Review by: The Auditor
Review #1316; Rum #621
Here we have a bottling of rum history so to speak. The Black Tot brand purchases some flagons of Navy rum from the 1950s and 1970’s that contained “actual” British Navy rum. Now, we don’t know what distilleries the rums came from but from what they gathered from the blend is that the vats were 60% Demerara, 30% Trinidad, and 10% multiple other islands. This was an ever changing blend stores is absolutely massive vats.
There is a ton of stuff out there about Navy Rum, Black Tot day, etc and I’d encourage you to go read it if you so wish. But don’t forget the Royal British Navy was the backbone of a lot of atrocities carried out by England and all of their colonization. Now onto to the rum!
Distillery: Many
Bottler: Black Tot
Region: Guyana, Trinidad, Australia?
Still: Pot & Column
ABV: 54.3%
Nose: Toasted Brown Sugar , Campfire Ash, Old Musty Book, Mushrooms, Espresso
Palate: Medium oily mouthfeel, Toasted Brown Sugar, Touch of Orange Peel, Musty Book, Mushrooms, Espresso
Finish: Medium length finish, Orange peel, Mushroom, Espresso, Black Pepper, Bit of Campfire
Conclusion: To assign something historical like this a score is almost wrong, as it’s more of a look at a snapshot in time of something. But, scores is what we do here so that’s what it is. This product is far outside my price range and, quite understandably, you can’t get more of it so I understand the exorbitant price. But, it’s a pretty good rum at the end of the day, which, sad to say, seems like a surprise for these really expensive bottle most of the time. But, kind of expected, many modern recreations (Velier Royal Navy Very Old Rum, Tiger Shark, Black Tot 50th) are just more enjoyable to drink and that’s not a knock or I think a surprise. These rations were made for sailors on the high seas, likely pretty young, and with caramel coloring.
Final Score: 85
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 