Colour: Copper.
Nose: There’s a lot of wood and spices that makes it unpleasantly bitter. Vanilla, cake dough, cherry pits, coconuts, dark chocolate, toasted bread, mangoes and leather. The Caroni typical oily notes are there but not very noticeable.
Mouth: Warm with again too much wood and bitter influence. Cherry pits, ginger, dark chocolate, tannins, chilies, mangoes, vanilla, leather, rubber, caramel, coconuts and oils. That’s not very expressive because the wood dominates the whole mouth.
Finish: Long and warm. Burnt wood, vanilla and roasted coconuts.

Too much wood and bitterness in my opinion, 1996 vintage use to be a nice fruity Caroni vintage but I didn’t find this kind of profile in this rum. I hope I’ll enjoy more the second one!

Score: 81

Colour: Dark copper.
Nose: Fruitier and more expressive than the first one, we’re going in the good way! Leather, oils, exotic fruits, mangoes, papayas, passion fruits, menthol, brown sugar, tar, wood, lemons, bitter oranges, mocha and caramel. There are the fruity notes I was looking for, nice!
Mouth: Nice thick texture. Exotic fruits, mangoes, red berries, blackcurrant, oils, chilies, leather, tar, toffee, wet wood, cocoa, instant coffee, tannins, mint and grapefruits. That’s complex with a great balance between dirty and fruity profiles, I’m now surprised in a good way!
Finish: Long. Vanilla, peppermint, dark bitter chocolate and some floral notes.

This one is clearly better in my opinion, it’s fruitier, the wood is present but don’t overwhelms the other aromas, a well balanced one that I enjoyed way more than the first one, good job!

Score: 91