Lot presentation

Caroni 15 years 2000 Velier Millennium One of 1420 - bottled 2015 extra strong 120°proof

The wine

A molasses-based rum produced from Trinidad sugar cane, distilled in 2000 at the Caroni distillery (closed in 2003) and aged on the island of Trinidad for 15 years. Bottled in 2015 for the Italian company Velier (owner of the last stocks of rum from the distillery and the Caroni brand). A small batch blend of 12 barrels, limited to 1,420 magnums worldwide.

About the Producer Caroni

The Caribbean, Trinidad. Distillery closed, site dismantled.

In 1975, under pressure from across the country, the government of Trinidad nationalized a number of companies, including Tate & Lyle, the English giant of sugar production and owner of Caroni Ltd since 1937. The very competitive economic context, however, led to the closure of the island's sugar refineries and the collapse of the molasses production required for the production of rum. In 2001, the government sold its shares in Rum Distillers Ltd (Caroni) to Angostura and closed the distillery in 2002. Caroni Ltd would be definitively liquidated on 31 July 2003. In October 2004, Luca Gargano, the CEO of the Italian spirit distributor Velier and a passionate rum enthusiast and photographer, visited Trinidad to carry out research for a future report. There he found the site abandoned and, within its cellars, a huge stock of barrels, some distilled in 1974. The story of Caroni began in 2005 and the distillery immediately became the subject of lore.