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9452801C-1C67-41DB-98F8-3AC25CA7678DTrinidad Caroni Velier
Velier Caroni 2nd Employees David „Sarge“ Charran 1996 70cl bottle
Bottle
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Aromas
Aged rum · 23 years · 66,5%

Velier Caroni 2nd Employees David „Sarge“ Charran 1996

What surprises people is how much sweetness rides alongside the tar. This 1996 Caroni pours out asphalt, burnt rubber and wood, then folds in raisins, chocolate and toffee with a menthol lift. Tasters call it heavy, almost creamy, with a sharp astringent edge from the Trinidad casks. At 66.5% it needs time and patience, but the balance is what people keep coming back to.

The community says
  • Tar and rubber depth
  • Dark fruit sweetness
  • Well balanced

Offers & prices

1,464.00 €incl. VAT
incl. VAT 70cl · 2,091.43 €/l
Total 1,488.00 € + 24.00 € shipping from IT
Sold by Old Whisky from IT Delivery to Germany,
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The look inside the bottle

How does Velier Caroni 2nd Employees David „Sarge“ Charran 1996 taste?

From community reviews · summarized with AI

Heavy, tarry Caroni with dark sweetness One of the most loved of the Employees series. Heavy tar, rubber and menthol wrapped around dark chocolate and dried-fruit sweetness. The astringency can overwhelm at first, but the balance wins people over.

Aroma visualization from community tastings Aroma profile
The top aromas from 38 community tastings — visualized by AI
Perfect for

Caroni fans who want heavy tar and dirty funk

Less suitable for

Newcomers and anyone put off by tar, rubber or high proof

Experience level · Connoisseur (5/5)

Style & occasion: Mature & oakySipping neat

Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
Flavor profile
Sweet & dessert
Spice
Wood
Dried fruit
Roasted & dark
Fruit
Funk & ester
Vegetal & floral

Relative to this rum's strongest aroma family

Top aromas · nose & palate

10 of 38 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums

Which glass for which rum? The community guide ›

Buying advice

Is it right for you?

Yes, if you're after bold, mature, oaky rums for sipping neat.

What does the community say?

9.2/10 Excellent

38 community reviews

Rating scale & review checks

On RumX, 7 means “Good” and 8 means “Very good”.

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  • Community: 310,000+ ratings from members, not from shops. No purchase required.
  • Calculation: One member, one vote. The score is the median, so extreme single ratings carry less weight, and appears from 4 ratings.
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How 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.

Rating distribution

14 selected written reviews

The distribution above includes all 38 ratings, including those without text.

Review by Jakob

Jakob
Nov 20251,671 reviewsSwitzerland
9.5/10

Epic Velier Caroni Tasting 2023: Formidable 96 Caroni with the typical heavy sweetness, rich dirty tar notes, wood, menthol and a good hint of chocolate. What fascinates me most is how clearly the differences between Trinidad and Guyana Stock come to the fore here, despite all the comparability - the Trinidad casks bring a pointed astringent character that can quickly seem overwhelming at first, but in fact reveals a completely different facet of the 96 Caronis and opens up a firework of aromas. Impressive - the Employees series plays first fiddle here. A real treat, every time anew.

Review by Mirco

Mirco
Sep 2026798 reviewsSwitzerland
9.5/10

Crazy Employee. Typical Caroni, this rum has everything you are looking for. Tar, rubber, wood and menthol, not to mention fruit. The bottling is mega complex and you need time to taste it.

Review by Oliver

Oliver
Jul 20241,236 reviewsGermany
9.1/10

Extremely high quality. Very pleasant menthol associations. Great blend of classic Caroni notes and dark chocolate/sherry tones. One of the best employee releases.

Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰

Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
Feb 20267,276 reviewsDenmark
9.2/10

21.02.2026 Retasting this really nice rum in my new glasses I bought in Nürnberg. ------------- Though heavy qnd intense this one was a bit lighter on the rubber and tar notes than the others. On the other hand it's very well balanced. Again light fruit and I love the caramel in the back. What a lovely tasting and I look forward to our next planned Caroni tasting.

Review by Giorgio Garotti

Giorgio Garotti
Apr 2025212 reviewsItaly
9.2/10

A very balanced and elegant caroni! It retains its usual tar notes, but the medicinal part turns to mint leaves which gives it a bit more freshness! The wood is perfectly integrated and blends with notes of tropical fruits and red fruits!

Review by Galli33

Galli33
Galli33
Dec 2022554 reviewsItaly
9.4/10

Very lovely Caroni 🤤 If you like your tongue being run over by a road roller full of dirty tar and a hint burnt rubber, you will love this monster.

Review by Johannes

Johannes
Apr 20233,221 reviewsGermany
9.5/10

Wonderfully complex Caroni!

Review by Beach-and-Rum 🏖️🌴

Beach-and-Rum 🏖️🌴
Apr 2026320 reviewsGermany
9.2/10

What a beautiful board. For me, the best of the Employee series so far. Very full-bodied, almost creamy. Wood, raisins, mint, spices in harmony with a nice sweetness. In my opinion, it can keep up with the best Caronis. Great 1996.

Review by Romain de L

Romain de L
Romain de L
Dec 2024123 reviewsFrance
9.3/10

This one was… great ! Dark robe, almost viscous. Rich and powerful nose. Tar, asphalt, but underlying fruit and caramel (light). Very powerful attack and astringency - almost overwhelming, fills the mouth - but stops just right and reveals a deep complexity of tastes and aromas. Very long and pleasant finish. Tried again - wanted to confirm the rating - it’s really nice. Probably one of my top 5 all time

Review by Harald

Harald
Jun 2020229 reviewsPortugal
9.3/10

CaroniVelierCaroni EmployeesSpecial Edition 2nd ReleaseDavid "Sarge" CharranHeavy Rum - Full ProofDistilled: 1996Bottled: 2019Aged 23 Years66.5 end of 4 CasksOne of 953 BottlesFully matured in TrinidadColor:Bright mahogany, dark cherry jamSmell:Heavy fruity sweetness. Starts out really intense, then the smell gets a little weaker.Smells very fruity of raisins, fruit bread, overripe pineapple, orange, blackberries, mon cherie and rum-grape-nut chocolate. In addition, toffee and gingerbread.With water it becomes more chocolaty.Simply superb in smell!Taste:Wow - delicious! In the mouth creamy-sweet after fudge.On the swallow sweet, full-bodied and heavy, an explosion of spices, licorice and toffee.In addition, sandalwood.With water it becomes softer with more toffee and chocolate.Finish:Spicy with some menthol. Warms from deep inside.Very long and satisfying, while spicy-hot.Dry and woody in the aftertaste ... the 23 years in the wood show their effect.With water it becomes woodier and drier.Conclusion:The hammer! Incredibly complex and incredibly tasty. Better than the John "D" Eversley. One of the best rums I've tasted so far.Tastes good with and without water, although I find him a little better pure.93 points

Review by Pavel Spacek

Pavel Spacek
Nov 20241,886 reviewsCzech
8.6/10

Caroni is a distillery from Trinidad that produced rum at the height of its fame, which was added in a ratio of 1:10 to the naval blend. It was too strong and strange to be pleasant on the tongue. The distillery ceased production and was closed in 2000. Only in 2010 did tasters appear who liked the rum precisely because of 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 truly a unique rum.

Review by Adrianv

Jan 2025151 reviewsSlovakia
9.2/10

Very complex Caroni provides for variaty of experience from chocolate, dried fruits, caramel, it is delicious and at the same sip dirty, full of wood and tar, very well balanced. Every sip you explore more of it. This needs time to enjoy full spectre. It is like desert, one need to be slow on it not to become addicted to it. One of the top Caronis.

Review by Carlitooo

Carlitooo
Jan 2021178 reviews
9.0/10

Rather fruity, extremely complex, very good

Review by Pavel Ungr, RumRock

Pavel Ungr, RumRock
Pavel Ungr, RumRock
Sep 20231,562 reviewsCzech
9.2/10

Vintage 1996. I rate it 9.2 out of 10, belongs to the absolute top among more than 1,300 rums I have ever scored.

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Expert reviews

3 critics scored it, averaging 9.3/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum.

Community shelf

90 bottles logged by 72 collectors.

A collector's bottle.

5% opened, 3 emptied.

85 sealed 2 open 3 emptied

What does Velier Caroni 2nd Employees David „Sarge“ Charran 1996 cost?

Community paid 387–1,870 €.

Current best price: 1,464.00 € – within the typical community range.

Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 875 €. Price history with 13 auction results in RX+ ›

90 purchased · 41 tasted · 35 wishlist · as of

Details about Velier Caroni 2nd Employees David „Sarge“ Charran 1996

A Pot & Column Still Rum from Trinidad, bottled by Velier, at 66,5%.

DistilleryCaroni
CountryTrinidad
BottlerVelier
CategoryPot & Column Still Rum
Raw materialMolasses
ABV66,5%
Age23 years
Vintage1996
Limited edition938 bottles
Sugar0 g/L
Volume70cl

Read on in the RumX Guide

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