CARONI 1997 61,5% BRISTOL SPIRITS - BOTTLED 2017

This rum was distilled at the Caroni distillery in 1997, aged 20 years and bottled at full proof in England in 2017.

THE BRAND

The Caroni distillery was established in 1918 on the Caroni Plain, nearby the homonymous sugar factory. Thanks to its position on the island’s main sugar plantation, could count on a constant direct supply of local molasses.

In 1936, Caroni became part of the Tate & Lyle portfolio adding a Wooden Coffey still to its original iron pot still and producing rums often used for the British Navy rations. After absorbing the Esperenza and Bronte Estates in 1955, a single column still were also installed. This latter, remained operatived till the last days of the distillery, was known for producing particularly high ester rums.

The best known rum produced by Caroni in the 1960s was the Caroni Navy Rum Extra Strong.

However, the Caroni distillery fate was inevitably tied to the sugar crisis of the subsequent years.

Following the Act of Independence of Trinidad and Tobago in 1962, conditions changed abruptly and accession of Great Britain to the EEC, made sugar production less and less convenient.

On July 31st 1970, date of the last issue of rum by the Royal Navy after over 300 years, a day to be forever remembered as Black Tot Day, became the date that decreed the end of most of the exportation of Caroni rum.

In the same year, Tate & Lyle sold a controlling 51% share to the Trinidian Government, before beeing fully nationalised in 1975 and becoming the Caroni Ltd. In the following years, the original iron pot still and the Wooden Coffey still were replaced.

Government tried to sell a 49% share to Angostura, but agreement was not reached on the value of the warehouse stock and the deal fell through.

The legendary Caroni distillery, definetely closed its doors in 2003.

After the closure, most of the circa 18.000 barrels stocked at the distillery were bought by Angostura Ltd, last one still active on the island, who sold part of this stock to John Barret of Bristol Spirits, who decided to transfer it to England.

At the end of the following year, in December 2004, the barrels not purchased by Angostura and still warehoused at the Caroni distillery, were casually discovered by Luca Gargano during one of his trip to the Tropics for a photo session on Caribbean rums and its lands. After a negotiation with liquidator Roody Moore and the result of analysis of samples sent in Italy, he decided to purchase the entire remaining stock.

Despite John Barret, he chosed to leave the barrels in the Tropics, partly in Trinidad and partly in Guyana at DDL, to preserve its Tropical aging with the intent to keep the product 100% original. The decision to bottle at full proof did the rest.