A few weeks ago, a whisky customer asked me a question that I believe is well worth addressing in writing:
“Why are some relatively young rum bottlings from the 1980s and 1990s so incredibly expensive? Are they really that good?”
He was primarily referring to the Demerara bottlings from Velier.
Caroni is widely known, and since the publication of the so-called “Caroni Bible” by Steffen Mayer, almost everything about those rums can be researched in detail.
Nestled in the southern Caribbean, Trinidad is a vibrant island with a history as rich and diverse as its culture. From the indigenous peoples who first inhabited its shores to the colonial powers that shaped its destiny, Trinidad's story is one of resilience, innovation, and the blending of cultures.
The Caroni distillery, founded in 1918 and in 1937 taken over by Tate & Lyle (British sugar giant), was once a major supplier of high-proof rum to the British Navy. In the 1970s the Trinidad Government purchased Caroni. After years of decline in the sugar industry, Caroni was closed in 2003. Angostura and Velier acquired much of the remaining stock, with Luca Gargano of Velier playing a key role. Gargano launched the first Caroni bottlings in 2005 and made a significant impact on the rum landscape.
