Cuvée presentation
Donated by La Maison & Velier
Bottles available from November 2024,
This wonderful lot comprises three unique and unreleased magnums, each produced from the blend of two casks used for bottling the last Caroni Paradise series.
Caroni 1994 - 25 - Double Maturation - Casks N°6134 & N°6130 / 58%
Only 3 bottles have been created, of which 2 are for archive use only and will never be up for sale. Blend of casks n°6134 and n°6130. Produced using double maturation: aged until 2008 in Trinidad, then transferred to DDL in Guyana until 2018, before continuing its ageing in dame-jeanne containers in the Cognac region. Bottled at cask strength at 58%.
Caroni 1996 - 23 - Double Maturation - Casks N°5619 & N°3785 / 65.6%
Only 3 bottles have been created, of which 2 are for archive use only and will never be up for sale. Blend of casks n°5619 and n°3785. Produced using double maturation: aged until 2008 in Trinidad, then transferred to DDL in Guyana until 2018, before continuing its ageing in dame-jeanne containers in the Cognac region. Blended and bottled at cask strength at 65.6%.
Caroni 1998 & 2000 - Single Maturation - Casks N°3927 & N°4059 / 69,8%
Only 3 bottles have been created, of which 2 are for archive use only and will never be up for sale. Blend of casks n°3927 and n°4059. Produced using single maturation: aged until 2008 in Trinidad, then transferred to dame-jeanne containers in the Cognac region. Blended and bottled at cask strength 69.8%.
Founded in 1918, Caroni was Trinidad's state-owned distillery, producing light and heavy rums right up until its closure in 2002 with a singular style, mainly intended for blending. The decline of the sugar industry in Trinidad and Tobago and the growing dependence on molasses imports made the work of Caroni less and less viable. In 2001, a section of the business was sold to Angostura, but the following year, the distillery closed for good, marking the end of a rum giant.
In 2004, Velier and La Maison du Whisky got their hands on hundreds of casks that were found in a warehouse in Trinidad, thus resparking the story of Caroni. These hidden treasures were used to produce over 80 exceptional bottlings, the legacy of a legendary distillery that continues to inspire rum collectors and enthusiasts.
Presented in three bottles mouth-blown by the master Italian glassmaker Lunardon, these unique creations are firstly aged in a tropical climate until 2019, before perfecting their ageing in dame-jeanne containers in the paradis located in the Cognac region. Bottled and blended to cask strength, these three Caroni bottles reveal an exceptional level of concentration and an unmatched aromatic richness.
The distillery Caroni
The Caribbean, Trinidad. Distillery closed, site dismantled.
In 1975, under pressure from across the country, the government of Trinidad nationalized a number of companies, including Tate & Lyle, the English giant of sugar production and owner of Caroni Ltd since 1937. The very competitive economic context, however, led to the closure of the island's sugar refineries and the collapse of the molasses production required for the production of rum. In 2001, the government sold its shares in Rum Distillers Ltd (Caroni) to Angostura and closed the distillery in 2002. Caroni Ltd would be definitively liquidated on 31 July 2003. In October 2004, Luca Gargano, the CEO of the Italian spirit distributor Velier and a passionate rum enthusiast and photographer, visited Trinidad to carry out research for a future report. There he found the site abandoned and, within its cellars, a huge stock of barrels, some distilled in 1974. The story of Caroni began in 2005 and the distillery immediately became the subject of lore.
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