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Velier Caroni 38th Release Tasting Gang Blended Trinidad Rum 1996
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Here's the surprise: this Caroni barely tastes like one. The dirty tar-and-rubber diesel most people expect is dialed way down, replaced by coconut, vanilla, pastry and tropical fruit — several tasters said it reads closer to a Foursquare than a classic Caroni. One member calls it "perhaps my favorite Caroni. Milder, not in your face." A 1996 Velier bottling at cask strength, and it opens up with air.
The community says- Balanced coconut-vanilla
- Long warm finish
- But: Atypical for Caroni
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How does Velier Caroni 38th Release Tasting Gang Blended Trinidad Rum 1996 taste?
Summarized by AI from community reviews.
Soft, coconut-vanilla Caroni, light on funk Loved for its round, coconut-vanilla balance, though Caroni purists miss the dirty tar-and-rubber funk. A few find the alcohol a touch hot and the profile too polished to feel truly Caroni.
Aroma profileCaroni fans who prefer the sweeter, softer side over heavy diesel funk
People chasing the dirty tar-and-rubber classic Caroni profile
Style & occasion: Mature & oakySipping neat
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
Relative to this rum's strongest aroma family
46 of 121 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
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Rated better
Velier Caroni 34th Release 100 Proof Heavy Trinidad Rum 1996
9.1/10817.00 €
More intense
Distilia Caroni The Last Cask, Dragon, Artist (Yu Chuan) 1999
8.8/10
Similar rating, cheaper
T.D.L Rum Artesanal Trinidad Rum 2001
8.7/10373.85 €
Nothing for you?
5 more similar rums ›
First choice: 42 of 52 tasters who tried both prefer it.
What does the community say?
121 community reviews
33 selected write-ups on this page, all of them in the RumX app
Top 20% of Trinidad rums
Rate it in the app
Positive from 8.0 · Mixed 6.0–7.9 · Critical below 6.0
Review by kondgab
Not your typical Caroni, it is somewhere between LTR and HTR. Mostly coconut(reminds of Foursquare), tropical fruits and vanilla, however in the background you can notice the usual, dirty Caroni notes, like tar and rubber.
Review by Oliver
Top tropical Caroni for beginners! Reminds me of a blend of Foursquare (coconut) and Caroni. Really exciting!
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
31.10.2025 Retasting at Tom's wedding and I still like it ------- This version was made from 22 casks found by Luca Gargano and it has 85% angel share!!! A wonderful rum with near perfect balance and a mix of light and heavy rums.
Review by cigares
Spirits Museum Tasting March 29th, 2025 with a friend. A beautiful, complex Caroni nose, full-bodied with mechanical workshop notes and fruit. Well balanced between the vanilla pastry sweetness and the mechanical workshop vibe. The palate reflects the nose with some power but clearly softened by the vanilla pastry side and almond. The finish is long, still marked by pastry sweetness. The finish is a bit weaker than the magnificent nose and palate. Overall, a Caroni leaning towards sweetness, even though all the classic Caroni markers are present.
Review by Mirco
Complex profile with heavy notes of coconut and old leather. The smoky spice meets dark fruit and mineral tones. Menthol and chocolate complement the aroma. Although it is not among the absolute top of the 1996 Caroni vintage, it convinces with depth and substance. The powerful nose remains present on the palate, the finish is long, spicy, and full of character. Parallels to Foursquare are definitely there.
Review by Jakob
Epic Velier Caroni Tasting 2023: Very approachable Caroni, the HTR profile only subtly echoes and is framed by the heavy sweetness, elegant spices and subtle tropical fruit of the LTR style. Pleasant to drink.
Review by Maxence
Alcohol burns a bit for both nose and mouth and could have been integrated better. Otherwise, profile is really round with coconut, pastries, vanilla and Caroni notes which are very shy in the background. Good rum overall, that's a bit pitty that alcohol is not correctly integrated.
Review by zabo
Kirsch Cruise Berlin 2024 Compared to the 2000 that I had in my glass before, this is unfortunately the "loser" of the two. It has everything you'd expect from a Caroni, but overall it doesn't convince me 100%. But with cola it's a real bomb.
Review by Leo Krüper
Unfortunately goes down against other Velier Caronis.
Review by Steffmaus🇩🇰
After 2 crazy weeks, I'm finally able to relax with a good Caroni, in my opinion. Not a typical diesel-smelling Caroni, but this one has a more sweet nose of vanilla, some leather and oak. A full-on taste of more vanilla, tropical fruits and a fullness in the mouth
Review by Tom Buteneers
Love the balance between the heavy and fruity aspects 6/10/24: still very enjoyable
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Absolute exception caroni! Could almost be a foursquare especially on the nose, taste then 30% caroni 70% foursquare. Very tasty and harmonious and still relatively under the radar. Really fun and has a dangerous drinking flow!🤤😅
Review by Sebastian Kornett
Sweet spicy wood in the finish. Few dirty notes to be found. Rather reminiscent of a TDL
Review by Beach-and-Rum 🏖️🌴
A small comparison between the Tasting Gang and the Last. For me, the Tasting Gang is almost more in the direction of Foursquare. Few dirty notes. Instead, spices, somewhat nutty aromas and a warm, long finish. A very solid rum that is hard to put a price on. I had somehow hoped for a little more.
Review by Jeremy Roger 🇫🇷
A Caroni on the smoked/toasted! It's interesting and very good. Needs another tasting
Review by Chrischi78
On the nose dominate coconut and fine pastry notes, without the otherwise typical 'dirty' Caroni hints. On the palate these flash briefly at the start but are quickly overlaid by creamy coconut – overall the character reminds more of a good Foursquare than a classic Caroni.
Review by Tschusikowsky
Intense, good rubber and chocolate, barrel can be tasted strongly. A little too strong for me, too little balance and too dry for a better rating.
Review by Jussi Piirainen
Another quick Caroni tasting from the German Rum Festival. Again, i would like to do proper review in the future with more time. But out of three Caronis that i tried on sunday, this was my favorite. On the nose: Burnt demerera sugar. Vanilla. Burnt rubber and tar. Woody. Leather. Opens up with light vegetal notes. Orange peel notes. Taste: Intense at first. Caramel. Toffee. Woody. Roasted. Light leather. Rubber/tar notes in the background. rich mocha notes at the end? Finish :Caramel notes, roasted notes, woody notes. Light dried fruit notes. Warm and almost creamy mouthfeel. Rich and balanced with a palate that steps out of the typical Caroni palate profile in my opinion.
Review by Mentalo
If I hadn't known, I wouldn't have thought of Caroni. More like Foursquare with lots of coconut, roast notes, spices, fruit notes (which surprisingly seemed artificial to me), vanilla, some wood.
Review by Romain de L
Good Caroni - solid rum with some nice aspects (the nose, very long finish, some rubber / glue aspects) but missing a bit of the « splashing class » that you get in some of the best Caronis by Velier
Review by Martin Augustin
On the nose, lots of coconut and pastry, but no typical dirty Caroni notes. On the palate, they come through a bit at the start, then coconut dominates again.
Review by Pavel Spacek
... Caroni is a distillery from Trinidad, producing at the time of its greatest glory rum, which was added at a ratio of 1:10 to the naval blend. It was too strong and strange to be pleasant on the tongue. In 2000, the distillery ceased production and closed. Only in 2010 did tasters appear who took a liking to the rum because of its special taste. And the interest grew. Caroni belongs to the category of "you need to try before you die" rums. I recommend it, Caroni is a truly unique rum.
Review by Serge
For me, this is the last of the Velier 96 Caronis so far. Very good, better than many others - yet for me the one of this exceptional vintage that drifts most into an alcoholic column profile. Apart from that, more round, caramel-nutty than dirty.
Review by Michael Schou
Tasted long time ago - Rate 9.0 21-11-2025 - Rate 9.5 Have tasted this one a few times over the years. It keeps growing on me. And this time I really liked it a lot. Nose of tar, rubber, wood and dried fruits. Palate follows the nose close. Long finish dominated by tar and leather
Review by Santo
On the nose it's varnished mentholated with plenty of citrus and a very pleasant pastry touch once well aerated. On the palate you find more of the Caroni markers with rubber and tar, still the almost candied citrus while still a bit pastry-like. A very beautiful Caroni, indulgent and very well balanced.
Review by Gregor
Absolutely caroni untypical with missing here completely the worn rubber tire. Blindly, I would have thought of guyana here.
Review by Roger Caroni
Nose rather alcoholic, very typical Barbados... starting with traces of big Caroni that stain. The woodiness is present without crushing the type. The rest highlights fruits (orange, lemon, marmalade) and pastry aromas as well as a menthol freshness. Tar, burnt caramel are not really present. A more monolithic palate with fruitiness like on the nose and big tertiary notes... it doesn’t crush everything like on a 94 23yo but you feel it was time. A big rubber note will be present making it less sexy than expected on the nose. A light/heavy Caroni that only vaguely resembles a Caroni... is it good? Yes, clearly it’s nice. Is it an unforgettable Caroni? No... too rough to be a Barbados, too polished to be a Caroni, we end up with a strange mix of both, but is that what we expected?
Review by Jesper Petersen
temmelig tør, smager ikke af klassisk Caroni
Review by Thomas
Not as nice as the "Last Caroni" but a really powerful rum in the typical Caroni style. Clearly overpriced.
Review by DosenZorn
GRF 15 Verkostung; Top Caroni;
Review by Niels
Very beautiful Caroni, missing the main notes of Caroni tar, salt, hydrocarbons. But it remains a very beautiful Caroni.
Review by ChrisPro
Perhaps my favorite Caroni. Milder, not in your face. Rich, vanilla caramel, oak, chocolate
Review by Dw117
Tasted at Rome special bar with velier colab very nice but quite light not as good as caroni 18yr old 100th anni
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Expert reviews
4 critics scored it, averaging 8.5/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum.
Expert review by The Dunder Hut
Tasting gang is one of those Caronis that hit far less out of a fresh bottle. This one need oxidation to really come to its potential. Fruit and raw dough are sugared in a workshop. Quite the nice experience and very well balanced. No fallout from start to beginning. I like it!
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 In Spiritus Veritas
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Expert review by Tasting Bro's
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Community shelf
316 bottles logged by 231 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
5% opened, 10 emptied.
What does Velier Caroni 38th Release Tasting Gang Blended Trinidad Rum 1996 cost?
Community paid 316–831 €.
Current best price: 695.00 € – within the typical community range.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 536 €. Full price & collection history in RX+ ›
316 purchased · 123 tasted · 53 wishlist · as of
Details about Velier Caroni 38th Release Tasting Gang Blended Trinidad Rum 1996
A rum from Trinidad, bottled by Velier, at 63,5%.
Read on in the RumX Guide
All releases in this series
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1974
Velier Caroni Light Trinidad Rum 1982
Velier Caroni Light Trinidad Rum 1982
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1982
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1982
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1982
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1983
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1983
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1984
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1984
Velier Caroni Old Legend Trinidad Rum 1985
Velier Caroni Blended Trinidad Rum 1985
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1985
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1985
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1985
Velier Caroni Blended Trinidad Rum 1988
Velier Caroni Light Trinidad Rum 1989
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1989
Velier Caroni Blended Trinidad Rum 1991
Velier Caroni Blended Trinidad Rum 1991
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1992
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1992
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1992
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1992
Velier Caroni Blended Trinidad Rum 1993
Velier Caroni High Proof Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1994
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1994
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1994
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1994
Velier Caroni Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1994
Velier Caroni 100% Trinidad Rum 21 1996
Velier Caroni 100% Trinidad Rum 15 HTR 1998
Velier Caroni 100% Trinidad Rum 17 HTR 1998
Velier Caroni 100% Trinidad Rum 12 HTR 2000
Velier Caroni High Proof Trinidad Rum (EU) HTR 2000
La Maison & Velier Caroni High Proof Trinidad Rum (US) HTR 2000
Velier Caroni Millennium Magnum HTR 2000
Velier Caroni 30th Release Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1996
Velier Caroni 31st Release High Proof Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1996
Velier Caroni 32nd Release Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1998
Velier Caroni 33th Release High Proof Heavy Trinidad Rum HTR 1998
Velier Caroni 34th Release 100 Proof Heavy Trinidad Rum 1996
Velier Caroni 35th Release Heavy Trinidad Rum (Trespassers) HTR 1996
Velier Caroni 36th Release Heavy Trinidad Rum Guyana Stock HTR 1994
Velier Caroni 37th Release Heavy Trinidad Rum Guyana Stock HTR 1994
Velier Caroni 38th Release Tasting Gang Blended Trinidad Rum 1996
Velier Caroni 39th Release (The Last) Heavy Trinidad Rum 1996
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