On the 31st of July 1970, a 300-year-old Royal Naval tradition ended at precisely 6 bells in the forenoon watch, when the last rum ration was issued aboard ships of the British Royal Navy; a day to be forever remembered as Black Tot Day.
Forty years on, in 2010, as a mark of respect to this wonderful tradition, Elixir Distillers launched Black Tot Last Consignment a blend of rum made up of the very last remaining stocks of Royal Navy rum that had been discovered in naval warehouses in Dartmouth and Deptford. This historic rum had sat dormant for over 30 years, only seeing the light of day on state occasions and Royal weddings.
In 2019 Elixir Distillers launched a new, accessible rum that pays homage to the history of naval rum whilst turning the style on its head. Black Tot rum is a blend of some of the finest spirits from Barbados, Guyana and Jamaica, creating a modern, versatile and multi-layered rum that appeals to rum and whisky lovers across all seas.
Black Tot Rum
Tasting Notes by Dave Broom
COLOUR: Bright, yet deep mahogany cut with flashes of ruby.
NOSE: Initial treacle notes precede dark chocolate with super-ripe black fruits, muscovado sugar and walnuts. A drop of water releases notes of black banana, liquorice root, tamarind paste with an exotic edge of balsamic.
PALATE: Starts off thick and sweet, becoming light and oaky before a burst of cassis/crème de mûre then espresso and cacao.
FINISH: Very long with light scented wood, black fruits and cigar tobacco.
40% 3-5 year Guyana pot/column still
35% 5 year Barbados pot/column still
20% unaged Guyana pot/column still
5% 3 year high ester Jamacia pot still
2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition – Double Gold, 97 points
2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge – 93 pts.
2023 Global Rum & Cachaca Masters – Master
2021 London Spirits Competition – 91 points, Gold
Black Tot Last Consignment
NOSE: Initial treacle notes precede dark chocolate with super-ripe black fruits, muscovado sugar and walnuts. A drop of water releases flavours of black banana, liquorice root and tamarind paste with an exotic edge of balsamic.
PALATE: Starts off thick and sweet with a burst of cassis, black coffee and cacao, leading into a finish of scented wood, forest fruits and cigar tobacco. Truly dark and powerful, with a century of rum-making craft showing in every drop.
FINISH: Very long with light scented wood, black fruits and cigar tobacco.
Black Tot 50th Anniversary
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.
Guyana
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
15% 11 YEAR OLD FOURSQUARE POT/COLUMN
Trinidad
11% 10 YEAR OLD TRINIDAD DISTILLERS COLUMN
4% 23 YEAR OLD CARONI COLUMN
Drinkhacker – Top 10 Rums of 2021
Gold 2021 World Rum Awards – winner of the style category ‘Pot & Column Still, 11 Years and Older’
Black Tot Master Blenders Reserve 2021
With just 960 bottles available in the U.S., our 2021 edition of Master Blender’s Reserve Caribbean Rum celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the last rum ration given to Australian Navy sailors when serving on British ships.
We took some of last year’s Black Tot 50th Anniversary Rum blend as our base, re-casking it into ex-Sherry butts and barrels, t o which we added layers of fruit-driven flavors using different styles of rum, aged between 9 and 24 years, from Guyana, Barbados, Trinidad, Jamaica and Australia; as well as incorporating some of the original British Royal Navy rum blend itself .
We hope this rum brings people together, just as the original did 100 years ago.
‘’Master Blender’s Reserve takes inspiration from the Royal Navy tradition of perpetual blending. For 2021, we have aimed to find a tropical citrus quality that we hope people will be able to share with friends and loved ones around the world.’’
– Oliver Chilton, Head Blender
NOSE: Cinnamon sticks, cooking in brown butter, with nutmeg and cloves. Overripe mangoes and baked bananas, with dusty dark chocolate. More citrus notes build in the glass – satsumas and freshly squeezed navel oranges blend with juicy nectarine and cooked honey. In the background, a dense oily note complements the zesty flavors and merges with herbaceous notes of mint and lemon thyme.
PALATE: At first, a huge hit of concentrated orange and mango juice, with fresh mint and golden brown caster sugar. The sweetness evolves into milk chocolate and salted caramel, while the fruit seems to become denser, bringing in flavors of guava and passion fruit. Another sip brings orange blossom, balanced by runny honey.
FINISH: Clementine and mandarin make up a citrus salad, evolving with a pleasing dryness reminiscent of thyme and oregano. Right at the very end, a hint of diesel oil.
21.1% 11 Year Trinidad
Distillers column stilll
18.5% 10 Year Trinidad
Distillers column still
17.7% 10 Year Foursquare
Barbados pot/column still
14.1% Black Tot 50th Anniversary
pot/column perpetual reserve
13.5% 17 Year Demerara
Distillers Guyana column still
6.7% 14 Year Beenleigh
Australia pot still
5.3% 9 Year Hampden
Jamaica pot still
2.8% 24 Year Trinidad
Distillers column still
0.3% Original Royal Navy Blend
pot/column perpetual reserve
Black Tot Master Blender’s Reserve 2022
For Master Blender’s Reserve 2022, we drew, inspiration from historical rums in our collection and the unique flavor profiles they exhibited over half a century ago. These rums, since lost in the rum world, were rich with notes of baked banana, dusty chocolate, mocha milkshakes, honey, tobacco, leather, licorice, and spice. These flavors were mapped out and became our guide.
We began as always with rum drawn from our perpetual blend – our Master Blender’s Reserve from last year, which has been aging in Sherry casks since last Black Tot Day.
Casks were then selected from Barbados. Guyana. Jamaica. and Trinidad that showcased 1he elements needed to recreate these traditional flavor profiles.
These four unique country blends were then brought together and married with our perpetual reserve. layered and perfectly balanced to bring you Master Blender’s Reserve 2022.
NOSE: Melted chocolate nibs and roasted hazelnuts are offset against warm orange and cinnamon sticks with a background of mixed tropical juice and cassis. Blackcurrant and raspberry leaf start to come to the fore with time in the glass.
PALATE: Initial flavors of milk chocolate and raisins are complimented with cafe latte and ripe banana. A touch of aniseed balances against a light hint of tropical fruit and a wonderful, rich baked Demerara sugar top to a creme caramel.
FINISH: Cinnamon and nutme9 spice along with chilli and cocoa linger for an age.
29% Guyana Blend
25% Barbados Blend
7% Jamacia Blend
22% Trinidad Blend
17% Perpetual Blend
2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition – Double Gold, 97 points (2023 Edition)
2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge – 97 pts., Top 100 Spirits, Chairman’s Trophy
2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition – Double Gold
2023 IWSC – Spirit Gold Outstanding, 98 Points
2023 Global Rum & Cachaca Masters – Master