Aroma visualization from community tastings
Swell de Spirits Caroni Private Garden N°15 (InterCaves Limoges) HTR 1998
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Caroni hunters who want the dirty markers but not a wall of tar will find this one unusually approachable. It's a 1998 HTR at cask strength with the classic mechanic's-workshop, rubber and tar notes, but lifted by real fruit — dried mango, citrus peel, gooseberry — plus caramel and menthol. Several tasters called it their entry-point Caroni and one of the more drinkable 98s.
The community says- Dirty tar markers
- Fruit and citrus lift
- Keep in mind: Can read medicinal
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Buying advice
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Yes, if you're after bold, mature, oaky rums for sipping neat.
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The look inside the bottle
How does Swell de Spirits Caroni Private Garden N°15 (InterCaves Limoges) HTR 1998 taste?
From community reviews · summarized with AI
Dirty but drinkable, fruit-forward 98 Caroni Loved as a fruit-forward, well-balanced Caroni that keeps the dirty markers without punishing you. A few found it too medicinal or a touch light for the vintage.
Caroni fans, and those wanting a gentler way into the tar/rubber style
Anyone wanting sweet, easy sipping or full Caroni heaviness
Style & occasion: Mature & oakySipping neat
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
Relative to this rum's strongest aroma family
20 of 29 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Which glass for which rum? The community guide ›
What does the community say?
29 community reviews
Rating scale & review checks
On RumX, 7 means “Good” and 8 means “Very good”.
See the full rating guideHow ratings are made and how we check them ›The website shows a selection of written reviews. The distribution also includes ratings without text. All published reviews are available in the RumX app.
19 selected written reviews
The distribution above includes all 29 ratings, including those without text.
Review by Joachim Guger
Most helpful positive review
Fresh on the nose - varnish and menthol, lots of fruit - dried mango and citrus fruits, caramel and petrol. Well balanced. Very oily, dirty and fresh in the mouth. Smoky. Spicy, long finish that warms nicely. A highly drinkable Caroni at a high level and the best '98 that wasn't poured from a black bottle.🤩🤩🤩You could happily enjoy a bottle of this. Thanks to Bonn for the lovely sample.🤩🤩🤩🤩
Review by Mc Pirate
Most helpful mixed review
Interesting nose, on leather and caramel, dried fruits, very dry almost bitter palate... very esterified due to opening the bottle. Certainly deserves some airing time. However, after a few minutes the nose becomes extraordinary on wood and oak cask! Very impressive! Long finish on warmth and wood. Wait for it to oxidize a bit in the bottle. See you in 2 months!
Review by cigares
RumX and Swell de Spirit online tasting, March 2024. Tasted blind, I was surprised by a vegetal, bubble-gum side that reminded me of Savanna. But the depth of aroma and the dirty side belonged elsewhere. Dom found and everything fell into place (everything is much easier when you know ;-) a Caroni from December 1998. The palate is powerful, with aromas of mechanical workshops and burnt caramel. But a myriad of aromas lurk behind, with freshness, fruit, umami and even a floral edge. The extremely long finish is well-balanced, with all the aromas present on the palate and a hint of smoky wood.
Review by Dr.Django
The nose already says there is Caroni in the glass. On the palate it really kicks off! What an awesome thing, dirty Caroni, mouth-filling, fruits of all kinds, all wonderfully balanced. Then comes the relatively empty finish. Also such a great rum!
Review by Jakob
A 1998 Caroni from the December batch with some hints of post-2000 TDLs. Surprising fruitiness paired with the powerful aroma of the Caronis from '98, qualitatively in the upper class of the vintage, including the tropically aged '98 Caronis. A very good release.
Review by zabo
Swell Masterclass RumX 28.03.2024 What a surprise sample from Mika. Always wanted to try this one. This one is more on the fruity side, but the "dirty" markers are still good to taste. An HTR can also taste like this.
Review by Alex1981
Solid 1998 Caroni, more on the heavy/dirty side compared to other releases from this vintage. Still brings some gentle fruits and roastyness. Very solid release, untypical for the vintage and as sich eather exciting
Review by RumTaTa
Develops very pleasantly in the glass, the fruitiness seems to increase and the dirty notes tend to remain in the background. Spicy, fruity, sweet and Caroniwerkstatt on the palate. The spiciness disappears with time. Towards the finish, oak and tannins come to the fore and are complemented by the workshop notes. However, the dried fruit and sweetness also remain. A very good, complex rum!
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
#4678 28.03.2024 Very nice online Masterclass with Swell de Spirits. Nose Light roasted wood, fruity, light smoke, peat, citrus, light herbs. Palate Balanced, wood, light smoke, faint peat, fruits, citrus, herbs, light medicinal. Finish Long, balanced, round, dried fruit, wood, light medicinal. The empty glass has rubber, smoke and dried fruit. This was the surprise rum and a really nice one actually.
Review by Christoph
Dirty peat from which lemon peel is extracted. Surprisingly light for an HTR. Unfortunately, it fails for me as a Caroni. Something is missing at the first sip. With time, sand on fruit is added, but it remains an average Caroni.
Review by Timo Groeger
Wow, the next top rum today. For me, it has a lovely oaky aroma on the nose and also smells of caramel. This continues on the palate, with a lovely oak and caramel flavor. A super Caroni.
Review by DomM
Nice special surprise! Well balanced with fruitiness and a bit of sweetness yet with a nice dirtiness towards the end, which I really enjoy. Very nice 98. Cheers to Mika and the RumX team for making the master class possible. Very nice line-up!
Review by TheJackDrop
Nose: the UFO. Obviously Caroni. Lemon/orange skin? A thread of light smoke, leather, almond paste? Mouth: fruit, smoke, prunes, banana, compote, leather& ++ , wood. Coconut finish, fruit, smoke, explosion of my poor brain. 9.4+ ? Maybe the best Caroni I've ever tasted?
Review by Skyfly
Swell de Spirits Advent Calendar 2025: Beautiful and thus dirtier Caroni. On the palate unfortunately a bit too medicinal to get the top rating; also quite smoky. But the typical markers are right.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Very unusual, almost light-looking 98 caroni. Could almost pass for a TDL, at least blind on the nose. On the palate, gooseberry meets some citrus peel, plus incense and the typical dirty smoke/rubber note of Caroni, but still very light and mild. In the finish there is a nice dark chocolate note with espresso bean splinters and a light floral fresh eucalyptus note. Then the acidity of the gooseberry comes back and finishes the whole thing off. Pleasant and unusual for 98 caroni but could be much more complex for me.
Review by Michael Ihmels 🇩🇪
A very nice Caroni that is highly recommended. A bit woody on the nose but I also think I detect tar. Very good on the palate, alcohol very well integrated. Also a slight caramel note.
Review by F.L.O.
Beautiful Caroni! Dirty, mint, rubber,..., and perfectly integrated alcohol. Extremely drinkable and perfect as a starter Caroni. If it weren't for the price, I'd gladly get myself a bottle as a daily sipper
Review by lars
Blind, my first thought was TDL. On the nose I definitely find what I remember from Caroni. Taste-wise Caroni is not really my favorite. But definitely a nice surprise. Thanks 🙏
Review by Arnaud Faverjon
Big Caroni on hydrocarbons, with a nice indulgence and quite a bit of fruit, nice concentration, great selection!
This selection contains no written reviews in this rating range.
Expert reviews
2 critics scored it, averaging 8.7/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum.
Expert review by The Rum Champion
This is the first expression of Swell de Spirits. Thanks RumX team for sending me Mika’s Surprise! What a pleasant surprise to find it was a Caroni bottling! I haven’t been able to try as much Caroni as I’d like (yet). Tasting notes: smoked tobacco, rubber, tar, umami, spearmint, cough syrup
Expert review by Le Blog À Roger
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Swell de Spirits Caroni Private Garden N°15 (InterCaves Limoges) HTR 1998 at live auctions
A bid is not a final price: the house sets the buyer's premium, shipping and any customs duty.
All live auctions ›Community shelf
18 bottles logged by 13 collectors.
Both drunk and collected.
16% opened, 0 emptied.
What did the community pay for Swell de Spirits Caroni Private Garden N°15 (InterCaves Limoges) HTR 1998?
Community paid 354–589 €.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 393 €. Full price & collection history in RX+ ›
18 purchased · 33 tasted · 30 wishlist · as of
Details about Swell de Spirits Caroni Private Garden N°15 (InterCaves Limoges) HTR 1998
A rum from Trinidad, bottled by Swell de Spirits, at 59,2%.
Read on in the RumX Guide
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