Aroma visualization from community tastings
Cave Guildive Caroni Trinidad Rum HTR 1998
Sipped neat, this is a Caroni that gives you the tar, rubber and tobacco you came for, but wrapped in real fruit and sweetness. Several tasters call it an oily, elegant take on the 1998 vintage — pineapple, chocolate, leather and a smoky finish, with the 61% tucked in so well it "drinks dangerously easy." Not the dirtiest Caroni, which some purists dock it for.
The community says- Great fruit balance
- Well-integrated alcohol
- But: Not dirty enough
View price history
10 more payment methodsShopping 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.
Buy Cave Guildive Caroni Trinidad Rum HTR 1998:
Offer details
Prices & availability last updated on
The look inside the bottle
How does Cave Guildive Caroni Trinidad Rum HTR 1998 taste?
Aggregated from 57 community reviews.
Balanced, fruity Caroni with tamed dirt A well-balanced, easygoing 1998 Caroni that many rate a top pick of its vintage. The catch: it's rounder and less filthy than hardcore fans want, which keeps a few from full marks.
People easing into Caroni who still want the classic tar-and-rubber markers
Purists chasing the filthiest, most challenging Caroni
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
34 of 57 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Recommendation
Your next rum
One difference each to this rum.
How is Cave Guildive Caroni Trinidad Rum HTR 1998 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.7 sits in the “Very good” band. 98% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Community voices
What does the community say?
93% rate it 8 or higher. 20 selected write-ups from 57 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by cigares
A very successful bottling from Swiss Guildive. A classic 1998 with Caroni machine shop markers but counterbalanced by fruit aromas and cooked pineapple in particular. An alcoholic nose at first, but the pineapple and the dirty side are there immediately afterwards. A little smokiness on the palate, still with fruit and tire. A very long, velvety, elegant finish with chocolate. Still available from Guildive at a fair price for a Caroni of this class... a little below the 1996 Caroni all the same. Much better than the Caroni Adelphi in direct comparison, and on a par with the Cadenhead 61.6%.
Review by LukaŽiga
8,7:On the nose, the first impression we get is a tobacco, industrial notes like tar, rubber, roasted wood notes as caramel, crème brûlée, leather, some spice and fruits like mango, peaches, dried apricots and citrus. On aeration, a molasses is stronger with pencil shavings, new wave of fruits is out with raisins, mandarine and berries and smoky, charred wood with chocolate and cream toffee. 8,8:On the palate, the attack is delicious, creamy, a bit spicy with roasted wood notes, especially milk chocolate, pastry, fruits like citrus and dried with raisins, apricots, later currants and berries.Industrial notes like rubber and tar, this time also dirty, intermingle in balance with the rest.The molasses brings tobacco, the roasted wood also nuts, cream toffee and some smokiness. 8,5:The finish is long, less round, dry, tannic, a bit mineral, with new notes like red pepper, cigar smoke and rest already known palate tones...
Review by Gunnar Böhme "Bauerngaumen" 🤓
Geschmeidig-öliger, eleganter Vertreter seiner Art. In der Nase süß und mit kaum wahrnehmbarem Alkohol, hat dieser Rum seine schön rauchige Stärke im langen Abgang (verbranntes Gummi). Nicht zu fruchtig, nicht zu dreckig, perfekt ausbalanciert. Ein Caroni ohne Fehl und Tadel - und deshalb auch ein klitzekleines bisschen langweilig, weswegen ihm eine Champions-League-Bewertung verwehrt bleibt.
Review by Frank
Schöner klassischer Caroni, in netter Runde, für Details ist da leider keine Zeit… Nase: dreckig, ordentlich Tabak, nette, karamellige Süße, leichte Minze, ganz feine Essig-Note. Genau das, was ich von Ruben Caroni erwarte. 9,0 Gaumen: Tabak und verbranntes Gummi mit Teer , dazu eine schöne Feuchtigkeit. Klingt zwar wie jeder Caroni, aber das ist halt auch gut. Runde Sache. 8,8
Review by Tschusikowsky
Nach langer Zeit wieder mal ein Retasting. Gefällt mir nachwie vor sehr gut. Ist für mich eine der Top Abfüllungen des Jahrgangs (die ich hatte). Sehr starker Körper, die 61% kommen geschmacklich gut zur Geltung, sind aber top eingebunden. Geschmacklich 1A, alles da was Caroni bieten soll, wenngleich keine ausserordentlichen Ausschwänker. Gute Fasswahl.
Review by DomM
Intense and nicely balanced on the nose with a lot of sweetness, fruits, spices and a hint of dirt. On the palate also very nicely balanced with sweet notes (milk chocolate), wood and some fruits. Dirty notes are relatively tamed with tar and rubber towards the end. More on the elegant side of the 98 vintage. Drinks dangerously easy :)
Review by Thunderbird
Ein sehr solider Caroni, der neben den leichten dreckigen Aromen, viel Frucht und Süße aufweist. Dadurch ist er auch nicht allzu anstrengend und dürfte auch für Einsteiger der Caronis eine gute Wahl sein, er weist alle wichtigen Marker auf und preislich noch durchaus im Rahmen
Review by Pavel Spacek
Sour weak Caroni ... Caroni je destilerie z Trinidadu, produkujici v dobe sve nejvetsi slavy rum, ktery se pridaval v pomeru 1:10 do namornickeho blendu. Byl totiz moc vyrazny a divny nez aby byl prijemny na jazyku. V roce 2000 destilerka skoncila s produkci a byla uzavrena. Az v roce 2010 se objevili degustatori, kteri si rum oblibili prave pro jeho specialni chut. A zajem rostl. Caroni patri do kategorie rumu "you need to try before you die". Doporucuji, Caroni je opravdu unikatni rum.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Mega guter caroni, nicht zu rauchig/Medizinisch, schöne Frucht. Schön ausgewogen! Von den mir bekannten 98ern definitiv einer der besten, die man einfach super entspannt trinken kann. Komplex aber nicht zu fordernd. Alkohol Integration perfekt.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
Time is flying and this was a tasting we had on the first day of the year. A lovely caroni with the typical nose and palate. Pretty well balanced and the price is OK. Looking forward to trying all the other Guildive samples I have received.
Review by Jakob
Somewhat restrained 1998 Caroni from continental maturation, which is not at all bad for the profile. Nice balance, hints of the typical HTR markers, balanced and pleasant on the palate. Comparatively accessible, round, drinkable,
Review by Mentalo
Schöne Nase, Alkohol gut eingebunden. Auch hier ne angenehme Süße und Fruchtigkeit. Im Abgang dann die Caroni Noten. Alles sehr harmonisch ausbalanciert, aber es könnte ruhig noch etwas dreckiger sein. Trotzdem tolle Abfüllung.
Review by Hendrik Müller
Typischer continental Caroni, mit allen geschmacklichen Eigenschaften, die er haben sollte und für mich in seiner Kategorie ein Preis-Leistungs Hammer ! 20 Jahre, Single Cask Fass-Stärke für +- 350,- das ist echt Top !
Review by Timo Groeger
Kneipe LiQ Bar Düsseldorf März 2025. Zum Abschluss dann den Caroni von Cave Guildive. Typisches Caroni Profil, wir haben hier Teer, Leder, Gummi und Tabak in der Nase und am Gaumen. Schöner Tagesabschluß. Danke Fabi :)
Review by Beach-and-Rum 🏖️🌴
Der Caroni macht richtig Spaß. Er hat von allem etwas dabei. Bisschen Tabak, Holz, Rauch aber auch süße und fruchtige Komponenten. Ist ein sehr guter Vertreter außerhalb von Velier. Vielen Dank für die Probe Jakob.
Review by mto75
An der Nase Karamell, Gummi und fruchtige Noten. Am Gaumen Teer, Fahrradschlauch, verkohlte Noten, aber alles noch moderat, es wird von einer schokoladigen Note aufgefangen. Insgesamt sehr gefälliger Caroni!
Review by Mirco
Prima kontinentaler Caroni mit einem guten PLV. Gute Fassauswahl von Cave Guildive. Zu den bekannten dreckigen Noten findet man schön ausgewogene Frucht. Zudem Schokolade und etwas Fass, Tabak und Leder.
Review by Dr.Django
Ein solider unspektakulärer 1998er Caroni, nicht mehr und nicht weniger. Gut integrierter Alkohol, dreckige Caroni typischen Aromen, der Abgang eher flach. Über das PLV muss man hier kein Wort verlieren.
Review by Piotr Ignasiak
Quite a lot of chocolate notes, some garage dirt but not too much, adding some water brings out quite a bit of sweetness. Good stuff, nicely balanced. Thanks Leo for organizing the split.
Review by Serge
Schöner 1998 Caroni mit komtinentaler Reifung – ein Bereich, in welchem aber der Bellamy‘s mein Liebling bleibt (dieser bringt eine coolete Fruchtkomponente).
No reviews match this filter.
Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Market value
Avg. community purchase price 332 €
What members paid for this bottle, self-reported. Not a market value — the purchases are over three years old at the median and unverified.
Details about Cave Guildive Caroni Trinidad Rum HTR 1998
A rum from Trinidad, bottled by Cave Guildive, at 61%.
Community purchases
21 bottles logged by 18 collectors.
A drinker & collector.
33% opened, 4 emptied and repurchased.
What did the community pay for Cave Guildive Caroni Trinidad Rum HTR 1998?
Community paid 303–351 €.
What members actually paid for their bottles. A typical range, not the current shop price. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
21 purchased · 57 tasted · 9 wishlist · as of
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 Rum Artesanal Trinidad Rum HTR 1998
Caroni Rum Artesanal Trinidad Rum HTR 1998Softer, sweeter Caroni with the tar still there
CoR Caroni Impressions (Selected by Steffen Mayer) 1998
CoR Caroni Impressions (Selected by Steffen Mayer) 1998Round, elegant Caroni with an Islay edge
Valinch & Mallet Caroni The Spirit of Art 2022 1997
Valinch & Mallet Caroni The Spirit of Art 2022 1997Balanced, dirty-fruity continental Caroni sipper
Perola Caroni Bellamy's Reserve 1998
Perola Caroni Bellamy's Reserve 1998Fruity, gentler Caroni with tar and rubber
Caroni Rum Artesanal Trinidad Rum HTR 1998
Caroni Rum Artesanal Trinidad Rum HTR 1998Classic dirty Caroni, gentler and short-finished
TRC Hampden Jamaica C<>H 1990
TRC Hampden Jamaica C<>H 1990Rounded, grilled-pineapple 30-year Hampden
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.
What began as my digital tasting diary is now the world's most comprehensive platform for rum fans, today carried by a small team with Jakob, Lukas and Katharina, with Robert supporting us as a freelancer. We combine the collective intelligence of our community with an integrated marketplace, so you can choose with confidence, without paperwork, detours, or expert jargon.
Oliver, Stuttgart
About RumX →YouTube channel (in German)
