1423 SBS Trinidad Caroni 1997 Cask Strength - boxed set 4 barrels 63.3°° Cask Strength

This box contains 4 bottles of rum, each 20 cl, for a total of 80 cl.

What each bottle has in common is that it contains the same vintage(1997) from the famous Caroni distillery, closed since the early 2000s. The rum has been bottled brut de fût, i.e. without the addition of water to reduce the alcohol content.

The difference is that each bottle houses a rum from a different cask. These are casks nos. 53 (64.4°), 190 (63.0°), 193 (62.3°) and 216 (63.1°). So you can compare the influence of each barrel on the profile of the rum it has housed for almost 20 years.

Nico's tasting notes

Nose

Barrel #53 has a lighter profile, and the woodiness seems very strongly toasted. A certain minerality emerges, giving this Caroni an "industrial" air of tar and engine grease. However, as is often the case, this particularity eventually leads to tannic red and black fruit.

Cask #190 offers sweet notes of toast and molasses with roasted nuts and honey. Caroni's tarry character is well integrated, as is the alcohol, and the impression of concentration is expressed through roasted nuts. The nose is as ashy as it is round, and extremely pleasant.

Cask #193 is powerful and upright, with the thickness and depth of a fatty nut paste. The exotic fruits stand out against the extra corpulence, and one imagines a heavy, oily rum. The rum's concentration delivers intensity, with a distinctly Caroni character.

Cask #216 is relatively light on Caroni's tar-like character. The rum takes on a more "classic" profile, with caramel, molasses and full-bodied, almost brown tobacco. While the roasted notes are present, they are well rounded. In no way does it draw on charcoal, but rather on caramelization.

Mouth

Cask #53 is powerful and pervasive, with a warmth that's nothing short of delightful. Nuts and black fruits are sweet and oxidized, creating a complex, gourmand, sherried sensation.

Cask #190 is straightforward and rather straightforward, with well-melted tar notes and toasty oak. Balanced, it details caramelized nuts and black fruits in a sort of smoky honey.

Cask #193 is dry and powerful, a Caroni that doesn't pull any punches, with unabashed notes of hydrocarbons and tar. This is followed by a complete U-turn, becoming very gourmand, almost pastry-like, with almonds and prunes.

Cask #216 must be the driest and woodiest of the four. One immediately perceives a certain astringency coupled with the strength of the alcohol. The woodiness is intense and fiery, and we plunge into the heart of its planty, slightly encaustic veins.

Final

Barrel #53 is gourmand, with slightly oxidized nuts and pits that linger for a good while.

Barrel #190 is very smoky on the finish, with hints of charcuterie and ash, and good length.

Barrel #193 is long, gourmand and pastry-like, and we've forgotten the storm and the lightning-struck taste buds of the first moments.

Barrel #216 is herbal and even medicinal, with black resin and bitterness, it really stands out from the others in this sense.

Conclusion

"A wonderful idea, this boxed set is an educational experience with 4 super rums, where we understand just how different barrels from the same vintage can be..."

In addition to our own tasting notes

Here's what the bottler thinks of each barrel. It's up to you to decide which of the two profiles best matches what you perceive!
- n°53 = nose: acetone, tar, heavy hot black caramel and brown sugar; palate: burnt vanilla, muscovado sugar, bitter pomelo peel. Slightly dry, almost tannic, coffee beans and sweet citrus at the end.
- n°190 = nose: medicinal, rubber, light caramel, yeast, hash browns and brown sugar; palate: very dry, burnt wood, salty, plum, cherry, cinnamon, melon and passion fruit.
- n°193 = nose: apple juice, sourdough, leather, dried flowers and seaweed; palate: distinct notes of muscovado sugar, green bananas, unripe apples, light tannin notes and dry barrel.
- n°216 = nose: dry bread, light cane sugar, pineapple, dates and light acetone; palate: toast, suede, petroleum, cocoa, dry wood, sulfur and straw. Very well-integrated alcohol.