Aroma visualization from community tastings
Caroni S.B.S Trinidad HTR 1997
Most tasters land around "very good, not quite thrilling." Cask #190 is the fruitiest and roundest of the four-cask SBS set — tar, rubber and burnt caramel up front, then dried fruit, dark chocolate and a warm spicy sweetness. A few find it a touch too sweet or slightly medicinal; several call it the softest, easiest way into Caroni's dirty, tarry world.
The community says- Classic Caroni tar
- Fruity and rounded
- But: Can read sweet
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The look inside the bottle
How does Caroni S.B.S Trinidad HTR 1997 taste?
Aggregated from 77 community reviews.
Rounded, fruity Caroni with tar and cocoa Widely liked as a rounded, fruit-forward Caroni that hides its 63% well. Some wanted more of the classic "dirty" edge; a couple found it oddly sweet and burnt.
Fans of Caroni's tarry, dried-fruit style
Anyone wanting a clean, sweet, easy sipper
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
34 of 77 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Recommendation
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8.9/10313 €First choice: 15 of 23 tasters who tried both prefer it.
How is Caroni S.B.S Trinidad HTR 1997 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.6 sits in the “Very good” band. 98% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 1% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Community voices
What does the community say?
92% rate it 8 or higher. 18 selected write-ups from 77 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Tim Reiber
Once again a very complex and intense Caroni, but far too expensive. A powerful nose reminiscent of dark dried fruit, old wood, polish and juniper. Later you get burnt sugar, cognac and even baked duck on the nose Surprisingly sweet and very intense on the palate. I taste strong herbs, wood, berries, overripe fruit, juniper, leather and sour cherry. The very long finish has dark wood, liquorice, juniper, sweetness and cognac. I perceive mineral aromas, iodine and indefinable dark berries in the background. A beautiful product with a poor PL ratio.
Review by Felix Reiber
What a likeable Caroni. As some have already described, barrel 190 has many wonderfully fruity and floral tones in addition to the Caroni profile. In my case, mirabelle plum and rose geranium are prominent. The palate is very powerful, full-bodied and, in addition to the lovely sweetness, has a pleasant and warm spiciness. Again, lots of tropical fruits, dark chocolate, caramel and something roasted in the transition to the earthy part. The finish is long and powerful. Wood, spice, leather and vanilla. Then fruity and earthy aromas again, which fade out with a little tobacco. If you like Caroni anyway, you'll love this one. A clear recommendation!
Review by TheRhumhoe
The comparison is between 4 Caronis Single Cask 1997 from SBS. This Caroni starts well enough, with a nose of caramel, cola and brown sugar. This sweetness overhangs the heavy, dirty elements typical of Trinidad, but finds itself playing with leather, roasted and spicy notes and nuts. The fruitiness is rather light. A nose that could fool a lover of Latin rums. The palate falls a little short of expectations. The caramel and sweetness are there, with a hint of smoke and spice, but an almost watery mouthfeel spoils the taste pleasure. Dark chocolate and machine shop come through more timidly. The alcohol could have been better integrated. The finish suffers on the palate and fades rather quickly. Warm caramel, chocolate and drier notes of spices, leather and empyreumatic flavors (smoky, roasted) are present. The mechanical workshop has disappeared in favor of medicinal notes that struggle to turn things around. On the whole, this is a straightforward Caroni that's not all that distinctive, lacking the weapons to compete.
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 cigares
The famous S.B.S. single cask tasting. Cask # 190. The fruitiest nose of the four, but still with typical Caroni notes. The palate, too, is very fruity, with the Caroni aromas coming next. I feel a weakness in the mid-palate. The only fruity finish of the series. Empty glass: the aromas are a little too discreet. A few points below casks #53, #216 as less balanced.
Review by Harald
Aroma: Initially alcoholically sharp with woody aromas. Opens up after it has stood for a while. Aromas of tar and furniture polish, medicinal, rubber, diesel. Taste: Strong and intense. Significantly less sweet than Cask 193 - no honey, no tropical fruits. Instead, medicinal with lots of wood and dry. Finish: Long Woody and dry with some caramel. Dry and slightly bitter on the finish.
Review by Joachim Guger
A nice, balanced Caroni nose, nicely fruity and a great cocoa powder (100%) note. 63% and still drinkable. In the mouth it's woodier, crispy and the alcohol stings a little. A little short in the finish for Caroni. Yes, there are more exciting Caronis, but if you want to buy a bottle for relaxed drinking, 1997 is a very good choice. 4/10 on the Caroni madness scale.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Unfortunately, I do not like it at all. Very pungent spicy, medicinal bitter and very unusual sweet and dirty at the same time without much harmony to have...
Review by Tim
Cask 190 is probably the roundest and most pleasing Caroni in this S.B.S set. At the beginning there is a hint of smoke/tar, then the most fruit and caramel on the nose, plus more typical Agricole notes. Dry, spicy and strong in the mouth, but still mild enough. Delicious fruit and cocoa on the finish. Good rum, but the price is too high and owed to the Caroni name.
Review by Michael Janek
21.1.2025 voni jako mangrovy, trosku raselina, později se to vytratí a voni čokoládou a drevem, pak zase nakourena raselina v chuti nejdriv zabrni rty, pak tisíce jehlicek vystřelí na všechny strany, pak se rozprostírá medová chut, dlouho trvajici je to brutální masakralni brutus, prostě Caroni
Review by zabo
The rum is part of a set: Cask 53, Cask 190, Cask 193 and Cask 216. #190 is the most palatable for me so far. For what the set costs or used to cost, it is an absolutely top PLV. Some newer bottlings can think about their price.
Review by Fuwi
Cask #190 is very drinkable, offers great, dense aromas as soon as it is poured, and the famous Caroni tire burns against you. This subsides after a while, it remains warm and strong with great fruit flavors and great spice with very well-rounded alcohol
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
This rum is part of a four cask selection set. Cask 53, cask 190, cask 193 and cask 216. This particular cask burns less in the alcohol than cask 193 and also more dry. A very balanced and pleasant experience that for some may need a few drops of water.
Review by Timo Groeger
Also a very successful bottling from S.B.S. Has a spicy and woody nose, in which brown sugar stands out above all. The brown sugar is also very present on the palate, the alcohol is well integrated, otherwise I would never have guessed 63%.
Review by F.L.O.
Integrale Vergeleichstasting 2024: Zum Abschluss einen Caroni, passt wie die Faust aufs Auge :-) Nase ist sehr schön, Carony Style eben. Auf der Zunge kommt die Erwartung der Nase auch zum Vorschein, Trocken, Dreck, Frucht,…, Mahlzeit !
Review by Jarek
Oh, very tasty. On the nose, the typical Caroni notes of rubber and tar, but also lots of fruit. The fruity notes come to the fore on the palate and in the finish. Very drinkable and a very good introduction to the world of Caroni.
Review by Serge
I really like the SBS Caroni set. Incredible PLV and rather unsweet and unfruity. The rums are not over-dirty but because they are not so sweet and fruity the workshop side comes into its own. I like all 4 very much.
Review by Martin Ekrt
Ve vůni se snoubí jemná ovocnost, hlavně jablko, vanilka a skořice. Docela Foursquare profil, ale ty špinavé technické tóny tam taky vykukují. Chuťově se vezu na podobné notě. Velmi příjemný rum s lehkým technickým nádechem.
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Expert reviews
2 critics scored it, averaging 8.7/10. 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 L'amateur éclairé
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Expert review by The Dunder Hut
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Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Market value
Avg. community purchase price 191 €
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 Caroni S.B.S Trinidad HTR 1997
A Column Still Rum from Trinidad, bottled by 1423 World Class Spirits, at 63%.
Community purchases
90 bottles logged by 66 collectors.
A drinker & collector.
24% opened, 12 emptied and repurchased.
What did the community pay for Caroni S.B.S Trinidad HTR 1997?
Community paid 49–339 €.
What members actually paid for their bottles. A typical range, not the current shop price. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
90 purchased · 77 tasted · 20 wishlist · as of
Read on in the RumX Guide
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