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Velier Caroni 2nd Employees David „Sarge“ Charran 1996
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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
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How does Velier Caroni 2nd Employees David „Sarge“ Charran 1996 taste?
Summarized by AI from community reviews.
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 profileCaroni fans who want heavy tar and dirty funk
Newcomers and anyone put off by tar, rubber or high proof
Style & occasion: Mature & oakySipping neat
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
Relative to this rum's strongest aroma family
10 of 38 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
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What does the community say?
38 community reviews
14 selected write-ups on this page, all of them in the RumX app
Top 4% of Trinidad rumsTop 7% at Caroni
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Positive from 8.0 · Mixed 6.0–7.9 · Critical below 6.0
Review by Jakob
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
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
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 🇩🇰
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
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
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
Wonderfully complex Caroni!
Review by Beach-and-Rum 🏖️🌴
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
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
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
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
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
Rather fruity, extremely complex, very good
Review by Pavel Ungr, RumRock
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.
Expert review by Single Cask Rum
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Expert review by Barrel Aged Thoughts
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Expert review by Le Blog À Roger
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Expert review by Who Rhum The World
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Expert review by In Spiritus Veritas
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Expert review by The Dunder Hut
Community shelf
89 bottles logged by 71 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
4% opened, 2 emptied.
What does Velier Caroni 2nd Employees David „Sarge“ Charran 1996 cost?
Community paid 387–1,870 €.
Current best price: 1464.00 € – within the typical community range.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 875 €. Full price & collection history in RX+ ›
89 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%.
Read on in the RumX Guide
All releases in this series
Velier Caroni 1st Employees John „D“ Eversley HTR 1996
Velier Caroni 1st Employees Dennis „X“ Gopaul HTR 1998
Velier Caroni 2nd Employees David „Sarge“ Charran 1996
Velier Caroni 2nd Employees Kevon „Slippery“ Moreno HTR 1998
Velier Caroni 3rd Employees Vijay „Vijay“ Ranmarine 1996
Velier Caroni 3rd Employees Ganesh „Buju“ Ramgobie 1998
Velier Caroni 3rd Employees Nita „Nitz“ Hogan 2000
Velier Caroni 4th Employees Balas „Brigade“ Bhaggan 1998
Velier Caroni 4th Employees Dayanand „Yunkoo“ Balloon 1998
Velier Caroni 4th Employees Basdeo „Dicky“ Ramsarran HTR 2000
Velier Caroni 5th Employees Dhanraj „Dan“ Maharaj HTR 1996
Velier Caroni 5th Employees Roopnarine „Roop“ Toolsie HTR 1996
Velier Caroni 5th Employees Deodat „Breeze“ Manmohan HTR 1996
Velier Caroni 6th Employees United HTR 1996
Velier Caroni 6th Employees Mahesh “Sonny Black” Bridgelal HTR 1996
Velier Caroni 6th Employees Ricky “Dirty Harry” Seeharack HTR 1996
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Velier Caroni 1st Employees Dennis „X“ Gopaul HTR 1998
Velier Caroni 3rd Employees Nita „Nitz“ Hogan 2000
Velier Caroni 3rd Employees Vijay „Vijay“ Ranmarine 1996
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