Caroni 1998/2026 Trinidad - Paradise #16 - Barrel #3929

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 60.5%

Special Features:

Paradise #16 combines tropical cask maturation with subsequent storage in glass. Distilled at Caroni in 1998, this molasses rum comes from cask 3929. It was one of 23 casks selected from the distillery’s last 136 casks; Paradise #16 is the first bottling from this cask.

The rum travelled to Guyana in 2009 and then to the Cognac region in 2019. There, it was stored in glass demijohns in the “Caroni Paradise”, without further wood maturation. The 2026 release is offered at 60.5% alcohol in a 0.7-litre bottle. Its label features a work by Trinidadian artist Che Lovelace, and gift packaging is included.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose is powerful and expressive. Guava and mango meet cayenne pepper and resinous pine notes. With a little time in the glass, ripe banana and pineapple emerge, shortly followed by varnish and tar.
• Palate: The rum is striking and lively on the palate. Petroleum and petrol notes lead at first. Liquorice and ground ginger then coat the palate, before curry, turmeric and floral hints of ylang-ylang follow.
• Finish: The long, silky finish develops a powdery texture with hints of rice and ginger. Camphor and medicinal notes of balm and arnica add to the aftertaste. On the exhale, pipe tobacco, raisins and very ripe banana come together.

Distillery/Bottler:

Caroni was a distillery on Trinidad whose remaining rum stocks formed the basis of numerous subsequent bottlings after its closure. In 2004, Luca Gargano of Velier discovered hundreds of abandoned casks on the disused site. Their selection and later release made Velier an important player in the history of these rums.

La Maison & Velier introduced the Paradise series in 2022. Its concept draws on the practice of keeping old Cognacs in glass demijohns: after tropical maturation, the selected rums are preserved in glass, preventing any further wood influence. The association with works by Che Lovelace also creates a link to Trinidad’s art and the rums’ origins.

Facts: