Caroni Rum Sponge 23 Year Old Edition No. 1 Rum 1998 700ml bottle

Caroni Rum has an elusive history that has led this prized brand to become one of the most sought-after rum producers in the world - so much so that the phenomenon has been dubbed Caronimania! Cited as established as far back as 1899, with other sources stating it was possibly founded in 1918 or 1923 - this premium brand of superior rums was based in Trinidad and employed as many as 9,000 workers at one time. Caroni Rum utilized its own sugar refinery facilities and locally sourced molasses in all of its rum offerings, ensuring the highest quality and uplifting the local economy. In 1936, a controlling portion of Caroni was sold to the Trinidad government who, despite vast protests, later sold the brand to Angostura. This resulted in the eventual closing of the distillery in 2003. The story doesn't end there, however - as Luca Gargano (CEO of Velier) visited the distillery in 2004 and, upon finding the buildings shuttered and closed, managed to uncover a large selection of rum barrels hidden in one of the warehouses. He succeeded in purchasing the majority of these barrels and under the umbrella of Velier, has since revived Caroni into the legendary brand it once was.