CARONI TRINIDAD 22 ans 1996 John D Employees 1st Rel. One of 1192 bottles

Nose : rich, deep. The empyreumatic (petrol, tarmac) initial nose is also camphoric and spicy (curry). Allowed to breathe, a fine layer of soot covers the aromatic palette. Behind it, we catch a glimpse of mineral (slate, schist), citrus (orange, lemon), heady floral (broom, cornflower, rose), black liquorice, saffron, 100% dark chocolate, turpentine and bourbon vanilla notes, whole fields of sugarcane, still hot cane sugar and molasses.

Palate : complex, distinguished. Immediately establishing Caroni's extroverted style, the attack has lots of presence and firmness. Compact blocks of damp earth and liquorice are literally crushed onto the palate. On the mid-palate, lots of exotic fruits (persimmon, guava, banana, mango) join the palette of flavours. Next, heady florals and honeys (bay leaf, jasmine, rose, heather) make a majestic entrance. Later, pipe tobacco, emery cloth and beeswax enrich the very end of the palate.

Overall : long, statuesque. The finish begins by releasing the aromas of violet, iris butter, geranium and clove. Next, rosemary, savory and sorrel essential oils further nuance the Caroni's heady character. For its part, the retronasal olfaction takes charge of the empyreumatic register (oil, macadamia, manganese, burnt wood). The empty glass is a perfect reflection of the palette of flavours and aromas.