Some time has passed, some work has been done. I am back from abroad and it's time to try something rare.
Today I have a 1998 Caroni with an age of 22 years. It's the 4th Employee release.
As we know 1998 Caroni are usually very dirty. 22y of tropical aging could be too much, but it's a blend of 6 casks here (so we can expect a good composition from Luca). Unfortunately, the barrel numbers were not revealed.
In comparison the Bristol Haromex (cask 2186) was 21y old, not overaged, but it was also aged in GB half of the time.
Smell: Bacon -> smoked wood, orange zest, sweetness from burnt sugar, rubber, tar, wood varnish. A very nice combination of flavours. I like the smoked/fatty wood in this composition, it's a seldom flavour. We have a lot of wood influence here, there are fruity aromas present but they came in exclusively through the casks I think. The rum seems very mature and also very old. Overaged? I think so, but we will see.
Taste: Bitter start with tannins, liquorice with burnt sugar sweetness and orange zests. Bacon, smoky wood and rubber emerge, the sweetness increases in parallel with the spiciness.
The mouth becomes dry, tannins take over. The woody aromas with the orange zest are enhanced.
The finish is sharp and long, orange zests, tannins and dirty rubber/tar aromas.
Aftertaste: orange zests, tannins, dirty aromas of rubber/leather
Conclusion: It's an overaged Caroni, but a beautiful one (assuming you like it dirty and intensive). The very special thing here is the bacon. I like it very much. Nevertheless, the emergence of licorice and the tannins show that the six barrels were overaged.
I would give this Caroni 92 points. It is behind the 1996 Caronis but the intensity and its uniqueness ensures a place in the upper range.
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NR: Overaged but a very special 1998 Caroni 9 out of 10
Some time has passed, some work has been done. I am back from abroad and it's time to try something rare.
Today I have a 1998 Caroni with an age of 22 years. It's the 4th Employee release.
As we know 1998 Caroni are usually very dirty. 22y of tropical aging could be too much, but it's a blend of 6 casks here (so we can expect a good composition from Luca). Unfortunately, the barrel numbers were not revealed.
In comparison the Bristol Haromex (cask 2186) was 21y old, not overaged, but it was also aged in GB half of the time.
Smell: Bacon -> smoked wood, orange zest, sweetness from burnt sugar, rubber, tar, wood varnish. A very nice combination of flavours. I like the smoked/fatty wood in this composition, it's a seldom flavour. We have a lot of wood influence here, there are fruity aromas present but they came in exclusively through the casks I think. The rum seems very mature and also very old. Overaged? I think so, but we will see.
Taste: Bitter start with tannins, liquorice with burnt sugar sweetness and orange zests. Bacon, smoky wood and rubber emerge, the sweetness increases in parallel with the spiciness.
The mouth becomes dry, tannins take over. The woody aromas with the orange zest are enhanced.
The finish is sharp and long, orange zests, tannins and dirty rubber/tar aromas.
Aftertaste: orange zests, tannins, dirty aromas of rubber/leather
Conclusion: It's an overaged Caroni, but a beautiful one (assuming you like it dirty and intensive). The very special thing here is the bacon. I like it very much. Nevertheless, the emergence of licorice and the tannins show that the six barrels were overaged.
I would give this Caroni 92 points. It is behind the 1996 Caronis but the intensity and its uniqueness ensures a place in the upper range.
Sweetness: 2.5/5
Spice: 3.5/5
Fruits: 2.5/5
Complexity: 3.5 / 5