The Velier Caroni 1998 Employees Edition 1st Release Dennis X Gopaul 20yo 69.5% 700ml is a tribute to the employees of the legendary Caroni distillery in Trinidad and Tobago, renowned for producing both heavy and light molasses-based rums. The distillery was especially famous for its unique cast iron column stills. Caroni's rums were often used as key ingredients in blends, with the British Navy being one of its most notable clients.
This particular rum is a Heavy Caroni, meticulously crafted from a blend of five casks distilled in 1998 and aged for 20 years in ex-bourbon casks before being bottled in 2018. It's presented unfiltered and at cask strength, boasting a significant angel's share of 78% due to the tropical aging conditions, which highlights the intense and concentrated character of the rum. The selection for this first release was expertly made by Luca Gargano, a visionary in the rum world, alongside Olivier Scars, a renowned French connoisseur.
Dennis "X" Gopaul, after whom this release is named, worked at Caroni from 1988 until 2013, the year the distillery closed. His legacy was immortalized by Fredi Marcarini, an Italian photographer who documented Luca Gargano's adventures. This rum, bottled at its natural strength, offers a rare and unique opportunity to savor a piece of rum history, making it a must-have for any serious rum enthusiast. With only 1151 bottles produced, this first release of the Employees Edition is a true collector's item.
The ABV (Alcohol By Volume) of the Velier Caroni 1998 Employees Edition 1st Release Dennis X Gopaul is 69.5%.
There were 1151 bottles produced in this limited edition release.
This rum was aged for 20 years in ex-bourbon casks, with a significant angel's share of 78% due to tropical aging.
The selection was made by Luca Gargano and Olivier Scars, a renowned French connoisseur.
Dennis "X" Gopaul worked at Caroni distillery from 1988 until its closure in 2013. This rum is named in his honor.
Overall taste: This rum is a powerful and complex blend, showcasing notes of vanilla, oak, spice, and rich caramel, with a hint of rubber and a lingering sweetness.
The Velier Caroni 1998 Employees Edition 1st Release is highly praised for its intense and aromatic profile, with strong notes of caramel, cocoa, and vanilla. While the high alcohol content (just under 70%) is noticeable and can be overpowering for some, it does not detract significantly from the overall enjoyment. Reviewers describe it as a powerful and robust rum with a complex flavor profile featuring hints of dark chocolate, burnt rubber, and mentholated allspice. Despite its strength, it is considered an excellent representation of the 1998 vintage from Caroni, and a must-try for serious rum connoisseurs. Many express a sense of fulfillment in experiencing such a remarkable rum, tinged with sadness that it will no longer be produced.
Spirit Radar is my daily tool that become crucial for my busines. As an independent bottler I follow my bottles (The Colours of Rum) on various e-commerce sites. On the other hand, a spirits' collector I use Spirit Radar to chase bottles I want to buy or sell. I also use "my collection" tool to value my own bottles. Spirit Radar become really useful and I can see the team works systematically to improve the app. I will surely remain loyal user.
CEO Wealth Solutions SA
We have used Spirit Radar since the very beginning. Both in our business and for private use. It is a fantastic tool to keep you updated in the market. It can be very time consuming to find an exact bottle somewhere in the world, but with Spirit Radar, you can get that information within seconds. We have also used it when we need to keep track of our bottles and see what our customers wants. Besides that, its an interesting platform, when you want to explore the rum world, or search for bottles that could be really hard to find in the normal stores. It is very easy and intuitive to use.
MasterTaster at RomDeLuxe
Ardbeg Traigh Bhan Batch No.1 Small Batch Release 19yo 46.2% 700ml
Macallan Edition No.1 Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 48% 750ml
LM&V 2019 Hampden Great House 59% 700ml
Velier Caroni 1998 Dennis X Gopaul Employees 1st Release 20yo 69.5% 700mlSpirit Radar gathers as much information and data as possible about each bottle. We have collected historical offers and auctions for each bottle, sometimes dating back to 2012.
We constantly check every site for new and updated offers. When a bottle becomes in stock, we know it within minutes.
We use all this data to compute the market value of each bottle. As a result, you can see the price trend of each bottle and find the best place to buy it.
In addition, we constantly expand our database: we add new bottles, online stores, and auction portals. Find new releases and rare bottles for the best prices.
Spirit Radar allows you to add bottles to your watch list. When we find a bottle from your watch list in stock, we will send you a notification. You can also set a maximum price you are willing to pay, and we will ignore all more expensive offers.
We check every site multiple times a day, the hottest bottles even every few minutes. You will be one of the first to know when a bottle becomes available to buy.
When we find an auction of a bottle you watch, we will notify you before it ends. You can disable all auction-related notifications or disable them for individual bottles.
Do you know the current value of your collection? And how has it grown during the last 30 days? Spirit Radar makes it simple. Just add bottles to your collection and enter purchase prices.
Every day, you'll get an updated value of your collection and how much you gained since you purchased the bottles. These statistics are provided for your entire collection, as well as for individual bottles.
Security is our top priority. Only you can see your collection and statistics.
