Black Tot | 50th Anniversary Rum

54.5% ABV

''The British Navy were the original rum blenders, marrying together flavours from around the world to create something served to every sailor, every day. This bottling, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Black Tot Day, is a tribute to their original blend, bringing together some of the great lost rums of the past with the amazing modern distillates of today. Every cask used has played its part in making a rum that we believe people will want to drink every day.’' - Oliver Chilton, Head Blender

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Black Tot Day, we have created a commemorative limited edition Black Tot blend. In this release of just 5000 bottles, you’ll find a marriage of rums from the four cornerstones of the Royal Navy blend: Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana, and Trinidad.

Bottled at full Navy Issuing Strength, discover rums from demolished distilleries and ancient stills, and even the remnants of the historic Navy Rum blend itself.

This rum reflects our dedication to the art of blending. With a carefully-chosen balance of rums from across these countries and distilleries, as well as a nod to the last consignment of the Navy Rum blend, Black Tot 50th Anniversary Rum is a fitting tribute to Black Tot Day, with an incredible medley of flavours and origins.

Each year will see an evolution of the Black Tot blend, using the previous years’ rum as the base.

{{product.OptionSizeLabel}}:

Please select the size

Sold out

£{{selectedProduct.DisplayPrice}}

{{info}}

This item is already in your shopping basket.

Tasting Notes

From Oliver Chilton

Nose

We are greeted with cinnamon sticks, sprinkled with nutmeg, toasting in the oven. Then a deep richness, akin to caramel-glazed apple tart, with some citrus elements rolling in. There is also barbecued pineapple and grapefruit zest, balanced by notes of melting chocolate raisins and freshly ground Jamaican blue mountain coffee. With more time, a hint of well-aged spirit emerges, reminiscent of dusty books in a historic library.
Palate

From the first sip, the palate is almost overrun with the combination of liquorice sticks and vanilla bean paste. As the flavours coat the mouth, lime juice married with 80% cocoa dark chocolate appears, which slowly deepens to brandy-poached pears. A backbone of dried mint and tarragon is married with natural sweetness and a touch of nuttiness, in the form of bananas and walnuts.
Finish

Long and lingering, with flavours of mint chocolate chip ice cream and soft liquorice, dipped in sherbet. The rich flavours of a whole-milk latte topped with cream dissipate to leave a pleasant dryness, leading to another sip.

Recipe

Black Tot 50th Anniversary Edition is a well-layered homage to some of the cornerstones of the Navy blend, showcasing a delicious medley of flavours and origins - from Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica, Barbados and a Navy world blend. Below you will see the breakdown of our blend composition in percentage terms. We put enormous value on transparency, and so we are delighted to share our recipe with you.

Guyana

Guyana historically has been one of the world’s leading producers of molasses and rum, and it was undoubtedly the heart of the Navy Rum blend. Despite the consolidation of its many distilleries, Guyana’s historic stills have survived and continue to make a variety of rich and flavourful rum marques at Demerara Distillers.
- 28% 12 YEAR OLD
  
  DEMERARA DISTILLERS SAVALLE COLUMN
- 27% 9 YEAR OLD
  
  DEMERARA DISTILLERS SAVALLE COLUMN
- 6% 10 YEAR OLD
  
  DEMERARA DISTILLERS PORT MOURANT WOODEN POT
- 0.5% 42 YEAR OLD
  
  Uitvlugt PORT MOURANT WOODEN POT
Barbados

The birthplace of molasses rum in the Caribbean. Barbados is famous for elegant and balanced blends of pot & column still rum, with notes of tropical fruits, vanilla, and coconut.
- 15% 11 YEAR OLD
  
  FOURSQUARE POT/COLUMN
Trinidad

Trinidad’s most famous rums have all developed out of distilleries founded in the 1900s, most notably Caroni and Trinidad Distillers. The former made a heavier style column still rum (no longer in operation), and was a core component of the original Navy Rum blend - while the latter is a lighter, cleaner style, and is responsible for continuing the heritage of Trinidad rum today.
- 11% 10 YEAR OLD
  
  TRINIDAD DISTILLERS COLUMN
- 4% 23 YEAR OLD
  
  CARONI COLUMN
Jamaica

Classically a heavier style pot-still rum, Jamaican distilleries like Hampden utilise longer fermentation times, as well as wild yeast strains, and the addition of dunder and muck pits in their molasses ferment to create distinctively big, funky flavours.
- 8% 9 YEAR OLD
  
  HAMPDEN POT
WORLD BLEND

World blend of original navy rums, continuously blended in wooden vats from the early 1800s through to 1970.
- 0.5% SOLERA
  
  ORIGINAL ROYAL NAVY BLEND POT/COLUMN

Technical Specifications

Raw Material

Molasses
Distillery

Multiple
Distillation

Guyana column and wooden pot, Barbados pot/column, Jamaican pot, Trinidad column, World pot/column
Cask Type

Multiple
Maturation

Tropical and Continental
Chill Filtered

No
Blend Composition

A blend of rums from Guyana, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and a Navy world blend
NO SUGAR ADDED

0g/L added
Bottled

Scotland