Velier Caroni 5th Employees Dhanraj „Dan“ Maharaj HTR 1996
Loved by Sebastian Kornett, Johannes & 52 moreFor experienced palates: a 25‑year, full‑proof Caroni (66.3%) with classic 1996 dirty notes of tar, rubber and bitumen, wrapped in caramel, dark chocolate, herbs and mint. Intensely woody, oily and very long‑finishing, this unsweetened Velier Employees bottling rewards slow sipping and breathing time. Backed by 54 high RumX ratings, it’s a benchmark heavy Trinidad rum for Caroni fans.
- Classic Caroni dirt
- Deep wood complexity
- Very long finish

Details about Velier Caroni 5th Employees Dhanraj „Dan“ Maharaj HTR 1996
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How does Velier Caroni 5th Employees Dhanraj „Dan“ Maharaj HTR 1996 taste?
Aggregated from 55 community reviews.
Intense, classic 1996 Caroni powerhouse For experienced palates: a 25‑year, full‑proof Caroni (66.3%) with classic 1996 dirty notes of tar, rubber and bitumen, wrapped in caramel, dark chocolate, herbs and mint. Intensely woody, oily and very long‑finishing, this unsweetened Velier Employees bottling rewards slow sipping and breathing time. Backed by 54 high RumX ratings, it’s a benchmark heavy Trinidad rum for Caroni fans.
Seasoned Caroni devotees and high‑ester heavy rum fans who enjoy oily, mechanical notes, strong oak and dry, complex finishes at full proof.
Beginners, those sensitive to high ABV, or drinkers who dislike dirty, tar-and-rubber Caroni profiles and pronounced oak-driven dryness.
How is Velier Caroni 5th Employees Dhanraj „Dan“ Maharaj HTR 1996 rated?
RumX's 0–10 scale is strict — 9.0 lands squarely in the "Excellent" 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 Sebastian Kornett
Für mich der beste von den 5th Release aber ich muss sagen, dass mir alle drei sehr gut gefallen.
Review by Johannes
For me from the series the best!
Review by Joachim Guger
Eine sehr, warme und volle Caroni-Nase. Das ölige Karamell verleiht die Aura eines tropisch gereiften Demeraras. Sehr, sehr gediegen, nicht besonders komplex. Ein Wahnsinn im Mund, ölig, voll, sehr komplex. Ein Gewürzbasar. Der Rum bleibt lange im Mund, was sehr schön ist. Ein Wahnsinn auch, was mit den fünften Employees abgeliefert wurde. Am besten gefielen mir der Dan, dicht gefolgt vom Breeze. Schade auch, dass von diesen Flaschen kaum jemals eine geöffnet werden wird.
Review by Filip Šikula
Sedmý a poslední zaměstnanec večera. Ve vůni je to kuže, dehet a potom sladké tóny karamelu a hořké čokolády. V chuti je to krásně komplexní, spousta máty a kaučuku. Jednoznačně největší požitek je u tohoto kousku ale v závěru, který je velmi velmi doouhý a ukazuje nové a nové věci.
Review by Lawich Lowaine
Surprised by the profile, which resembles the Spanish Ron, but very good... the criticism is that the finish is short and leaves an impression of not enough. Apart from that, the nose is superb. This blend of chocolate and herbs is frankly surprising...
Review by Jakob
Epic Velier Caroni Tasting 2023: The sweet 1996 profile is there, the long time in the barrel is already clearly recognizable with more present roasted aromas. Very good Caroni in the lower mid-range of the vintage.
Review by mto75
die 5th Employees Serie nochmal alle drei zusammen verkostet. An der Nase sind sich Dan und Breeze sehr ähnlich, mit Trockenfrüchten, Karamell, Wachs und Politur. Der Roop wirkt hier ein wenig frischer (floraler) wenn man das bei Caroni überhaupt so nennen kann 😉 Am Gaumen hat der Breeze ein wenig mehr Komplexität zu bieten als der Dan, der sehr stark auf der röstig-verkohlten Schiene unterwegs ist. Der Breeze dagegen kann mit mehr ‚Werkstatt‘ und mehr Süsse aufwarten. Der Roop tanzt auch am Gaumen aus der Reihe, er kommt nicht so brachial daher.
Review by Beach-and-Rum 🏖️🌴
Ein 1996 Caroni der irgendwie schon die typischen Marker hat aber er sticht zwischen den teilweise sehr guten Abfüllungen nicht so richtig heraus. Der Alkohol ist mir hier ebenfalls ein wenig zu präsent. Schon lecker aber in der Welt der Caronis reicht es nur fürs Mittelfeld.
Review by Oliver
Clear winner at the bottom of the 5th Employees. But not in the Caroni top class.
Review by Adrien B
Nez amande, cuir, colle cleopatrre, griotte, fraicheur Bouche : puissant, fidèle au nez, grosse longueur, rancio, fraîcheur,
Review by Simon Leroux
Plus équilibré que les autres de la 5ème série Employees. Pas très marqué pour le côté Caroni mais intense, boisé et agréable.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
This one caught me off guard because it was completely different from the rest. The nose had the wood with rubber and tar with fruit, vanilla and caramel, but I also found a minty note in there. Not as heavy in the typical Caroni flavours as the others. The palate complex and well balanced and at the same time soft and dry, an eye opener for me. Smoky wood and rubber, tar and fruity notes follow with chocolate and nice herbal notes trailing behind. The finish is very dry with rubber, dried fruit and chocolate. This one needs to rest for at least 15 minutes or more to release its full potential.
Expert reviews
Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by Zucker und Zeste
Read full review →Expert review by In Spiritus Veritas
Read full review →Community purchases
102 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 15 members.
About the Caroni distillery
The Caroni distillery is located in Trinidad. Rums from Caroni have been reviewed 10,080 times with an average of 8.8/10.
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