dirty-meets-sweet balance
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The look inside the bottle
How does Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum (Old Whisky) HTR 1996 taste?
Aggregated from 31 community reviews.
Dirty, sweet Caroni with hidden 70% punch Tasters put this near the top of their Caroni lists: dirty tar-and-rubber notes met by deep caramel sweetness, an endless finish, and 70.8% that somehow disappears. The only catch is scarcity.
Caroni fans who want tar and smoke with caramel sweetness
Newcomers, or anyone put off by rubber and petrol notes
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
12 of 31 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
How is Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum (Old Whisky) HTR 1996 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 9.4 sits in the “Excellent” band. 100% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Community voices
What does the community say?
0% rate it between 6 and 8. 9 selected write-ups from 31 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Bob the Drunker
Tried at OSO, immediate notes just like another bar lamp Caroni, but you don’t feel it’s like a Caroni, because you can barely find the gasoline notes, just a fantastic rum notes
Review by Jakob
Epic Velier Caroni Tasting 2023: A formidable representative from 1996. Great caramel sweetness, very well integrated alcohol and beautiful complexity. For me, this is one of the best Caronis ever. Great.
Review by TheRhumhoe
The style of rum to fall in love with and fool your partner with. A goddess among rums, showing both power and character, but also sweetness and finesse. This contrast can be seen on the nose, with an oiliness and dirtiness that comes on quickly, then fades to give way to woody notes, then spicy, but above all to an infinite sweetness of (dark) chocolate, vanilla, caramel, toffee and brown sugar. At no point do we perceive more than 70% alcohol. Dried fruit, banana, roasted notes and burnt tobacco complete a profile that leaves you speechless. The attack on the palate is astonishing. The integration of the alcohol is perfect, there's nothing to say. While Caroni's hydrocarbons and dirtiness are present, it's above all the sweet, caramelized, chocolate and vanilla notes that impress here, offering unrivalled roundness and gourmandise. Banana, dried fruit, tobacco, empyreumatic notes (roasted, smoky), coffee, spices, leather and oak intertwine in a near-perfect profile. The balance of flavors is mastered and complexity is at its peak. The finish is endless, not to say eternal. Caroni's smoky, "garage car" notes combine with the sweetness of caramel, toffee, cookie and brown sugar for a most savory aftertaste. Hints of tobacco, leather, chocolate and hazelnuts (particularly roasted) are also present, creating a profile of absolute mastery. This Caroni is a masterpiece that represents its element well: a lively, intense fire for character, that can also warm and melt the heart, an eternal flame to which I bow.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
Wow, this was a major step forward and I'm happy i didn't start with this one because then the previous one would have had a worse score. I knew this one would be good, but it was super good. A very limited release well worth the price tag on release. This one needs to rest for a good while before you give it a go and I also recommend a few drops of water after the first nosing and palate because it releases a lot of flavours. The nose has smoky wood, rubber and tar followed by fruit, vanilla, tobacco and a bit of chocolate. The palate is balance, complex and sweet with smoky wood, tar, rubber and fruit trailed by vanilla and caramel. The finish is long, very long and has smoky wood, tar, rubber and vanilla. Try to leave the empty glass for later because it only gets better on the nose.
Review by Beach-and-Rum 🏖️🌴
Wow. Wow! How well can 70℅ be integrated? The rum is super balanced with a pleasant sweetness and a lovely fruitiness. The typical Caronino notes are also present. The finish is endless. For me, this is one of the best rums I've had the pleasure of tasting so far.
Review by Serge
I was very excited about this sample. A great 96 aroma straight away on the nose. Dirty with tar, rubber & petroleum as well as great roasted notes, vanilla, caramel, wood, dried fruit as well as chocolate and some banana. Very tasty. Similar aromas on the palate and really intense - multi-layered with numerous aromas at the same time. Fruity coffee is also present. Very slightly cooling menthol on the finish. Strong. Right at the top of the list of my favorite caronis so far.
Review by Oliver
Extremely awesome, dirty Caroni notes. Really dirty, toasty and bacony on the palate. Outstanding Caroni!
Review by Mopar Rules
love it. Still no speed shop flair. But beautiful balanced. In the direct comparison with the famous Kirsch it gets a higher rating. Yellow fruits, dried fruits but very subtle; a really nice sweetness that enhances the other flavors and lifts the experience to another level. So far my favorite Caroni. But Demerara rules!
Review by rumkopf
Ich weiß nicht wie sie es geschafft haben 70% abv einzubinden, aber es ist grandios.natürlich merkt man, dass es mehr abv als gewöhnlich ist, dennoch nicht zu viel. Man wird mit einem sehr langem Abgang belohnt.
Details about Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum (Old Whisky) HTR 1996
A rum from Trinidad, bottled by Velier, at 70,8%.
Community purchases
23 bottles logged by 23 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
8% opened, 1 emptied and repurchased.
What does Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum (Old Whisky) HTR 1996 cost?
Community paid 700–3,800 €.
Current best price: 4500.00 € – above the typical community range.
What members actually paid for their bottles. A typical range, not the current shop price. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
23 purchased · 31 tasted · 42 wishlist · as of
About the Caroni distillery
The Caroni distillery is located in Trinidad. Rums from Caroni have been reviewed 10,324 times with an average of 8.8/10.
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