Aroma visualization from community tastings
Velier Caroni 38th Release Tasting Gang Blended Trinidad Rum 1996
Here's the surprise: this Caroni barely tastes like one. The dirty tar-and-rubber diesel most people expect is dialed way down, replaced by coconut, vanilla, pastry and tropical fruit — several tasters said it reads closer to a Foursquare than a classic Caroni. One member calls it "perhaps my favorite Caroni. Milder, not in your face." A 1996 Velier bottling at cask strength, and it opens up with air.
The community says- Balanced coconut-vanilla
- Long warm finish
- Atypical for Caroni
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Buy Velier Caroni 38th Release Tasting Gang Blended Trinidad Rum 1996:
Compare all 9 shop offers from 695.00 €
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The look inside the bottle
How does Velier Caroni 38th Release Tasting Gang Blended Trinidad Rum 1996 taste?
Aggregated from 118 community reviews.
Soft, coconut-vanilla Caroni, light on funk Loved for its round, coconut-vanilla balance, though Caroni purists miss the dirty tar-and-rubber funk. A few find the alcohol a touch hot and the profile too polished to feel truly Caroni.
Caroni fans who prefer the sweeter, softer side over heavy diesel funk
People chasing the dirty tar-and-rubber classic Caroni profile
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
43 of 118 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
How is Velier Caroni 38th Release Tasting Gang Blended Trinidad Rum 1996 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.8 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?
6% rate it between 6 and 8. 20 selected write-ups from 118 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by kondgab
Not your typical Caroni, it is somewhere between LTR and HTR. Mostly coconut (reminds me of Foursquare), tropical fruits and vanilla, but in the background you can notice the usual dirty Caroni notes, like tar and rubber.
Review by Oliver
Top tropical Caroni for beginners! Reminds me of a blend of Foursquare (coconut) and Caroni. Really exciting!
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
31.10.2025 Retasting at Tom's wedding and I still like it ------- This version was made from 22 casks found by Luca Gargano and it has 85% angel share!!! A wonderful rum with near perfect balance and a mix of light and heavy rums.
Review by cigares
Spirits Museum Tasting March 29th, 2025 with a friend. A beautiful, complex Caroni nose, full-bodied with mechanical workshop notes and fruit. Well balanced between the vanilla pastry sweetness and the mechanical workshop vibe. The palate reflects the nose with some power but clearly softened by the vanilla pastry side and almond. The finish is long, still marked by pastry sweetness. The finish is a bit weaker than the magnificent nose and palate. Overall, a Caroni leaning towards sweetness, even though all the classic Caroni markers are present.
Review by Mirco
Complex profile with heavy notes of coconut and old leather. The smoky spice meets dark fruit and mineral tones. Menthol and chocolate complement the aroma. Although it is not among the absolute top of the 1996 Caroni vintage, it convinces with depth and substance. The powerful nose remains present on the palate, the finish is long, spicy, and full of character. Parallels to Foursquare are definitely there.
Review by Jakob
Epic Velier Caroni Tasting 2023: Very approachable Caroni, the HTR profile only subtly echoes and is framed by the heavy sweetness, elegant spices and subtle tropical fruit of the LTR style. Pleasant to drink.
Review by Maxence
Alcohol burns a bit for both nose and mouth and could have been integrated better. Otherwise, profile is really round with coconut, pastries, vanilla and Caroni notes which are very shy in the background. Good rum overall, that's a bit pitty that alcohol is not correctly integrated.
Review by zabo
Kirsch Cruise Berlin 2024 Compared to the 2000 that I had in my glass before, this is unfortunately the "loser" of the two. It has everything you'd expect from a Caroni, but overall it doesn't convince me 100%. But with cola it's a real bomb.
Review by Leo Krüper
Unfortunately goes down against other Velier Caronis.
Review by Steffmaus🇩🇰
After 2 crazy weeks, I'm finally able to relax with a good Caroni, in my opinion. Not a typical diesel-smelling Caroni, but this one has a more sweet nose of vanilla, some leather and oak. A full-on taste of more vanilla, tropical fruits and a fullness in the mouth
Review by Tom Buteneers
Love the balance between the heavy and fruity aspects 6/10/24: still very enjoyable
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Absolute exception caroni! Could almost be a foursquare especially on the nose, taste then 30% caroni 70% foursquare. Very tasty and harmonious and still relatively under the radar. Really fun and has a dangerous drinking flow!🤤😅
Review by Sebastian Kornett
Sweet spicy wood in the finish. Few dirty notes to be found. Rather reminiscent of a TDL
Review by Jeremy Roger 🇫🇷
A Caroni on the smoked/toasted! It's interesting and very good. Needs another tasting
Review by Beach-and-Rum 🏖️🌴
A small comparison between the Tasting Gang and the Last. For me, the Tasting Gang is almost more in the direction of Foursquare. Few dirty notes. Instead, spices, somewhat nutty aromas and a warm, long finish. A very solid rum that is hard to put a price on. I had somehow hoped for a little more.
Review by Tschusikowsky
Intense, good rubber and chocolate, barrel can be tasted strongly. A little too strong for me, too little balance and too dry for a better rating.
Review by Chrischi78
In der Nase dominieren Kokosnuss und feine Gebäcknoten, ohne die sonst typischen „dreckigen“ Caroni-Anklänge. Am Gaumen blitzen diese kurz zu Beginn auf, werden aber schnell wieder von cremiger Kokosnuss überlagert – insgesamt erinnert der Charakter eher an einen guten Foursquare als an einen klassischen Caroni.
Review by Martin Augustin
In der Nase viel Kokosnuss und Gebäck, allerdings keine typischen dreckigen Caroni Noten. Im Geschmack kommen sie dann gleich zu Beginn etwas durch, dann dominiert wieder Kokosnuss.
Review by Pavel Spacek
... Caroni is a distillery from Trinidad, producing at the time of its greatest glory rum, which was added at a ratio of 1:10 to the naval blend. It was too strong and strange to be pleasant on the tongue. In 2000, the distillery ceased production and closed. Only in 2010 did tasters appear who took a liking to the rum because of its special taste. And the interest grew. Caroni belongs to the category of "you need to try before you die" rums. I recommend it, Caroni is a truly unique rum.
Review by Mentalo
Wenn ich es nicht gewusst hätte, hätte ich nicht an Caroni gedacht. Eher Foursquare mit viel Kokosnuss, Röstnoten, Gewürzen, Fruchtnoten (die auf mich überraschenderweise aber künstlich wirkten), Vanille, etwas Holz.
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Expert reviews
3 critics scored it, averaging 8.3/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by Single Cask Rum
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Expert review by Barrel Aged Thoughts
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Details about Velier Caroni 38th Release Tasting Gang Blended Trinidad Rum 1996
A rum from Trinidad, bottled by Velier, at 63,5%.
Community purchases
315 bottles logged by 229 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
5% opened, 10 emptied and repurchased.
What does Velier Caroni 38th Release Tasting Gang Blended Trinidad Rum 1996 cost?
Community paid 315–803 €.
Current best price: 695.00 € – within 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+ →
315 purchased · 120 tasted · 50 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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Velier Caroni 39th Release (The Last) Heavy Trinidad Rum 1996Dirty, complex Caroni with fruit and sweetness
Velier Caroni 3rd Employees Nita „Nitz“ Hogan 2000
Velier Caroni 3rd Employees Nita „Nitz“ Hogan 2000Dirty, powerful 2000 Caroni, long finish
Velier Caroni 3rd Employees Vijay „Vijay“ Ranmarine 1996
Velier Caroni 3rd Employees Vijay „Vijay“ Ranmarine 1996Roasted, tarry Caroni with a softer side
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Velier Caroni 34th Release 100 Proof Heavy Trinidad Rum 1996Balanced, dirty-sweet 1996 Caroni, softened
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Oliver · FounderBy rum lovers, for rum lovers
I'm Oliver, and RumX began in 2018 as a small passion project in Stuttgart, back then under the name Rum Tasting Notes.
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