Caroni 18 ans 2000 Replica is a millesime that was bottled in 2018 to celebrate Caroni's 100th anniversary. This Trinidad & Tobago distillery, well known to lovers of strong rums, closed in the early 2000s.
The bottle is a replica of a 1940s Caroni.
The rum is a blend of several 2000 vintages, aged 100% in Trinidad, in the tropics.
Nico's tasting notes
On the nose, what greed and generosity! We'd forgotten that Caroni could be so good-natured and jovial. Here's material for a good time, a good thick slice of rum. Bordering on pastry aromas (almond cream, dried blond raisins), dried fruits such as dates, and the heaviness of traditional English rums, the rum rolls under the nose and spreads out with ease. The typical tarry notes have been swallowed and digested by the rest, appearing as quince paste, stone or toasted wood. The solvent continues to air out, taking on hints of encaustic and rubber.
The woodiness becomes much more pronounced with aeration. It brings to mind the deck of an old boat, waxed and abused by sun and salt. You can also imagine the grease of engines, the brown tobacco chewed by sailors, the little square of zan to restore courage. The marzipan has become drier, the quince paste has a spicy air, and all that's left of the fruit are the pits. The sweet tooth has faded a little, but the adventure continues with gingerbread and fruit in brandy. Far from being exhausted, the rum has evolved.
The palate is fresh and very fruity, very cheerful and ultimately far removed from the clichés associated with this distillery's rums. The red and black fruits are radiant and fresh, the pears and quinces bright and the texture fluid. Soon enough, the freshness is sustained by anise, caraway, licorice and a clove that begins to numb the taste buds slightly. The wood settles in with a few ashes, and you feel that the rum is quite light in the end. Yet this in no way detracts from its complexity, as it continues to radiate with jammy notes and fruit juices, exotic or otherwise, but in any case bursting with sunshine.
The finish sees some light tarry notes pass through, and the rum purrs in almond and pistachio cream, with endless core length.
"Perhaps the most recommendable Caroni for those wishing to discover the legend. Delicious, smooth and complex, it's a real seducer..."
