In recent years, the independent rum bottlers’ scene has seen a proliferation of Trinidadian rums, distinct from the well-known Caronis. These rums hail from Trinidad Distillers Ltd, or TDL, the sole remaining rum distillery on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. Amongst these is the 2003 TDL, bottled by @nobilisrum, an independent bottler based in Denmark, renowned for consistently releasing some rather exceptional bottlings. However, before we turn our attention to the rum itself, I thought to explore the rich history of TDL and its connection to the Angostura brand.

Contrary to popular belief, it was Angostura that preceded TDL, established in Venezuela in 1824, before relocating to the island of Trinidad in 1875. In the preceding decades, Angostura frequently procured rum from local distilleries to craft their bitters. It was not until 1949 that Angostura resolved to fully invest in rum production, constructing their own distillery under a new enterprise, which is the TDL we recognise today.

In the present, TDL stands as one of the largest rum producers in the Caribbean, boasting an annual production capacity of 13.5 million litres of pure alcohol. Despite its history as a British colony, its production methods are distinctly rooted in the “Spanish-style” tradition, characterised by short fermentations and distillation conducted exclusively through its trio of multicolumn stills that dominate TDL’s production facility. TDL has also once ventured into experimental distillation, acquiring a hybrid Vendome still in the early 2000s. However, the outcome did not meet TDL’s expectations, leading to the still’s eventual relocation to its sister distillery in St Lucia. The aging process is also undertaken on-site, predominantly in ex-bourbon casks.

Turning our attention to this sample that was shared with me by @the_rum_cartel, we find a single cask from the 2003 vintage, which has garnered considerable praise within the rum community for its distinctive blend of herbs, lychees, and basil notes, flavours that have come to characterise modern TDL rums.

The spirit was matured for two decades, with its initial 12 years spent in the tropical climate of Trinidad, before being transported to Europe, most likely to Liverpool, to rest for an additional 8 years prior to its bottling in 2023. The rum was bottled at full proof, with an abv of 62.3%, and a limited release of 212 bottles.

The nose was so vastly different from what I was anticipating. I had envisaged this to be similar to the lychee or basil bomb that the younger TDL vintages from the 2000s tended to be. But instead, the 2003 had a more “Spanish-style” column distillate character, tasting predominantly of light vanillins, with buttery, caramel, toffee-like notes. Yet it demonstrated a much heavier side of Spanish-style rums, much like the 100% aguardientes that were not blended with light rums, possessing far greater depth, with a savoury, almost leaning to funky/dirty kind of note to it, some brine, a slight fuesal touch, and lurking right underneath comes those lychee notes, though significantly muted when compared to its other siblings.

The palate was an absolute beauty, elegant but not in the traditional way that you’d think of rums. It was in fact quite spritely and a little dirty at the beginning, leaving a tingling sensation on your tongue, with heavy notes of tar and petrol. Now these notes along with light brine linger on quite a bit. But then as we approach the finish, it all seemingly melts away, like hot butter on a pan, leaving you with vanilla, caramel, and then those deliciously fruity notes of lychees again, while the basil notes this time remain relatively shy, only appearing faintly in the background.

In conclusion, this 2003 TDL was unique, distinct from the majority of its siblings that I have had the pleasure of tasting. It exuded an industrial and fusel character simultaneously, conjuring memories of those delicious Caroni rums of the yesteryears. It is perhaps rums of this nature that might lend some validity to the myths surrounding the inclusion of Caroni rums in certain TDL expressions, though I remain somewhat sceptical, save for particular bottlings such as the Angostura Legacy. Nevertheless, this more robust style of TDL rums is a rare gem, one that I found immensely enjoyable.

Your occasional rum addict!

@weixiang_liu