Velier 1996 Caroni 5th Employee Release Roopnarine ”Roop” Toolsie 25-Year

Today I have an Employee Edition 5th release Roopnarine “Roop” Toolsie in the glas. Legendary 1996 Caroni, bottled in 2021 at 66.1%. It's 25y old, and maybe you know what I think about tropical aged Caronis... a Caroni can not be stored tropically for more than 23 years. Because it looses its fruitiness after 23 years.

Nose: Sweet smell escapes from the glas with burnt sugar, varnish, toasted wood. Leather, tar and gum are noticeable, some 96 fruits are also there but not very present anymore. I have a weakness for burnt sugar and dirty notes. It's a great smell for me.
Some say it's too woody or overaged. Yes, maybe it have had more fruits two years before, but it's still good.

Taste: Starts with burned sugar and wood, varnish is present, also some 96 fruits like blueberries. Then it turns dirty with tar, gum, licorice, tannins (some bitterness is noticeable) the mouth became dry, some menthol comes out. It's a dirty one.
It goes with gum, leather, some tar, varnish, remains still a little bit sweet on the palet.

Aftertaste: gum, tar, some tannins, earthy barrel aromas, mint

Conclusion: It's a dirty 96 Caroni, you know I love the Trespassers because it's very dirty. This one is more woody and not that fruity. Still recognizeable as a 96 Caroni. I think it was better some years ago, but it's still a great Caroni for me.
I would rate this one with 92 points.

Sweetness: 2.5/5
Fruits: 2/5
Spice: 3/5
Complexity: 4/5
Value: (700 Euro in 2021) 3/5