In 2022, it was announced that the last of the casks from the fabled Trinidadian Caroni Distillery had been shipped in 2019 to Cognac, France, where it would now enter the last leg of its journey, with much of the rum transferred to glass demijohns in order to stop its ageing in wood - this became the Caroni Paradise series.

The Paradise range was named in tribute to the Cognac tradition in which mature eau de vie is transferred to glass demijohns to rest in dark warehouses named the paradis, which house some of the oldest Cognacs, allowing for the spirit to live for over a century before being bottled.

These Caroni Paradise bottlings come in mouth-blown glass bottles by Massimo Lunardon in Italy, and are decorated with artworks by Trinidadian artist Che Lovelace which are part of Velier's chief Luca Gargano's collection.

Click Here For The Full List Of Whisky Live Paris 2025

We've thus far seen the gradual unveiling of Paradise editions #1 to #11 - and the community has even come to some conclusion as to which edition is the best (so far). With Whisky Live Paris 2025 around the corner, it looks like this year just one more Caroni Paradise edition will be released, that is Caroni Paradise #12.

You can now find and bookmark this expression on Drink-X.com here.

Caroni 1996 Paradise #12 Full Proof Heavy Trinidad Rum

60,8% ABV, Single Cask #5627, 234 bottles.

Official Tasting Notes

Color: Deep Orange-Copper.

Aroma: Rich, complex. Absolutely magnificent, the aromatic palette reveals scents of dark chocolate, slate, orange zest, ripe mango, incense, diesel oil, wax, wood varnish, dried coriander, apricot peach, Russian leather, iodine tincture, dried apricot, toasted walnut, iris concrete.

Taste: Lively, open. Empyreumatic (petroleum), heady (geranium, vetiver), licorice, infused (black tea), minty, chocolatey, and abundantly fruity (marmalade, persimmon), the taste palette gradually becomes powdery (cocoa, ginger), resinous (pine), and honeyed (lavender, sugar cane). Gradually, a thin film of soot covers the palate.

Finish: Full-bodied, noble. Revealing scents of sandalwood, incense, and polished furniture, it showcases a magnificent woody aroma in the process of decomposing (rosewood). Elegant notes of praline, ripe mango, cocoa bean, and emery cloth bring length and complexity to the retro-olfaction.

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team