Caroni 1992 Velier 18 Year Old Heavy

The Caroni Caroni 1992 Velier 18 Year distillery is said to have been established in 1918, however there are several historical references that suggest distilling was happening there earlier in the 20th century. This was distilled in 1992 and bottled in 2010 at 18. A stock of 33 barrels produced 16,236 bottles. It became part of the Tate & Lyle firm in 1936, who used it as a base for expanding their eventually considerable sugar operations in Trinidad. Caroni was a key ingredient of the British Navy rations, where its famous high-ester ‘Heavy’ rums helped to make up the signature flavor.

Sadly, with the decline of the Trinidadian sugar industry, Tate & Lyle sold a 51% controlling stake to the government in 1970, before it became fully nationalized in 1975. Despite being self-sufficient in molasses, the newly established Caroni (1975)  Buy Caroni 1992 Velier 18 Year Ltd continued to lose money for the next 25 years until the government tried to minimise its ownership, selling off 49% of its share, just enough to retain control. Angostura were the preferred bidders, but a dispute over the value of Caroni’s warehoused stock scuppered the deal, and Caroni was closed for good in 2003.

The Brand

As it transpired, Angostura still acquired the majority of the circa 18,000 warehoused Caroni barrels, but perhaps the most important share went to Italian distributors, Velier. In 2004, their inimitable CEO, Luca Gargano, travelled to Trinidad for a photo shoot and happened upon the boarded-up distillery, brokering a deal for some of its stock in 2005. He released eight Caroni bottlings that year, alongside his first cask strength collaborations with Demerara Distillers Ltd, which includes the hugely important Skeldon bottlings. This was a landmark year that not only changed the landscape of rum but was the genesis for the legendary status that Caroni rum now holds amongst collectors and connoisseurs alike.

This was distilled in 1992 and bottled in 2010 at 18 years old. A stock of 33 casks produced 16,236 bottles.