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TRC Caroni Trinidad HTR 1997
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Tar, rubber and bicycle-tube "dirt" wrapped in dried fruit, vanilla and licorice — this 1997 Caroni from The Rum Cask hits that classic dirty-meets-fruity balance people chase. At 64.1% it makes real "power," and most tasters say the alcohol sits well after time in the glass. A few found it a touch too brachial next to gentler 97s.
The community says- Tar and rubber
- Fruity and dirty balance
- But: High proof heat
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How does TRC Caroni Trinidad HTR 1997 taste?
Summarized by AI from community reviews.
Dirty, fruity, high-proof Caroni sipper Loved across the board as a proper dirty-yet-fruity Caroni with tar, rubber and dried fruit. The main gripe: the high proof can turn a bit brutal and needs air.
Caroni fans who love tarry, fruity cask-strength rum
Anyone put off by high proof or heavy rubber-and-tar notes
Style & occasion: Mature & oakySipping neat
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
21 of 34 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
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What does the community say?
34 community reviews
21 selected write-ups on this page, all of them in the RumX app
Top 15% of Trinidad rums
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Positive from 8.0 · Mixed 6.0–7.9 · Critical below 6.0
Review by SaibotZtar
Very tasty Caroni...unfortunately hard to come by. Great profile (reminds me a little of "THE LAST" ... Fruit and dirty notes come into their own harmoniously, Alcohol well integrated. Top 😊
Review by Leo Krüper
Solid 97 Caroni. Really a good batch with many exciting continental bottlings. Heavy workshop notes paired with a deep sweetness. Caroni in its purest form. In comparison with other 97 Caronis (Bürgermeister, S-Shop), this one unfortunately comes across as too brute. Unfortunately, the alcohol drowns out a lot, as the competitors are much more delicate.
Review by Dr.Django
A tasting with four 1997 Caronis, all having the typical dirty Caroni style very intensely. The alcohol is very well integrated in all. The Bristol falls a bit short as it is rather restrained on the palate and relatively short in the finish. Also simpler than the others. The V&M is very fruity dirty and feels palate-pleasing, almost elegant compared to the others. Still very dirty, as if someone stepped into a deep oil puddle on their way to the prom with their jacket. The Rum Cask is on the palate a different league than the previously mentioned, voluminous and full of power, starting with a red fruit somewhat sour hint of aromas. The finish is medium to long like the other two. The best for last. The Berry Bros is clearly my favorite here. Voluminous, very complex, dirty, and extremely fruity at the same time with an eternally long finish! For me, the best 1997 I've had in the glass so far. Awesome piece!
Review by zabo
Edit: had it again today as a mixer in a glass. Caroni with cola just always works. Tested were the WDC 1997, WDC 1998, and TheRumCask 1997. The loser, if you can call it that, was the WDC 1998.
Review by LukaŽiga
8,6:On the nose, the first impression we get is quite rigid roasted wood notes like caramel, burnt sugar, nuts, leather, spicy vanilla and industrial ones with rubber and tar.It needs time to reveal its depth with other notes, as a molasses is dark with licorice then, vegetal, eucalyptus is also there after an oxidation, the wood is smoky, spicy with pepper, the first fruits that arise are citrus, then dried with raisins, prunes and tropical with mango, banana.Later the rum becomes tannic, as some meat notes could pop up. 9:On the palate, the attack is fruity and industrial with dried fruits like apricots, raisins, citrusy orange, the industrial ones are rubber, tar, bicycle tube.The wood is charred, creamy with salted caramel, nuts, burnt sugar, milk chocolate, biscuits, pastry, smoky with hints of bacon, meaty with bovine hints, spicy with vanilla, pepper. After resting, it becomes dirtier, there is some menthol, the molasses is darker with licorice, vegetal with herbal notes, a bit flowery. The longer in glass, more delicious it is, as yellow fruits, plum and banana could be tasted... 8,7:The finish is long with dirty industrial notes, menthol, roasted and spicy, dry wood, tropical and dried fruits, a bit bitter, tannic. Edit:7.2.26, an upgrade, as it is more balanced, tastier
Review by Thunderbird
This is a very good 1997 Caroni cask selection from the Rum Cask. A nice interplay between workshop and fruit on the nose. On the palate more on the workshop and woody side... but still fits very well. In the not too long finish again this nice interplay of fruit and workshop. Really delicious 😋
Review by DomM
Nose is very nice and balanced. Adding more intense fruity notes to the 97 profile. This is a very nice nose out it the batch. Very nice on the palate as well. Well balanced between dirt, dried fruits and some sweetness. Top notch out of the 97 batch.
Review by cigares
Spirits Museum Tasting March 29, 2025. A very fruity nose with a very indulgent pastry side, the mechanical workshop (tar and rubber) comes after and with the very well integrated wood gives this rum a splendid complexity. The palate is super ample, powerful but nevertheless harmonious. All the aromas, the same as on the nose, combine very well and the wood, even if more present than on the nose, remains very approachable. The finish is long, harmonious and the strength of this rum slowly fades. A slight prickliness at the end of the mouth takes away a few points.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
I always love when there is a Caroni in the tasting and this one was no exception. The nose is typical Caroni with tar and rubber in the woodiness. Fruits, vanilla and licorice compliment the overall nose. The oily palate takes off where the nose finishes, and the tarry rubber, wood is very well balanced with the fruit and vanilla. The finish is very long and woody with rubber, tropical fruits and vanilla.
Review by Jarek
Very tasty, can compete with some tropical-aged Velier bottlings. Everything I expected from a Caroni is there: tar, rubber, smoke, and fruit. Alcohol quite dominant but still within limits. Finish could be a bit longer and more intense.
Review by TheRhumhoe
A suave, elegant Caroni. The nose is round, pleasant and balanced, with lovely dirty notes of tar, rubber, glue and bicycle tire. There's a hint of toffee candy, which lends delicacy to the profile, which is dominated by wood, spices, smoke, leather and tobacco. A touch of fruit (notably dried) adds freshness. A conventional but charming Caroni. On the palate, the Caroni is oily, round and extremely drinkable. Terpenic, smoky, spicy and woody notes are well blended into the background, leaving caramel candy and tropical fruit a little more room on the palate. The profile is complete and so pleasant you'll drink it like whey. The alcohol is superbly well integrated. The finish is long, drier but just as round. The tannins are more present. More spice, toasty notes and burnt sugar prolong the delight on the palate. The dried fruit and empyreumatic notes are subtle, but the whole is very harmonious. A sweet and most sensual Caroni, very attractive and tasty, a real treat.
Review by Serge
Very tasty continental 97 ... tastes good to me. Nicer balance of fruit and dirt than e.g. the SBS set
Review by Insta: spiritofbernard 🇫🇷
What a slap in the face! I finally understand the legend of Caroni thanks to this bottle! There were a few centiliters left, so the rum had time to air out. Bubble gum on the nose with esters and candied fruit. Easy midpalate, then the famous tar and bicycle tube. Drank at Dram 242 with Sven from Premium Spirits.
Review by Beach-and-Rum 🏖️🌴
One of the best Caronis I've tried so far outside of Velier. Surprisingly fruity and sweet, dirt and wood are more in the background. The 64% packs a punch and gives a long finish. The alcohol could be integrated a bit better.
Review by Johannes
Amazingly good, complex 97 Caroni. I must taste it with another 97...
Review by Tschusikowsky
The Rum Cask Caroni 1997 Dry nose, burnt sugar and caramel, plus classic Caroni notes of rubber, tar, some workshop and a hint of menthol. On the palate a very fitting overall combo. The alcohol is well integrated. Nice balance between the dirty side with warm rubber, tar and slightly oily notes and a fruity sweetness. The wood is also present but fits harmoniously into the profile. Tertiary cool notes like menthol and blackcurrant join in. Overall very round and balanced. The bouquet shows a lot of typical Caroni DNA without becoming too wild or heavy. Delicate and very nice to drink.
Review by Lukas Jäger
Nice 97 Caroni from TRC! With 64% plenty of power, but the alcohol is quite well integrated. More on the fruity side, but also with plenty of wood wonderfully integrated into the overall profile. Behind everything lies an oily-dirty profile that Caroni writes on every taste bud. Really nice bottling, I would take a bottle of that!
Review by Lot-NAS
A lot of liquorice, vanilla, tar and rubber. Complimented by spices, dried tropical fruits and hints of incense. After some time I also found a little bit of blackcurrant and eucalyptus. The palate is oily, sweet and spicy with perfectly integrated alcohol and all from above. The finish is long and warm, again with liquorice, vanilla and some tar. A great Caroni overall. Many thanks to SaibotZtar for the Sample!
Review by Mentalo
Nice 97 Caroni bottling from The Rum Cask. Beautiful harmonious balance of fruity and dirty notes. Plus some wood and slight sweetness. Alcohol is well integrated, needs some time in the glass.
Review by M@xiM
Aroma: floral, dense, wine, smoky-tropical, paint and varnish smoky notes are comprehensively mixed with tropical aromas, a very cool tropical aroma. Taste: dense, a lot of fruit with sourness, then a smoky plume, paint and varnish notes in the background. Long smoky fruity aftertaste. The fortress is high and I don't really understand all the nuances, but damn it's very tasty. Аромат: цветочный, плотный, винный, дымно-тропический, лакокрасочные дымные ноты комплексно перемешаны с тропическими ароматами, очень крутой тропический аромат. Вкус: плотный очень много фруктов с кислинкой, затем дымный шлейф, на заднем плане лакокрасочные ноты. Долгое дымное фруктовое послевкусие. Крепость высокая и я не сильно разбираю все нюансы, но блин это очень вкусно.
Review by Pavel Spacek
Sharp full body technical
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Community shelf
26 bottles logged by 15 collectors.
Both drunk and collected.
19% opened, 4 emptied.
What did the community pay for TRC Caroni Trinidad HTR 1997?
Community paid 88–338 €.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 387 €. Full price & collection history in RX+ ›
26 purchased · 36 tasted · 16 wishlist · as of
Details about TRC Caroni Trinidad HTR 1997
A Pot Still Rum from Trinidad, bottled by The Rum Cask, at 64.1%.
Read on in the RumX Guide
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