Ron Anejo Carupano Reserve Special Edition 1996
40% ABV (80 proof) | 700mL | 1996 vintage | Double-aged in sealed American white oak | Venezuela — the Ron Añejo Carupano Reserve Special Edition 1996 is a vintage-dated Venezuelan rum: reserves barreled in 1996 and double-aged in sealed American white-oak casks — never topped up, so the angel's share concentrated what remained. Limited to 5,000 crystal decanters and blended by master blender Carmen López de Bastidas with no additives or colorants, per the brand — available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
Destilería Carúpano has been distilling in Venezuela for generations, and the 1996 Special Edition is its vintage statement — a single-year reserve rather than a solera blend. Sealing the casks (no topping up) is the old Venezuelan way: decades of tropical aging with nothing added back, yielding a smaller, denser, more concentrated spirit. Among Carupano bottlings, this is the collector's piece — a numbered 1996 vintage in a crystal decanter.
Tasting notes
Brand and release notes describe a deep, concentrated profile: dried fig, raisin and date from the long tropical aging, layered with vanilla, toasted oak, dark chocolate and a whisper of tobacco leaf. The double-aging in sealed casks gives it unusual density for 80 proof — velvety rather than fiery, with a long, dry, oaky finish. No independent critic notes were confirmed — describe from brand/release copy only.
Why buy it from Del Mesa Liquor
- 1996 vintage — reserves barreled in 1996, double-aged in sealed American white oak
- Limited to 5,000 crystal decanters; master blender Carmen López de Bastidas
- No additives or colorants, per the brand
- Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor
How to serve it
Neat in a copita or Glencairn — a vintage rum in a crystal decanter is for savoring, not mixing.
Frequently asked questions
What does 1996 mean on the label?
It is a vintage date: the rum reserves were barreled in 1996 and aged in sealed American white-oak casks. It is not a 12-year (or any) age statement — it is a single-vintage release.
Is it a limited edition?
Yes — the Special Edition 1996 was limited to 5,000 crystal decanters.
Where is Carupano rum made?
In Venezuela, by Destilería Carúpano — a Venezuelan rum, not to be confused with Caribbean-island rums.