Aroma visualization from community tastings
Swell de Spirits T.D.L Private Garden No. 14 (Clos des Spiritueux) 2005
Tar, burnt rubber and bicycle-tube smoke lead here — a 17-year TDL from Trinidad that got a Caroni-cask finish so heavy several tasters swore blind it was a pure Caroni. Underneath sit the fresh TDL notes of mint, menthol and burnt caramel, plus some dried fruit. A few pick up peaty Lagavulin-style smoke. At 61.6% it's warm but the alcohol is well tucked in.
The community says- Dirty Caroni character
- Long smoky finish
- Very smoky
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The look inside the bottle
How does Swell de Spirits T.D.L Private Garden No. 14 (Clos des Spiritueux) 2005 taste?
Aggregated from 20 community reviews.
Smoky, tar-and-rubber Trinidad with heavy Caroni finish Loved by dirty-Caroni fans: tar, smoke, rubber and menthol from a dominant cask finish. The smoke divides people — those who dislike it drop their score, and one found the finish too salty.
Fans of dirty, smoky Caroni-style rum
Anyone who dislikes smoke, tar and rubber notes
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
13 of 20 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
How is Swell de Spirits T.D.L Private Garden No. 14 (Clos des Spiritueux) 2005 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.5 sits in the “Very good” band. 100% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
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Community voices
What does the community say?
20% rate it between 6 and 8. 8 selected write-ups from 20 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Thunderbird
The Caroni barrel did a great job! I could almost imagine that there was still a good amount of residual moisture. The fresh T.D.L aromas (mint, menthol, eucalyptus) are still perceptible, as is a burnt caramel sweetness ... but that's it. The rest is a nice strong dirty caronia aroma. I like it a lot... Blindly I would have guessed a pure but weaker Caroni
Review by mto75
First of all, I looked up what I had noted in the other two 2005 TDLs I had tasted so far (Rhum Attitude, Swell PG #4). There were yellow fruits, floral, subtle menthol and buttery cookies. This one is clearly different, much more on dirty notes (bicycle inner tube, tar, engine room). The Caroni cask has clearly left its mark. Also dried fruit and caramel. I would be blind here without any problems with Caroni. Charred barrel on the palate and the torched remains of the old tire dealer, almost like the 94 Velier Guyana Stock. But I think it's good 😁One minus point for the finish, which is too salty for me...
Review by Joachim Guger
Schöne Nase, Caroni ist gut erkennbar, könnte auch Lagavulin sein.🏴🏴🏴 Im Mund dann sehr kräftig, pelzig und viele Kräuter. Im Abgang geht es ähnlich weiter… Rauchig, Lagavulin kommt wieder ins Spiel. Mit etwas Wasser wird er weicher und runder. Gut gelungenes Finish! Danke nach Bonn!
Review by BnBrt
Un très bon rhum. Je trouve le nez incroyable et plein de promesses, mais pas toutes délivrées. Nez très intéressant caramel à l'ouverture puis sur le fruit confit, pruneau avec une pointe de fraîcheur (agrume ?). Quand il s'ouvre un peu sur le cuir. Très intéressant. Attaque franche, je ne retrouve pas le fruit - plus gras, un côté "passage à l'étable" avec le cuir et le tabac blond et du fumé. Longueur très intéressante, un peu de cuir qui ressort.
Review by John Coffey
Très marqué par le fut c'est incroyable..on sent bien le côté fumé
Review by Mc Pirate
Premier nez sur le foin et le lait ! Odeur très fermière et me rappelle le passage des vaches dans la machine à traire. Le végétal l’emporte d’une petite longueur. Bouche très forte avec du sucre sur le bout de la langue puis de l’alcool avec beaucoup d’exter !
Review by SaibotZtar
Uiuiui ... The Caroni finish is clearly noticeable... lots of dirty notes in the nose ... Dried fruit, chocolate, tar, rubber, some leather polish and a pleasant sweetness. The rum needs easily a 3/4h time rather more ... On the palate there is first an oily sweetness ... immediately comes a brutal smoky note that I don't like at all (I don't like smoky at all) ... this remains almost alone on the tongue for a long time ... A little later there is some fruit and bitterness (rubber, leather), very light mint and some barrel. For me, however, the smokiness predominates, which personally pushes the points down. Without this smoky influence it would certainly have been an 85+. Alcohol perfectly integrated.
Review by Mentalo
Das Caroni Fass Finish überlagert viel vom T.D.L. Paar fruchtig-beerige Noten, leicht Karamellige Süße und bisschen Menthol. Ansonsten dominiert der Caroni. Leider mit einer ausgeprägten rauchigen Noten. Vor allem der Abgang ist penetrant rauchig und süß. Leider nicht meins.
Details about Swell de Spirits T.D.L Private Garden No. 14 (Clos des Spiritueux) 2005
A rum from Trinidad, bottled by Swell de Spirits, at 61,6%.
Community purchases
40 bottles logged by 28 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
12% opened, 1 emptied and repurchased.
What did the community pay for Swell de Spirits T.D.L Private Garden No. 14 (Clos des Spiritueux) 2005?
Community paid 140–160 €.
What members actually paid for their bottles. A typical range, not the current shop price. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
40 purchased · 25 tasted · 18 wishlist · as of
About the T.D.L distillery
The T.D.L distillery is located in Trinidad. Rums from T.D.L have been reviewed 8,223 times with an average of 8.3/10.
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