Velier Caroni 39th Release (The Last) Heavy Trinidad Rum 1996
For seasoned enthusiasts only: a legendary, cask‑strength Caroni that’s dense with rubber, tar, dark wood and mentholated tropical fruit. RumX members hail it as a world‑class, once‑in‑a‑lifetime Trinidad heavyweight.
- Crazy complexity
- Perfect balance
- Endless finish
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Details about Velier Caroni 39th Release (The Last) Heavy Trinidad Rum 1996
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How does Velier Caroni 39th Release (The Last) Heavy Trinidad Rum 1996 taste?
Aggregated from 220 community reviews.
Benchmark heavy Caroni legend For seasoned enthusiasts only: a legendary, cask‑strength Caroni that’s dense with rubber, tar, dark wood and mentholated tropical fruit. RumX members hail it as a world‑class, once‑in‑a‑lifetime Trinidad heavyweight.
Caroni fans and peat/Islay whisky drinkers who crave intense dirty notes wrapped in dark caramel, wood and mentholated tropical fruit at full proof.
Beginners, those sensitive to high ABV, or anyone who dislikes rubber/tar notes and doesn’t want to pay collector‑level prices.
How is Velier Caroni 39th Release (The Last) Heavy Trinidad Rum 1996 rated?
RumX's 0–10 scale is strict — 9.4 lands squarely in the "Excellent" band. 99% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Rum reviews
A selection of the most popular reviews from our community. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by tojo
At the Last Caroni, the typical workshop smells tend to fade into the background. I smell delicious baked goods, spices and vanilla. But also dried fruit and prunes. In the mouth, rubber and tar come to the fore again. There are also roasted notes, olives and light grassy notes. A very long and beautiful finish. A great rum. One of the best Caronis!
Review by Jakob
Epic Velier Caroni Tasting 2023: Schier endloses Bouquet. Die klassischen Caroni-Noten gehen ein grossartiges Wechselspiel ein mit Früchten, Holz und einer exquisiten Süsse, woraus sich eine fantastische Komplexität ergibt. Nicht nur im Vergleich mit anderen Abfüllungen des bemerkenswerten Jahrgangs 1996 ein herausragender Vertreter des Caroni-Stils. Absolute Caroni-Spitze.
Review by Norbert Kohler
Absolut scheußlich schmeckt und riecht wie frisch asphaltierte Straße
Review by Oliver
Incredibly complex and yet easy sipping. A real Caroni highlight!
Review by Mirco
Wow, simply a masterpiece! Definitely one of my absolute favorites by Caroni. Everything that makes up this style comes into its own here perfectly, the dirty notes of tar and rubber complement the intense fruit notes, spicy wood nuances and the depth of the aromas wonderfully. Mega complex and the JG. 1996 simply shows everything that Caroni has to offer. This rum definitely lives up to all the hype.
Review by cigares
The Last was my first rum, a crush and the cause of my passion for rums. I reserved its review for my five hundredth review. Bu also with friends who generally rated it very highly, even blind. A complex, warm nose with machine shop (tar and rubber), caramel and fruit. A marked vegetal side, vanilla and pastry. Well-integrated cedar wood and a hint of lime. Wild, aromatic herbs on the palate. The alcohol is marked but domesticated. The aromas invade the palate, first towards the back, then towards the front. A remarkable evolution on the palate. As on the nose, the mechanical workshop supports and never dominates. Incredibly complex aromas. Warm spices and brown sugar. The finish is also hyper-complex, with a vegetal side dominating first, followed by fruit, pastry and cedar wood. A finish that summons all the aromas in turn. At the very end, incense is revealed. A rum that has just been opened, and that will gain even more with oxidation. Already an absolute! I feel like I'm in a tropical circus, in a city orchard, with strong smells, loud music, thrills and lots of different circus acts. Wow!
Review by DomM
Still absolute top notch out of 96 and out of the Velier Caronis overall. Leaning a bit more towards the dirty notes vs. 30th and 34th, yet still incredibly balanced, delivering everything you would expect (and more).
Review by Johannes
What a Caroni ! Round, yet complex, little dirty, just perfect! Benchmark Caroni! Again and again - the Last!
Review by SaibotZtar
My absolute benchmark what (for me) Caroni concerns. There just fits everything ... fruit, spice, wood and some dirty flavors (tar, leather wood polish) all harmoniously merged into a work of art of rum ... I could spend hours with it ... sip for sip a pleasure.
Review by Serge
Update: tasted again against the Velier 21 - the reference. It is a good round better (in the nose and on the palate) in terms of balance and the aromas in detail. Really great. Wow, a feeling of enlightenment, like with my first Caroni. Sensational nose, wonderful palate and everlasting finish. Perfect balance of dirt, wood, sweetness and fruit. I am very happy that I was able to try this wonderful rum and hope it wasn't the last time 👌
Review by Maxence
A true masterpiece. Alcohol integration is perfect. Typical 1996 profile with sweetness balancing Caroni notes and cofee, dark chocolate adding more complexity. Very expressive rum, incredible profile, what else ? As we say, "Last" but not least 💘
Review by Beach-and-Rum 🏖️🌴
Small Caroni blind tasting with 4 great Caronis. The Last could also be tasted blind. It was a little rounder and more complex than the other 3 Caronis tasted. Nevertheless, it is not overwhelming. A rum for every day if it didn't have its price. :) Update: Tasted again at leisure. Almost a little subtle on the nose. But then the rum explodes in the mouth. The 23 years of maturation give it a good wood influence, but not at all unpleasant. Fruit and dirty components are also present. The finish is long and warm. It feels like you can still taste the rum hours later. A real highlight.
Review by Tschusikowsky
Discover and enjoy. Extremely versatile and something really great. Endless finish, wavy and with a bang. Incredibly full and rich rum. Great depths of flavor such as blackcurrant, cassis, grenadine and immediately mint, clove, cardamom, some green apple, pome fruit, caramel, subtle vanilla. And the dirtiness isn't too dominant, but rather provides a very fitting backdrop. In addition, you hardly notice the alcohol, perfectly integrated🔝
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Absoluter Ausnahme caroni! An Perfektion, Komplexität und Vollmundigkeit fast nicht zu überbieten! Dreckig, dennoch weich, süß und mild... Bringt alles zusammen was ich mir von einem guten caroni erwarte. Zum damaligen Kurs aus heutiger Sicht ein Schnäppchen. Wahnsinnig lecker!
Expert reviews
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 Who Rhum The World
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Expert review by Préférence Rhum
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Expert review by In Spiritus Veritas
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Expert review by Tasting Bro's
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Expert review by Zucker und Zeste
"Great Caroni with all the flavors you would expect from a Caroni. The dirty flavors are very pleasantly present, but do not displace the fruity flavors. A nice sweetness accompanies the whole thing. Probably the best Caroni we've had in the glass."
Expert review by Rob Bauer
"Nose While Long Pond 2007 TECC was a disturbing Bacon painting, this Caroni is a tropical Monet! Full of elegance, complexity, herbs and an astonishing richness. We can honestly say that we've never had such a herbal nose. A bunch of gentians, laurels, thyme, Maggi, roasted vanilla pods, oregano and fresh cut eucalyptus (we love this!). Under the surface there is a deep molasses note, noble woods and leather, a lot of milk chocolate, liquorice, noble mold and wet mud and leaves in the forest. Pure sophistication! All traversed by this vibrant menthol-y freshness. We are in love. With water: my gosh, the herbs and chocolate level just went to the next level! This could be the most elegant interpretation of Jägermeister on this planet. Palate The thickest herbal oil. Smooth and mellow like an alpaca coat.There is no sharpness or edge at all. Incredible when you consider the abv. We get all the herbs, the chocolate and the mud we had on the nose. It's a shame, but we must stick to the protocol (who defined this?). With water: Smoother, oilier, sweeter, almost like liquid eucalyptus pralines (it's toxic we know). Not as complex as the bouquet, but still fabulous. ғɪɴɪsʜ Endless like a Pink Floyd record with a very pleasant cocoa + cola (mind the difference) bitterness and a small piece of a new tyre. You still taste it the morning after. Crazy stuff."
Community purchases
810 bottles logged by 52,000+ RumX members. The ratio of closed / opened / emptied, indicates whether this rum is meant to be drunk or is a collector's item.
Also on the wishlist of 170 members.
About the Caroni distillery
The Caroni distillery is located in Trinidad. Rums from Caroni have been reviewed 10,072 times with an average of 8.8/10.
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Oliver · FounderBy rum lovers, for rum lovers
I'm Oliver — together with Jakob, Robert and Lukas, we started RumX in 2018 as a small passion project in Stuttgart, back then under the name Rum Tasting Notes.
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