Caroni 23 Year Old 1997 - Single & Single

The promise is there - an interesting story of a lost cask found after 2 decades as if by magic, rescued and bottled, a serious price tag and a solitary review which makes this rum sound like the bee's knees on steroids. I was hooked and bought 3 sample bottles at considerable expense to share with my parents who have been rum fans for many decades now. On first sniff, I could clearly smell that alcohol hit you get from, say, cheap brandy but also something else hard to define, possibly disinfectant but lacking any real depth. My first sip, just a drop on the lips, was a burning sensation which was quite unpleasant and served only to enhance the disinfectant flavour and made me add water to the 'rum' at a 50:50 ratio. Even watered down to 30% alcohol, it still tasted like raw, uncasked or briefly aged spirit. There was a very very slight hint of the vanilla, demerara or molasses you would expect with a well aged rum but these flavours needed searching for and were not at the forefront of the flavour as you would expect.
Neither of my parents could finish their 3cl samples, which is quite an indictment of this horrible liquid. I persevered and finished my sample but the vile flavour lived on in my palate and I had to have something to get rid of the taste. I had a tot of the Angostura 1919 which is a nice but not exceptional rum however compared with the Caroni 23 by by Single and Single it was the nectar of the gods and more. I went back and sniffed both empty glasses later - the Angostura was still giving off those quality rum aromas that make you sigh and the Caroni still smelt like drain cleaner.
I'm actually very upset at having been conned by whoever left the other review. This is in no way a good rum; it barely even tastes like rum and was a terrible disappointment. I actually have a suspicion that the 'found' barrel was sold on by a local con artist glad to make some cash out of gullible foreigners willing to believe a tall tale. Like me, I suppose.
I hope someone from Master of Malt reads this and tries the said disinfectant, if only to know the truth and take down the utterly misleading review, the one which which goes on about tropical funk and leads people like me to make the terrible mistake of buying the thing. I would rather have Wray and Nephew overproof white rum than try this again.
Avoid at all costs.

2nd September 2022

Colour - Bright copper.
Nose - Amazing nose. very ripe banana and BBQ'd pineapple and fresh coconut cream. some overly ripe dried mango. sweet vanilla pod and deep leather chairs.
Palate - Wonderfully oil mouthful. areal explosion of rich deep tropical flowers. layers of intense tropical funk in a very goo way still clean and fragrant. Finish - Long tropical funky and spicy. pops of cherry and blueberry. overall - absolutely fantastic well aged old Caroni with a delicious and layers of woody tropical fruits.

24th December 2021