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Swell de Spirits T.D.L On Tour Cuvée Spéciale (Salon du Rhum) 2005
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Most drinkers here call it an oddity, and mean it as a compliment. A Trinidad TDL finished in a Caroni cask, it drinks closer to a peated whisky than a rum — smoke, rubber, tar and salted smoked meat up front, with that TDL menthol and mint underneath. A little orange and licorice sneak in late. At 62.5% the alcohol stays surprisingly well integrated. Divisive, but the fans love exactly this.
The community says- Caroni-cask smoke
- Menthol-mint TDL
- But: Peaty, whisky-like
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The look inside the bottle
How does Swell de Spirits T.D.L On Tour Cuvée Spéciale (Salon du Rhum) 2005 taste?
Summarized by AI from 43 community reviews.
Smoky, tar-and-mint TDL that drinks like peated whisky Nearly everyone rates it high, and most agree it's a genuine one-off — smoky, dirty and Caroni-marked. A few find the peat too whisky-like for a rum.
fans of smoky, dirty rums and peated whisky
anyone wanting fruit-forward, easy sipping
Style & occasion: Mature & oakySipping neat
Recommendation
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Gifting rum? 3 questions to the right bottle
Fruitier
Swell de Spirits T.D.L That's The Spirit ! 2008
8.5/10
Milder
Samaroli T.D.L Fernandes 2003
8.5/10279 €
Nothing for you?
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First choice: 13 of 25 tasters who tried both prefer it.
Community voices
What does the community say?
43 community reviews
18 selected write-ups on this page, all of them in the RumX app
Top 25% at T.D.L
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Ranges include their upper bound: “7–8” means above 7 up to and including 8. See the full rating guide
Positive from 8.0 · Mixed 6.0–7.9 · Critical below 6.0
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
Most helpful positive review
22.08.2026 Retasting and I still like it. ----------- #5065 Friday 24.01.2025 - 26.01.2025 A nice weekend in my sisters summerhouse with old friends and colleagues tasting a lot of rums. I can only recommend like we did, no phones allowed and then only music in the background 😊 Colour Medium dark. Nose Fresh, light wood, mint, faint roasted, dried fruit, light caramel, faint berries. Palate Round, light oily, light wood, mint, spice, dried fruit, light caramel, light orange, faint chocolate. Finish Medium to long, wood, light roasted, mint, fruits, light caramel, faint citrus, light orange. Empty glass Light chocolate, faint coffee, mint, raisin, light licorice.
Review by Thunderbird
Most helpful mixed review
Dieser T.D.L 2005 sagt mir so gar nicht zu. Der ist mir eindeutig zu torfig und Whisylastig. Zwar sind auch ein paar dreckig- minzige Caroninoten dabei (die ich eigentlich sehr mag), die jedoch das Torfige nicht wettmachen können. Der Alkohol ist sehr gut eingebunden und kaum wahrnehmbar. Ich vermute, dass man diese Abfüllung entweder liebt oder hasst
Review by Jakob
Interesting taste experience, the peaty base tone naturally finds a powerful counterpart in the TDL profile, which leads to much more happening in the aroma spectrum than just smokiness - although that still plays a main role. Fresh mint, tea and wood aromas, subtle fruits and the mentioned peat notes form an interesting and balanced blend here. Great complexity and mouthfeel. For those who enjoy earthy-peaty aromas, this offers an exciting addition in the spectrum of post-2000 TDLs.
Review by TheRhumhoe
A real UFO among TDLs. This bottling from Swell de Spirits offers something you don't usually find, and that's worth noting. The nose is unsettling, with notes of peat, smoke, petroleum notes on gasoline, spicy, spicy oak and a hint of salt. It also exudes a rubbery, minty, earthy aura. The shadow of the Caroni cask is in full effect here. Original, complex and very intriguing. On the palate, the profile remains true to the nose, and just as disturbing: peat is very present, followed by smoky notes, hydrocarbons, tobacco, herbs, menthol and roasted wood with spices. The Caroni cask finish adds real value here. It's a zany profile, which you either love or hate, but which doesn't leave you indifferent. The alcohol is well integrated. The finish is long. It coats the mouth with its peaty, smoky, dirty and spicy imprint, with herbaceous aromas and a hint of caramel that brings a light touch of sugar to this well-tempered whole. A difficult profile to approach, but one whose risk-taking and originality make it a captivating rum. Swell de Spirits reveals a totally new facet of TDL, opening up a whole new world of possibilities for the future.
Review by TheJackDrop
Surprising little sample from my buddy Thomas. On the nose, I definitely didn't get a TDL vibe, it's a bit too sweet even though the rubber note is there. On the palate, however, the menthol is really present, with some woody and peppery notes at best. A nice intensity on the palate, maybe a hint of banana... Overall, it lacks fruitiness in my opinion, and leans a bit too much on the wood, but it's far from bad. EDIT: After swirling the glass, the pineapple note really comes through. EDIT: a smokier and more chocolatey nose.
Review by TheJona'Spirits
Tasting a 2cl sample. Once poured into the glass, the empty sample gives off a strong smell of tanned leather and ham on the bone, it's very surprising. In the glass, I find more an aroma of cured meats, like those regional specialties you find at markets. A very concentrated smoky/salty aspect, with a mix of three peppers and various seasoning berries. Then, the nose evolves into a Christmas candied fruit concentrate (orange, kumquat, cherry), mixed with salted caramel cooked in the pan. Then, the smell of tiger balm so characteristic of TDL appears in the background. No, actually it's exactly Vicks VapoRub ointment. Crazy. The nose further evolves on a malty side close to a slightly peated whisky, like a Bowmore. I love it, even if it's quite uncommon in a rum, certainly the Caroni cask at work. The first palate confirms the nose, the melting pot is well present! Good thick dirty molasses mixed in a meaty peat. The flavors of bone marrow are well present. On the retro-olfaction, the liveliness returns more on the licorice stick as well as on its freshly cut root. The juice then unfolds cheerfully on the walls of the mouth in a caramelized oily texture to perfection. By the way, despite the proof, the alcohol integration is very good. It's an atypical, complex, dense rum, with a very evolving nose (more than the palate) but it won't please everyone.
Review by Rare Akuma
Tasted this at SDR23, so my review remains rather concise. Extremely dense on the nose requiring lots of air and constant agitation to release its truly exquisite aroma. A ‘factory profile’ rich in notes of petrol, rubber, smoke, mint and gardening peat. Immensely dirty with little to no room for anything beyond the above. However there is a slight orange zest and lemongrass undertone. The factory continues in the mouth, fairly linear with what the nose announced. Orange peel coming through a little more, as well as wet wood, flowers and fresh herbs à la eucalyptus and thyme. Intense and challenging, but absolutely wonderful. This was one of the highlights at SDR23, and despite the hefty price, I still think price/quality is high at release.
Review by Rhum Mirror 🇧🇪
Duo Swell de Spirits – T.D.L. 2003 (57.8%) & 2005 (62.5%) Two vintages, two worlds! The 2005 (10 years tropical + 7 years continental) benefited from a 6-month finish in ex-Caroni cask, for a surprisingly smoky and peaty profile — almost whisky. A UFO at TDL! 40% of the group preferred this one. John, convinced, left with the bottle. The 2003 (15 years tropical + 6 years continental), more classic, expresses itself on yellow fruits and spices. Very pleasant, a bit more restrained, but balanced. It’s the one I preferred!
Review by Vidaa Wz
TDL quite dirty on the rubber, the garage very dark but you find the mentholated side that we appreciate from this distillery, I found some peat notes, a very successful bottling. Congratulations Mika!
Review by John Coffey
Too smoky for my taste... you can feel a bit of the dirty side of Caroni but it's very divisive, I feel like I'm tasting a whisky personally.
Review by Jeremy Roger 🇫🇷
Very good, although I'm not a fan of peat, here it doesn't bother me at all.
Review by Jacques etdom
Me fait beaucoup pensé au tdl 2008 en arrière plan. Le premier plan est occupé par un côté fumé, de la tourbe, un côté viande fumée salée et un côté sale et garage auto. Très intéressant apport du fit de caroni. Finale longue. Je ne pourrais pas dire si je le préfère à d autres, pour moi il est hors catégorie. J aime beaucoup.
Review by Pavel Ungr, RumRock
Vintage 2005. With an 8.0 out of 10, it's a very good bottle, though not the top of my ranking.
Review by Sebastian.W
Tasted at SDR23. Nice profile with a lot of herbal and dirty notes.
Review by philhaenen
Very very beautiful cuvée! Bravo guys
Review by Philip M. 🇧🇪
Rum Fair 2024
Review by zabo
Well, this 2005 T.D.L isn't really a candidate for a very good rating. In taste, it reminds me a lot of a whisky. That peaty flavor I taste or imagine tasting is just too dominant for me.
Review by Stijn Zino
Salon Du Rhum 2024 Lacks some nose. But in the mouth a real flavorbom with great finish. Great value for money rum!
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Expert reviews
Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum.
Expert review by WhiskyNotes
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Expert review by L'amateur éclairé
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Community shelf
51 bottles logged by 42 collectors.
Both drunk and collected.
23% opened, 7 emptied.
What did the community pay for Swell de Spirits T.D.L On Tour Cuvée Spéciale (Salon du Rhum) 2005?
Community paid 139–178 €.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 172 €. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
51 purchased · 46 tasted · 19 wishlist · as of
Details about Swell de Spirits T.D.L On Tour Cuvée Spéciale (Salon du Rhum) 2005
A rum from Trinidad, bottled by Swell de Spirits, at 62.5%.
Read on in the RumX Guide
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