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 combines elegant, rich flavours from Barbados and Guyana with the bold character of Jamaica. This multi-layered rum is unsweetened, un-chill filtered and bottled at 46.2% ABV for extra flavour.

Born from century-old naval traditions, this rum is created for the palate of today, for the here, for the now. A rum to be forever remembered.

Blenders Reserve 2024

This year Master Blender, Oliver Chilton, has included a higher percentage of Barbadian rums to accentuate the rich tropical fruits in the blend. As always, he has looked to put his own spin on the blend, this year including a 1997 rum from Trinidads lost distillery Caroni.

Re-imagining the lost art of naval perpetual blending; he began with rum drawn from Master Blenders Reserve from last year. Casks were then selected from Barbados, Trinidad, Guyana and Jamaica. These four unique country blends were then married together with our perpetual reserve, layered and perfectly balanced, to bring you Master Blenders Reserve 2024. As always, flagons of original Royal Navy Rum are added to the blend to keep the liquid history alive.

Fora full breakdown on the blend, Black Tot’s transparacy is incredible, you can find the details on their website here; https://blacktot.com/our-rums/black-tot-master-blenders-reserve-2024/

Tasting Notes

Nose: Grilled buttered pineapple with lime, chilli and coconut. White chocolate builds with mint and strawberry ice cream.

Palate: Buttery and thick with manuka honey, toasted vanilla sticks and dried mango. Sweet spices balance against sweet citrus. Hints of dark sugar and baked banana build with sweet melon and guava.

Finish: Light notes of liquorice balances tropical sweetness. Dried mango with a touch of bitter chocolate and kaffir lime leaves.