This 1998 Caroni was bottled at cask strength by Hunter Laing under its Golden Devil label, from casks selected by the California retailer K&L. It spent 22 years in ex-bourbon wood and shows the heavy, savoury side of the distillery.
About This Bottling
K&L chose this heavy Caroni, distilled in 1998 and aged for 22 years in ex-bourbon barrels, for its own customers. The Scottish independent bottler Hunter Laing released it under Golden Devil, the American name for its Kill Devil rum range, at a cask strength of 62.1% ABV. The retailer describes the typical Caroni pull between pungent fruit and odd savoury notes, with a rich, oily texture. It comes in the 750mL size used in the United States.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Molasses, vanilla from the bourbon cask and diesel-like funk, with nutmeg and dark chocolate.
- Palate: Dense and oily, with dark sugar, roasted notes and savoury, industrial Caroni depth.
- Finish: Warming, with spice and oak lingering well after the sip.
Serving & Food
Serve neat at room temperature in a small tulip glass. At 62.1% a few drops of water help, especially on the palate. It goes with smoked meats, a coffee-rubbed brisket or a slice of pecan pie.
How to Enjoy
Rum drinkers who like bourbon-cask sweetness under the Caroni funk.
Product Details
Distillery: Caroni
Origin: Trinidad and Tobago
Style: Heavy aged rum, cask strength
Vintage: 1998
Age Statement: 22 years
Cask: Ex-bourbon barrel
Series: Golden Devil by Hunter Laing (K&L selection)
ABV: 62.1%
Volume: 750mL
About the Distillery
Caroni's reputation today rests on rum it can no longer make. The distillery in central Trinidad ran column stills on molasses and turned out several marks, from light to heavy, much of it for blending. Its closure in the early 2000s left Trinidad with Angostura as the island's remaining rum producer, and a lighter house style. The Caroni casks left behind were acquired largely by Velier, and a steady trickle has since reached independent bottlers and retailers around the world. That is how bottlings like this one come to market, each with its own strength and character.