Velier Caroni 38th Release Tasting Gang Blended Trinidad Rum 1996
For experienced palates: a 23‑year full proof Caroni that leans unusually polished. Think coconut, vanilla pastries, old leather, menthol and hints of tar and rubber. RumX members praise its balance, depth and long, warm finish, often comparing it to a bridge between Foursquare and classic dirty Caroni.
- Complex balance
- Long warming finish
- Unusual approachability
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Details about Velier Caroni 38th Release Tasting Gang Blended Trinidad Rum 1996
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How does Velier Caroni 38th Release Tasting Gang Blended Trinidad Rum 1996 taste?
Aggregated from 118 community reviews.
Refined, Foursquare‑leaning Caroni powerhouse For experienced palates: a 23‑year full proof Caroni that leans unusually polished. Think coconut, vanilla pastries, old leather, menthol and hints of tar and rubber. RumX members praise its balance, depth and long, warm finish, often comparing it to a bridge between Foursquare and classic dirty Caroni.
Seasoned enthusiasts who enjoy high‑proof, long‑aged rums with a drier, pastry‑coconut and leather profile and a cleaner, more Foursquare‑like spin on classic Caroni notes.
Beginners, anyone sensitive to strong alcohol, or Caroni fans who only want very dirty, diesel‑heavy, tar‑bomb profiles.
How is Velier Caroni 38th Release Tasting Gang Blended Trinidad Rum 1996 rated?
RumX's 0–10 scale is strict — 8.8 lands squarely in the "Very good" band. 100% 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 kondgab
Not your typical Caroni, it is somewhere between LTR and HTR. Mostly coconut (reminds me of Foursquare), tropical fruits and vanilla, but 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 Jeremy Roger 🇫🇷
A Caroni on the smoked/toasted! It's interesting and very good. Needs another tasting
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.
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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Community purchases
364 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 46 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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