This Caroni, from the sadly closed distillery in Trinidad and Tobago, was bottled last year by Polish bottler Jack Tar. It’s from their ‘Cosmic series’ which, in the 2023 release added this one and another Caroni ‘Mars’ to the line-up.

I got the samples a little while ago and decided that the current weather called for a rum more than it did for a whisky. Especially after the last nine months of autumn.

So here goes the closing drink of the weekend.

Sniff:
While it’s very intense and rich, there’s also a lightness to it. Molasses and brown sugar, some syrupy notes of oak. There’s some fruitiness, but also a hint of engine grease.

Sip:
The palate packs a bit of a punch. Grease first and foremost with brown sugar and molasses following quickly after. A bit of a vegetative greenness as well. It turns quite dry after a little while with more notes of oak and a bit of a banana peel texture, star fruit too, maybe.

Swallow:
The finish begins with a little bit of an after burner but turns from hot to warm after a second or two. More towards oak and a slightly bitter fruitiness. And that engine oil or grease note as well.

This is a great one. The intensity combined with the lightness, without losing the rather typical note of engine grease (although sometimes it’s more diesel-y) works really well. Add in some fruit and a nod back to the core ingredients with a hint of molasses and you’ve got yourself a very, very well rounded rum!

90/100