Aroma visualization from community tastings
Spirit of the day Caroni Trinidad Only, Birthday #1 1997
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Sipped neat, this is a "dirty" Caroni that still gives you fruit — tar, rubber and old-garage smoke up front, then very dark berries and overripe tropical fruit underneath. At 60.3% the heat is there but the alcohol sits well integrated, and a salty licorice-and-burnt-sugar streak runs long through the finish. Several tasters call it one of the best 1997 Caronis they've had.
The community says- Tar and rubber funk
- Dark fruit balance
- Well-integrated 60%
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Yes, if you're after bold, mature, oaky rums for sipping neat.
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How does Spirit of the day Caroni Trinidad Only, Birthday #1 1997 taste?
Summarized by AI from community reviews.
Dirty-yet-fruity 1997 Caroni, tar and dark berries The rare recent Caroni that isn't low-profile — members love the balance of dirty and fruity, and a few restocked on the spot. A funk-lover's bottle.
Caroni fans who want dirt and fruit both
newcomers put off by tar and heat
Style & occasion: Mature & oakySipping neat
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
Relative to this rum's strongest aroma family
9 of 28 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Which glass for which rum? The community guide ›
What does the community say?
28 community reviews
14 selected write-ups on this page, all of them in the RumX app
Top 10% of Trinidad rumsTop 19% at Caroni
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Positive from 8.0 · Mixed 6.0–7.9 · Critical below 6.0
Review by TheJona'Spirits
👀 What a color! From dark brown to black with dark green highlights. Gorgeous. 👃 Lots of empyreumatic markers (burnt wood, carbonized smells, old garage, rubber, wood smoke...) and medicinal notes. The fruity aspect shows on very concentrated black fruits and berries, a bit of overcooked exotic fruits. Added to that is "very" burnt caramel, salty licorice, that little touch of bacon I love so much, full-grain leather. 😋 Ah, it's as dirty as I like a Caroni to be. You find similarities with the nose aromas, lots of petrol, burnt wood, licorice, peppermint, and black berries. Very strong coffee too. Big plus, the alcohol integration is very good, and I really enjoy these salty notes (salty licorice, bacon). ⛳ Very long, warm, and pleasant, becomes a bit drying without ever being unpleasant, very overcooked tropical fruits, I find the burnt caramel again. Still lots of salinity, one of the dominant markers throughout the tasting. 🏆 Wow! It's a pleasure to have a Caroni of this level today. An excellent representative of the 1997 vintage, above most Bristol bottlings for me. Definitely one of the very nice releases of 2026.
Review by Skyfly
For me, one of the best 1997 Caronis I've had in the glass. Delicious, balanced ratio between fruit and dirty aromas. The color is strangely green and reminds me of the Anniversary Cuvée from Swell.
Review by zabo
After having the Swell Caroni in my glass before, I have to admit that this bottling here is quite a bit better and has made it into my top group. A really delicious Caroni from 1997.
Review by The Specialist
Really awesome Caroni. I find it just right. Not too boring but also not too much of everything. Very nice nose and the color is pretty interesting too. Taste-wise a bit of smoke, wood, very dark fruits and a hint of tar. Nice mouthfeel and complex. Very well done, in my opinion.
Review by Florent Apl
First, I have to say that I can't believe how dark this Caroni is. It looks incredible, black with green reflections. It's a very nice heavy Caroni, with burnt notes and very heavy wood. On the downside, it feels a little thin in texture and it's a bit bitter. Still very enjoyable.
Review by Banana Joe
Wow, absolutely positively surprised. That such a great Caroni still comes onto the market nowadays, I didn't think it was possible. Anything but the standard low profile Caronis that still come out today. Perfect mix of dirty and fruity notes. SotD delivered again, I immediately ordered more. Will taste it again later in peace.
Review by Julien Ries
On the nose, there is immediately engine oil, rubber, tar, and the typical burnt tire of Caroni. These aromas are mixed with burnt demerara sugar caramel, licorice, and old dusty wood. The whole thing is deliciously dark. On the palate, you find exotic fruitiness and the parallel hits the palate between the TDL #1 from the bottler and this anniversary version. You get the dirty side of an old garage on the palate, with that burnt caramel. The whole is quite layered, with the fruitiness first followed by menthol and empyreumatic elements. The finish is average, quite disappointing in its length, with leather and menthol.
Review by Johannes
A really nice dirty '97!
Review by Schnubbii
Today the "green" Caroni from Spirit of the day in the glass. It's already pretty cloudy, dark, and greenish in the glass. Nevertheless, recognizable as a Caroni on the nose, and not even a bad one. On the palate, the diesel funk doesn't hit as directly as you know from other Caronis. Quite barrel-heavy, with a good dose of tannins. Caroni isn't exactly my preferred type, but this one is pretty decent to my taste, even if it lacks that "directness" in the dirty diesel funk. Definitely drinkable and Caroni fans will probably get their money's worth, even though personally I don't think what it offers is worth the asking price by far.
Review by Julien Booz
A clever mix between a dirty and a rich Caroni (yes, it exists), which managed to surprise me and make me step off the beaten path while keeping the spirit of the distillery.
Review by FischeJ
The nose is dirty, typical Caroni. Full, fruity, tar. Almost everything you want. On the palate, however, much less intense. Still intense, but compared to other Caronis, not top level. The nose beats the palate here. Very good Caroni nonetheless.
Review by ArminK
For me, a very pleasant surprise. On the nose, first the light Caroni notes with dried fruits. On the palate, then extremely well balanced between fruits, rubber, tar. Menthol is only slightly present. Unfortunately, the finish is a bit too short.
Review by EspritRhum
Very dark particular color, liked the complexity, the licorice stands out, the garage side. Very good.
Review by Jeremy rode
Very strange color, looks like used engine oil in water 😅! On the nose, it's immediately a Caroni! On the palate, I find it very balanced between tar and fruity! An excellent Caroni in my opinion! Kudos to Jimmy for releasing this kind of bottle!!!!
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Spirit of the day Caroni Trinidad Only, Birthday #1 1997 at live auctions
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26 bottles logged by 25 collectors.
Both drunk and collected.
19% opened, 0 emptied.
What did the community pay for Spirit of the day Caroni Trinidad Only, Birthday #1 1997?
Community paid 268–287 €.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 282 €. Full price & collection history in RX+ ›
+8 additions in the last 3 months.
Additions per month over the last 12 months; dark bars: the last 3.
26 purchased · 29 tasted · 15 wishlist · as of
Details about Spirit of the day Caroni Trinidad Only, Birthday #1 1997
A Column Still Rum from Trinidad, bottled by Spirit of the day, at 60,3%.
Read on in the RumX Guide
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