Caroni 1996 16yo (Bristol Spirits Bottling)

I’ve been tasting more and more rums of late and slowly gaining to confidence to start reviewing, so here is my first.

This is one the only Caronis I have access to where I live, so I had to give it a try. Unfortunately it’s been proofed down to 43%.

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Distiller: Caroni Distillery
Bottled By: Bristol Spirits
ABV: 43%
Age: 16yo
Source: Pour at Grand Terminus, Bergen, Norway.
Setting: Unblind.

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Nose: Dry oak, vanilla, dark roast coffee, brown sugar, chocolate cake. Rich for the proof.
Palate: Diesel, blackstrap molasses, a tad thin.
Finish: Sugarcane, dusty drying oak, fig fruitiness. A seriously lingering finish.
Overall: I really get what people say about the diesel funk here. I had it on the table for a good half hour, slowly making my way through the pour, and in that time it got funkier and funkier. My notes were written in the first few minutes, but after a half hour it was really diesely. Overall, I liked it less after letting it sit. When I buy this again (and I will), I will be drinking it faster. I would really love to taste a cask strength Caroni, because this one has been pretty strongly proofed down.
Rank: 6