Aroma visualization from community tastings
Velier Caroni 4th Employees Dayanand „Yunkoo“ Balloon 1998
Made for people already deep into Caroni's dirty side — this leans hard into tar, burnt rubber and machine oil, exactly what the fans here order it for. Underneath sits oak, menthol, mango and a touch of caramel, with a long, drying, tannic finish. At 68.3% it's fierce; give it air and time and it settles into something complex. One taster nails it: "the Octomore of the rum world."
The community says- Classic tar & rubber
- Long drying finish
- But: Hot at 68%
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The look inside the bottle
How does Velier Caroni 4th Employees Dayanand „Yunkoo“ Balloon 1998 taste?
Aggregated from 67 community reviews.
Heavy, dirty Caroni — tar, rubber, menthol Near-unanimous love here — a heavy, dirty Caroni done right, tar and rubber up front, fruit behind. The alcohol isn't perfectly integrated, so give it air.
Caroni fans who chase heavy, dirty profiles
newcomers put off by tar and high heat
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
28 of 67 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Recommendation
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How is Velier Caroni 4th Employees Dayanand „Yunkoo“ Balloon 1998 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.9 sits in the “Very good” band. 100% 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?
99% rate it 8 or higher. 16 selected write-ups from 67 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Jakob
Most helpful positive review
Epic Velier Caroni Tasting 2023: Intense HTR, wood, spices, tobacco and menthol flank the typical tar, rubber and petrol aroma profile of heavy Trinidad rums. A very good representative of the 1998 Caroni vintage.
Review by kudzey
Most helpful mixed review
After a blind season I was surprised to find out this was it. It was good but not exceptional. Solid, complex but unimpressive. It might also lack some intensity. The finish was a bit disappointing.
Review by Gunnar Böhme "Bauerngaumen" 🤓
The rum would have knocked out the other two Caroni's in the flight blindfolded. Undisputed nose-and-palate heavyweight champion. That's what a Caroni has to be like!
Review by TheRhumhoe
A Caroni representing the distillery's heavy style. The nose is very intense at first, with notes of oil, smoke and spices, then gains in subtlety after aeration with some fruity notes, caramel and hazelnut. The attack on the palate is powerful, heavy and very warm, with notes of tar and rubber. The smoky, spicy side is as present as ever, with a hint of leather and bitterness. Still, red fruits and citrus fruits lurk in ambush, making it easier to drink. The finish is long, dark, smoky and woody, with tannins drying out the palate. A hint of mango also makes itself felt. An unpolished, complex Caroni that reveals much more after aeration.
Review by Johannes
Yesterday I had the unique opportunity to compare this rum with other 98s, including Paradise #2. Compared to the Paradise, this one is quite different, very brute with a high alcohol content that is not perfectly integrated, becomes milder with time, nice menthol notes!
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
Had a very nice Caroni employee tasting just across the border at a friend's place. He has the entire collection in several copies, so I could have a go at hose i haven't tried yet. This one is very nice and a heavy one of its kind. The nose is intense and complex, but after resting it starts to settle and a lot of flavours are eminating. The typical Caroni flavours are there with rubber and tar on top of oak and fruit. Trailing behind i find a smoky note and some vanilla. The palate really kicks it up a notch. Intense and heavy with rubber, tar and oak in the front followed by fruit and leather and a bit of vanilla. The finish is long and warming with smoky oak, rubber and some mango.
Review by zabo
There were a few employes in the test today. Yunkoo, Buju, Nitz and Brigade. To sum up, they are all very tasty caronis. For me, only Brigade is the one that has lost out a little, the others are all very close together. My ranking today would be: 1st Yunkoo 2. Nitz 3. Buju 4. brigade
Review by Leo Krüper
Like the other two in the 4th Employee series, extremely powerful. These rums take no prisoners and they really take you fully. Already the color and the smell are stunning, in the taste then even a slight almond sweetness or nut wood note. But of course the dirty tar note predominates. My girlfriend tasted car tires, but not in a negative sense. Really outstanding bottlings.
Review by Aussierumfan
This is a very powerful Caroni and responds well to a lot aeration time in the glass. Almost too powerful for me if I am honest😂 undoubtedly complex and very flavoursome. Smoky, rubber tyres and tar, some fruits in the background and is quite spicy, I notice vanilla. A lot of barrel influence. A medium length finish. Glad to have tried this rum!
Review by Martin Augustin
Typisch dreckige und ausgeprägte Caroni Nase, so wie es sein muss. Teer, Gummi ergänzt um Mango und Karamell. Das zieht sich im überragenden Geschmack ebenso durch ergänzt um etwas Zitrusfrüchte und Pfeffer. Geile Kombination. Schöner langer Abgang. Ein Caroni, wie er sein muss.
Review by Oliver
Great rubber nose. A bit too biting on the palate.
Review by Pavel Spacek
... 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 Joachim Guger
Hammernase 🔨🔨! Sehr frisch (Menthol, Kampfer), wunderbare Politur/Lacknoten, schöne Holzreife, ein Hauch Mango und Banane. Gummi und Benzin. Im Mund sehr voll und warm. Holz, Karamell, starke Würze(Anis, Piment, verbrannte Lakritze). Langer, sehr holziger Abgang. Toller Caroni, kräftig, aber eher gezähmt. So gut kann Benzin riechen!!!⛽️⛽️⛽️
Review by Romain de L
Takes a bit of time to open. Nose is leathery / a bit « renfermé » / but ample - and complex. Frank attack, strong, complex, liquorice at the finish, fruits, ample on the tongue Very long finish - very agreeable
Review by Thunderbird
In the nose is solvent and somehow smell something dirty, maybe tar or something similar. Light spices and fruit in the background! Overall, however, very intense! On the palate continues that intense: briefly some sweetness, then again the dirty, wood, pepper, somehow leather and all very intense, but super pleasant! Also in the finish this continues.... with time it also becomes slightly astringent.... Overall a grenade... am heavily excited
Review by Piotr Ignasiak
This one reminds me alot of good TDLs, especially on the nose. It's flowery, fruity with nutty coffee behind. the dirt notes are more pronounced on palate. For the high abv this is quite smooth. Thanks Dr Django for sharing a sample.
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Expert reviews
3 critics scored it, averaging 8.9/10. 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 Who Rhum The World
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Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Market value
What this bottle last achieved at auction. A research indicator, not a forecast.
Auction results 565 € – 1019 €
from 9 sales, latest 05/2026
Prices incl. buyer's premium — what a buyer pays, not what a sale nets you.
Avg. community purchase price 721 €
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 Velier Caroni 4th Employees Dayanand „Yunkoo“ Balloon 1998
A rum from Trinidad, bottled by Velier, at 68,3%.
Community purchases
115 bottles logged by 86 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
4% opened, 2 emptied and repurchased.
What does Velier Caroni 4th Employees Dayanand „Yunkoo“ Balloon 1998 cost?
Community paid 231–1,394 €.
Current best price: 999.90 € – within the typical community range.
What members actually paid for their bottles. A typical range, not the current shop price. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
115 purchased · 68 tasted · 27 wishlist · as of
Read on in the RumX Guide
All releases in this series
Velier Caroni 1st Employees John „D“ Eversley HTR 1996
Velier Caroni 1st Employees John „D“ Eversley HTR 1996Heavy, tarry Caroni with dark fruit
Velier Caroni 1st Employees Dennis „X“ Gopaul HTR 1998
Velier Caroni 1st Employees Dennis „X“ Gopaul HTR 1998Hot, tarry cask-strength Caroni for sipping
Velier Caroni 2nd Employees David „Sarge“ Charran 1996
Velier Caroni 2nd Employees David „Sarge“ Charran 1996Heavy, tarry Caroni with dark sweetness
Velier Caroni 2nd Employees Kevon „Slippery“ Moreno HTR 1998
Velier Caroni 2nd Employees Kevon „Slippery“ Moreno HTR 1998Fierce, tarry Caroni that needs air
Velier Caroni 3rd Employees Vijay „Vijay“ Ranmarine 1996
Velier Caroni 3rd Employees Vijay „Vijay“ Ranmarine 1996Roasted, tarry Caroni with a softer side
Velier Caroni 3rd Employees Ganesh „Buju“ Ramgobie 1998
Velier Caroni 3rd Employees Ganesh „Buju“ Ramgobie 1998Dirty, woody 1998 Caroni at full proof
Velier Caroni 3rd Employees Nita „Nitz“ Hogan 2000
Velier Caroni 3rd Employees Nita „Nitz“ Hogan 2000Dirty, powerful 2000 Caroni, long finish
Velier Caroni 4th Employees Balas „Brigade“ Bhaggan 1998
Velier Caroni 4th Employees Balas „Brigade“ Bhaggan 1998Dirty, smoky Caroni that runs dry
Velier Caroni 4th Employees Dayanand „Yunkoo“ Balloon 1998
Velier Caroni 4th Employees Dayanand „Yunkoo“ Balloon 1998Heavy, dirty Caroni — tar, rubber, menthol
Velier Caroni 4th Employees Basdeo „Dicky“ Ramsarran HTR 2000
Velier Caroni 4th Employees Basdeo „Dicky“ Ramsarran HTR 2000Fruity, menthol-heavy tropical Caroni at cask strength
Velier Caroni 5th Employees Dhanraj „Dan“ Maharaj HTR 1996
Velier Caroni 5th Employees Dhanraj „Dan“ Maharaj HTR 1996Dirty, roasted 1996 Caroni at cask strength
Velier Caroni 5th Employees Roopnarine „Roop“ Toolsie HTR 1996
Velier Caroni 5th Employees Roopnarine „Roop“ Toolsie HTR 1996Dirty, tarry 1996 Caroni at cask strength
Velier Caroni 5th Employees Deodat „Breeze“ Manmohan HTR 1996
Velier Caroni 5th Employees Deodat „Breeze“ Manmohan HTR 1996Sweet, tarry Caroni for patient sippers
Velier Caroni 6th Employees United HTR 1996
Velier Caroni 6th Employees United HTR 1996Woody, spicy Caroni, less dirty than usual
Velier Caroni 6th Employees Mahesh “Sonny Black” Bridgelal HTR 1996
Velier Caroni 6th Employees Mahesh “Sonny Black” Bridgelal HTR 1996Deep, tarry Caroni with roasted, bitter edge
Velier Caroni 6th Employees Ricky “Dirty Harry” Seeharack HTR 1996
Velier Caroni 6th Employees Ricky “Dirty Harry” Seeharack HTR 1996Dense, tarry 1996 Caroni for the faithful
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Velier Caroni 4th Employees Basdeo „Dicky“ Ramsarran HTR 2000
Velier Caroni 4th Employees Basdeo „Dicky“ Ramsarran HTR 2000Fruity, menthol-heavy tropical Caroni at cask strength
Velier Caroni 3rd Employees Ganesh „Buju“ Ramgobie 1998
Velier Caroni 3rd Employees Ganesh „Buju“ Ramgobie 1998Dirty, woody 1998 Caroni at full proof
Velier Caroni 3rd Employees Vijay „Vijay“ Ranmarine 1996
Velier Caroni 3rd Employees Vijay „Vijay“ Ranmarine 1996Roasted, tarry Caroni with a softer side
Velier Caroni 2nd Employees Kevon „Slippery“ Moreno HTR 1998
Velier Caroni 2nd Employees Kevon „Slippery“ Moreno HTR 1998Fierce, tarry Caroni that needs air
Velier Caroni 5th Employees Deodat „Breeze“ Manmohan HTR 1996
Velier Caroni 5th Employees Deodat „Breeze“ Manmohan HTR 1996Sweet, tarry Caroni for patient sippers
Velier Caroni 5th Employees Roopnarine „Roop“ Toolsie HTR 1996
Velier Caroni 5th Employees Roopnarine „Roop“ Toolsie HTR 1996Dirty, tarry 1996 Caroni at cask strength
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I'm Oliver, and RumX began in 2018 as a small passion project in Stuttgart, back then under the name Rum Tasting Notes.
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