Aroma visualization from community tastings
Caroni S.B.S Trinidad HTR 1997
Tell me when it gets cheaper
Tell me when it's back in stock
Price alert in the RumX app
Open in the app
Got the app? Open this bottle
Opens this rum in the RumX app
Caroni fans and anyone curious about the closed Trinidad distillery will feel right at home here. Rubber, tar and old leather lead, with dried fruit, charred wood and a little cocoa underneath — dirty in the best way, but several tasters call this cask 53 one of the gentler, rounder Caronis of the set. At 64.4% the alcohol reads remarkably well integrated, and a few drops of water round it further.
The community says- Classic tar and rubber
- Integrated alcohol
- But: Hot near 64%
Offers & prices
View price history
Shopping safely on RumX Returns & cancellation
- Secure payment. You pay via RumX with PayPal, Klarna or card. Your payment data is encrypted and we never store your full card details.
- Clear seller. Sold and shipped directly by the partner shop. And you're never on your own: RumX handles support and communication with the shop, so you always get excellent service, whichever shop you order from.
- Honest shop ratings. The stars show your service experience with the shop, not the rum score. They come from RumX users, and critical ones stay visible.
- Returns & cancellation. Your purchase contract is with the shop, so returns and cancellations run through them under their own policy and your statutory rights. If anything goes wrong, RumX helps you sort it out.
10 more payment methodsOffers & prices
No shop currently delivers to Germany.
Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
The look inside the bottle
How does Caroni S.B.S Trinidad HTR 1997 taste?
Summarized by AI from 57 community reviews.
Rounded, rubber-and-tar Caroni that's easy to like Strong agreement here — a very approachable Caroni that owners rate an easy entry into the style, with the classic rubber-and-tar character intact and the high proof handled cleanly.
Caroni lovers and dirty-rum enthusiasts
newcomers put off by rubber and tar
Style & occasion: Mature & oakySipping neat
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
29 of 57 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
Recommendation
Your next rum
Each with how it differs from this rum.
Community voices
What does the community say?
57 community reviews
22 selected write-ups on this page, all of them in the RumX app
Rate it in the app
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 Gunnar Böhme "Bauerngaumen" 🤓
With all five participants in the tasting evening on my Caroni terrace 😉 the clear winner, which really nobody had expected. We had placed it at the end of the SWR 1997 tasting program almost out of embarrassment and even somewhat bashfully. Embarrassed, because this rum has not particularly distinguished itself so far, certainly not in the Caronis league, but also not in general, how could it compete with the SWR heavyweights tasted before? With its three brothers from the neighboring barrels, it is merely a rock-solid entry into the Caroni world at an unbeatable price at the time. We had actually only chosen this rum as a kind of comparison rum to the Royal Navy from Velier, which we had drunk directly before, in order to find out how strong the Caroni notes in the Navy are. And then the bombshell! This rum easily outshone all the other rums of the evening. This creaminess, this balance, this smoothness despite its strength, simply wonderful! Can an evening of tasting together be more amazing and exciting? This inconspicuous Caroni is an excellent example of the exceptional status of almost all rums from this defunct distillery. If you want to enjoy Caroni at a very high level, but still at a comparatively moderate price, I can only advise you to buy at least a 4-bottle box of 1423 (S.B.S). Tip: Due to the bottle size (20 cl), the individual bottles are also very suitable for enjoyment when traveling.
Review by cigares
The famous tasting of the S.B.S. single cask set. Cask # 53. A slightly recessed nose, the most neutral of the series. Marzipan, fruit and machine shop. The palate is full and strong, with a sensation of warmth. The finish is splendid, with little fruit but a strong Caroni character. On first tasting I found it too extreme, but in the end I like it best, the strongest personality of the four. When you think that it's the same year, maybe even the same month of distillation, that the casks have been kept in the same place. The difference between the barrels is remarkable! Super interesting!
Review by LukaŽiga
9:On the nose, the first impression we get are smoky-industrial notes with charred wood.There are rubber and tar, spicy cherry wood with caramel, burnt sugar and leather.Then the fruit wave comes with dried and tropical fruits. On aeration, the molasses is herbal, there are some solvents and menthol, perhaps almond.Very round and balanced inspite the complexity. 9:On the palate, the attack is triple with industrial, woody and fruity notes, as our tasting buds are invaded with the complexity of this very tasty, round, smooth and balanced rum.There are dried and bourbon yellow fruits, dirty industrial notes like rubber, tar, perhaps bicycle tube.The wood is dry, spicy and charred, smoky, leathery with nuts, chocolate, coffee, vanilla and umami, it continues with sweeter notes like caramel, marzipan, maple, citrus and red fruits...complemented with some menthol. 9:The finish is also smooth and round, tasty, actually delicious, most of the palate notes linger on, with a whiff of waxy bitterness. Edit:11.6.26
Review by TheRhumhoe
The comparison is between the 4 Caronis Single Cask 1997 from SBS. A rather complete and pleasant Caroni, the nose reveals an intense range on the dirty, medicinal, and smoky side, with leather, nuts, and spices (vanilla, pepper) supporting behind. Caramel, toffee, burnt sugar, and fruits (dried and tropical) bring their share of sweetness. The whole is very enticing to the nose. The attack on the palate is initially a bit rustic, leaning towards alcohol and heavy notes. Hydrocarbons and smoke take over before the mid-palate moves to a spicy woodiness bordered by milk chocolate. You can also distinguish caramel with a hint of salt, dried fruits, and soft spices (vanilla). The whole becomes more drinkable, the alcohol level being high. The finish is more focused on spicy, peppery, hot, and licorice aromas. Empyreumatic notes remain, followed by wood, nuts, leather, caramel, and milk chocolate. It's not the most complex of the Caronis, but it's probably one of the most engaging among this little-known and often overlooked vintage.
Review by Tim
To be honest, I don't find anything particularly rubbery about this rum. Instead, it is again very similar to an Agricole. The nose is more pleasing with a hint of smoke or tar, if you will, but after a while these notes dissipate. Fruit, vanilla, and caramel become more prominent. Dry, sharp, and chocolatey bitter on the palate, or possibly sour berries. More smoke/tobacco and caramel come through in the long finish. Not an "easy" drink, but complex through and through.
Review by zabo
The rum is part of a set: cask 53, cask 190, cask 193 and cask 216. The #53 is for me so far the weakest in the series. For what the set costs or used to cost, it is an absolutely top value for money. Some newer bottlings could think about their price.
Review by Timo Groeger
Last one for today. A great Caroni from the SBS 4-series. Great (Caroni) nose, we have rubber, solvents and burnt sugar here. On the palate also top, rubber, bicycle tube, wood, leather and some cocoa. For a Caroni, the price is also quite reasonable. Really strong.
Review by Leo Krüper
Solid heavy Caroni. Great drinking quality for Caroni standards. Super value for money.
Review by DomM
For the set: 53=193 > 216 > 190
Review by Felix Reiber
Again a very beautiful and multi-layered Caroni profile. On the nose, there is a balanced interplay of lovely fruit notes, leather, spices, berries, caramel, and some roasted notes. On the palate, cask 53 is very intense, woody, and characterized by rubber, leather, spice, and tannins. Very subtly some cola and again the roasted notes, paired with cocoa and light hints of vanilla. The relatively long finish is pleasantly spicy and aromatic, offering the flavor spectrum that convinced on the nose. In smell, it resembles the Caroni 100th Anniversary, which I also appreciate very much, and for 64.4% the alcohol is really well integrated.
Review by Djehey
Compared to cask 216. On the nose, there are fruits in addition to the dirty notes of Caroni. Also noticeable at the start of the palate. The alcohol gives a warm and spicy effect. The Caroni note is mainly like a bicycle inner tube. The rest leans towards a big woody character with a nice cocoa note but also tannins. Overall, I like it.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
This rum is part of a four cask selection set. Cask 53, cask 190, cask 193 and cask 216. This particular cask has the highest proof and it shines through in the nose and palate. A light dry well balanced rum that I think benefits from a few drops of water.
Review by Serge
Delicious and great value for money (for a Caroni) like all 4 in this set.
Review by Pavel Spacek
... Caroni is a distillery from Trinidad, producing rum at the height of its fame, which was added in a ratio of 1:10 to naval blends. It was too strong and strange to be pleasant on the tongue. In 2000 the distillery ended production and was closed. Only in 2010 did tasters appear who liked the rum precisely for its special taste. And interest grew. Caroni belongs to the category of rums "you need to try before you die." I recommend it, Caroni is really a unique rum.
Review by F.L.O.
Good Caroni from the 4-pack by SBS. Fair price-performance ratio and a good entry into the dirty Caroni world. Nice and dry, with wine you would almost say dusty. Alcohol is super integrated. The finish is then pure rubber :-)
Review by Fuwi
In my opinion, cask #53 is a rather mild representative of the Caroni bottlings. It comes quite pleasantly unexcited, yet offers slight hints of the expected dirty aromas, although not so massive. Rather warm vanilla, tropical fruits and a certain lightness. There are crisper bottlings, more of a gentle entry.
Review by Nils123
The alcohol is masterfully integrated, but the bottle has been open for quite some time. Wow, what quality! Very dirty, but none of the individual aromas feels overloaded. It changes again and again over time.
Review by Martin Ekrt
It doesn't reach the quality of premium Caroni, but definitely a nice piece.
Review by Harald
Color: Chestnut Smell: Reserved. Some toffee and wood, leather and tar. Taste: Full-bodied and strong. Old wood, rubber and leather. Spicy with ginger and pepper. Finish: Long Dry and very woody. Some rubber and leather. Slightly bitter and astringent aftertaste.
Review by Rhum Mirror 🇧🇪
SBS – Caroni HTR 1997 – 63 % Heading to Trinidad and Tobago, the legendary Caroni distillery (RIP 💀). Aged 18 years, bottled at cask strength at 63% (Cask 190). 👃 Nose: Pure Caroni — dirty, tar, tires, glue, fruity cherry. 👅 Palate: still Caroni, devilishly charming and fruity on a base of rubber and burnt caramel. ➡️ My opinion: despite the pleasure, personal preference for the TBRC 1997.
Review by Vojta
My first caroni experience and I really like that famous rubber/tar flavours. The complexity of the flavours, the heaviness a the dirt. I like it a lot Out of these 4 casks the no. 53 is the best to me followed by the 193 and 216, 190 Hopefully I will come across another caroni samples.
Review by Michael
Dirty Caroni, little fruity, with a very long finish.
No reviews match this filter.
Expert reviews
Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum.
Expert review by The Dunder Hut
I had these recently been poured blind, a rather warm and sweet iteration. But i kinda like it. Seriously, just try those, because the Casks really have some differences to justify a set of four. cheap
Expert review by L'amateur éclairé
Read full review →
Community shelf
63 bottles logged by 47 collectors.
Both drunk and collected.
25% opened, 8 emptied.
What did the community pay for Caroni S.B.S Trinidad HTR 1997?
Community paid 49–80 €.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 64 €. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
63 purchased · 57 tasted · 8 wishlist · as of
Details about Caroni S.B.S Trinidad HTR 1997
A Column Still Rum from Trinidad, bottled by 1423 World Class Spirits, at 64.4%.
Read on in the RumX Guide
You may also enjoy
Rum enthusiasts who like this rum have also given the following rums high ratings:
Caroni S.B.S Trinidad HTR 1997
Bristol T.D.L Trinidad Rum for Haromex Dev. 2006
Habitation Velier Long Pond White STC❤️E 2018
Habitation Velier MHOBA 2017
Never miss a price drop.
Set a target price in the app, and we'll let you know as soon as the rum becomes available at that price from one of our partner stores. This works for any rum on your wish list.
Oliver · FounderBy rum lovers, for rum lovers
I'm Oliver, and RumX began in 2018 as a small passion project in Stuttgart, back then under the name Rum Tasting Notes.
Oliver, Stuttgart
About RumX →YouTube channel (in German)
