Concerto - Caroni 24 Year Old 1998 Cask 12

Caroni was a rum distillery in Trinidad and Tobago, founded in 1918 and closely linked to the local sugar industry, with molasses as its primary raw material. The distillery closed in the early 2000s. In 2004, Luca Gargano of Velier discovered a large stock of remaining rum casks in the distillery's warehouses. In the years that followed, Caroni rum was gradually released by various bottlers, attracting growing attention among enthusiasts.

This 24-year-old Caroni was released by Hong Kong independent bottler Whisky Concerto as its Op.7 bottling. The brand was founded during the COVID-19 pandemic by seven whisky enthusiasts from Hong Kong, selecting rums from different regions alongside whisky. This single-cask rum was distilled in 1998, with the cask type listed as Refill American Oak and cask number #12. It was bottled in 2022 at 61.9% ABV. Serge Valentin of Whiskyfun awarded it 91 points.

Reference Tasting Notes:
Nose: Notes of old books, furniture polish and an old library, alongside miso soup, umami sauce, pinewood, parsley, turpentine and aged black tea. Adding water brings these aromas further forward, accompanied by a dry character reminiscent of a cigar humidor filled with aged Cuban cigars.
Palate: Rich, heavy pine resin, propolis, pipe residue and miso, with waxy notes and concentrated flavours reminiscent of Triple Sec and Chartreuse, even Underberg. With water, pronounced camphor, liquorice and cough syrup emerge, followed by apricot liqueur and jam.
Finish: Long and relatively gentle, with citrus and black tea notes.