House of Rum bottles Caroni trio
Independent bottler House of Rum has unveiled three rare vintage rums from Caroni Distillery in Trinidad, which closed in 2003.
The new Caroni Collection consists of rums distilled in 1997, 1998, and 1999, aged 28, 27, and 26 years.
According to the bottler, the trio is believed to be the first single release of three rums from consecutive years from the closed distillery.
Made from molasses, the rums were column-distilled and initially aged in Trinidad in ex-Bourbon casks under tropical conditions. The ‘early-landed’ rums were then shipped to the UK, where they were refilled into American oak casks and matured for at least another 15 years before being bottled by House of Rum.
David Howarth, founder of House of Rum, said: “The enduring legacy of Caroni means these rums have a true cult following, and we were so very excited to discover and purchase these rare casks.
“The three expressions are simply stunning – complex and well-balanced with a real tangy, oily, briny olive edge that Caroni is known for, but also with varying degrees across the trio of everything from fruit and gentle spice to pepper and cigar leaves.
Howard added: “Rums of this quality, with these complex aromas, simply don’t appear very often and they represent exactly what we are about at House of Rum – giving people the opportunity to try the rare, the surprising and the very special – always in their unadulterated form.”
The 28-year-old rum from the 1997 vintage is available at 60.5% ABV, with a limited release of just 179 bottles.
The 27-year-old rum from 1998 has an ABV of 62.2% and is limited to 185 bottles. Meanwhile, the 26-year-old rum distilled in 1999 is offered at 62.7% ABV and is limited to 210 bottles.
All three single cask expressions are presented at natural strength in 700ml bottles, with a unique batch number.
The Caroni Collection is now available at specialist retailers and online, including Hard to Find Whisky.
The rums will initially be released as sets of three, priced at £4,500 (US$6,100), before individual expressions become available.
The Caroni Distillery, established in 1923 in Trinidad and Tobago, was housed in an old sugarcane factory near Port of Spain. The distillery started as state-run before joining the Tate & Lyle Sugar Company.
Caroni rums are said to have a robust, smoky, and full-bodied character, often complemented by sweet undertones.
At The Rum & Cachaça Masters 2025, House of Rum’s bottlings were recognised with three Master medals and its Single Cask Dominican 2000 was also named a Taste Master.
Related news
The pros and cons of GIs for rum
