Caroni-15yo-1998-2013, 52%, Velier/Gargano

[JaRiMi]

I did this review on my blog, which has not seen any action in a few years. Some of my fellow countrymen felt that I may be biased, since I have my hands in organizing the local whisky & rum fest, and since I have used my own time to organize exclusive bottlings to our distant country - gaining no money or other compensation in the process - duh. As is, I felt a tad annoyed in the midst of all the silly gossip and rumours about living it up like a king with my newly-found whisy and rum wealth, getting a new, bigger jacuzzi for every review..and I stopped writing for a while. As is, some of these guys have since learned that contrary to rumours, I have no Maybach, no castle or mansion, and no - I do not even have a jacuzzi. So the blog is active again

Caroni-15yo-1998-2013, 52%, Velier/Gargano

Nose: Custard, vanilla, creme brulee, a touch of that "something-motor-oily Caroni signature taste"...Clearly dry, not unlike a whisky to a certain extent! Cask sugars come to mind, from a 1st-fill Bourbon cask matured Scotch. Take a drop between your fingers, and rub - as it dries, the whisky-like quality comes out even clearer. Really nice!


Taste: Ahh, it is a rum after all..! Caroni, unmistakably Caroni. Much lighter than most of the "heavy" Caroni's (which are filled with fusel oils and "impurities" (congeners, which we sense as heavy, strong flavours). Slightly vegetal, carries a decent amount of vanilla, which is infused with that petrol/oily, even a tad smoky. A mouth-coating receptor experience. Dry, leans even a bit towards that bourbon-experience..? Good stuff!

With added water, this starts to get a taste of the raw cane juice - if anyone's ever chewed and sucked a piece of raw, cut cane, you know what I am talking about. Between all that fibre, the juice one sucks is sweet (sugar is obviously missing from this alcoholic distillate) and the taste is vegetal and unmistakeable.

The finish is light, pleasant and dry. That custard, vanilla and drying oak lingers on the palate, mixed with a touch of the famous Caroni oilyness. A superb Caroni rum.

Comments: A much lighter and perhaps also more complex rum than its little brother, the 12yo version. This 15yo bottling is a beauty, and for the price it is selling for, it won't be on the markets for long. They don't make rums like this any more, sadly. Caroni's legacy lives on for some years still, but not forever. Grab a bottle while ye can..sells for about 50 - 60 euros only, a price I consider quite reasonable. Has a lovely retro-style label and bottle as well.


http://whisky-rum.blogspot.fi/2014/08/c ... rgano.html

[Rum Warrior]

I had a shot of 97 Caroni at The Rum House in new orleans a couple days after Mardi Gras in 2016 (my consolation for not being able to go to T&T).

I remember is was smokey, oakey, and okie dokie. Reminded me of of whiskey a bit!

I also had an authentic $5 painkiller and a 7 year H. Club and an Appleton 21.

They had good tacos there.

[Nomad]

Love that place.

[Capn Jimbo]

I also had an authentic $5 painkiller and a 7 year H. Club and an Appleton 21.

They had good tacos there.

Sounds like fun was had by all. Couple questions: an authentic Painkiller (registered and must be called "Pusser's Painkiller") can only be made with 2 oz Pusser’s Rum, 4 oz pineapple juice, 1 oz orange juice, 1 oz cream of coconut and fresh grated nutmeg.

It's probably a bit late, but do you recall whether the bar properly used the trademark ("Pusser's Painkiller") and used the correct ingredients.

Second, the only "Havana Club" rum legal in the US is Bacardi's faux versions (white and gold) - the white is very young, and the gold is but "1-3 years" per Bacardi. The original Havana Club is made in Cuba, there is a 7 year, but is completely illegal here, not for sale anywhere.

Do check the links, and let us know if you recognize the bottle:



*******
https://www.havanaclubus.com/us/en/
https://havana-club.com/en-ww/rum/havana-7
http://pussersrum.com/the-painkiller/

[Rum Warrior]

It was pusser's for sure... I think they even used the 15 year pusser's. They were very dedicated.

And I plead a fifth as far as anything else goes.

[mamajuana]

I would not say that Cuban rums are completely illegal in the US anymore.

They are in fact legal it to bring back from abroad. I was just in Costa Rica and Nicaragua and could have brought back as much as I could carry actually but I opted for central American Rums and Costa Rican Guaro. Since I live 5 min from Canada I can cross the boarder and buy all Cuban rums I want and then come right back home.

My confirmation came early in May of 2016 when I was entering customs last year from Germany. I bought various rums some of them Cuban at Duty free in Germany. They were sealed in clear plastic bags. I was pulled aside and my bottles were inspected by the TSA and put into a machine for testing. TSA then taped up the bags and I was on my way. No issues with carrying Cuban Rum purchased Abroad.

The law was officially changed in Oct of 2016. Americans traveling anywhere abroad can bring back as much Cuban rum and cigars as they want to.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/wor ... /92042662/


As far as if are allowed to resell that at a bar -- It seems like a grey area where there may not be current law/local penalty that applies to this situation.

[Capn Jimbo]

Good post (old article, 2016)...

Although Trump threatened to roll back Obama's opening of Cuba, under pressure from US corporations, he has limited the roll back - fortunately, Americans are indeed still allowed to bring back cigars and rum for personal use:

"Nor does Trump plan to reinstate limits that Obama lifted on the amount of the island’s coveted rum and cigars that Americans can bring home for personal use. "

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol ... 102890876/