Black Tot Master Blender's Reserve 2024

Profile: The Black Tot Master Blender's Reserve 2024 at a glance

• The monument to the daily rum ration in the British Royal Navy from 1731 to 1970
• Black Tot Finest Caribbean Rum - Barbados, Trinidad, Jamaica, Guyana, & Premium Blend
• A genuine rum: No added sugar, no chill filtration & without dyes
• Ideal for pure enjoyment - at the same time it gives cocktails depth and complexity

Portrait: What makes the Black Tot Master Blender's Reserve 2024 special

Since 2021, the premium brand Black Tot from Elixir Distillers has been celebrating the end of a legendary era: Black Tot Day. In honor of the centuries-old tradition of rum rations in the British Navy, which ended on July 31, 1970, Master Blender Oliver Chilton creates a select Master Blender's Reserve every year.

This year He used a higher proportion of rum from Barbados to highlight lush tropical fruits in the composition. And: added a rum from 1997 from Trinidad's closed Caroni distillery. As usual, the basis is the Master Blender's Reserve from the previous year, supplemented by individual country blends from Barbados, Trinidad, Guyana and Jamaica as well as parts of the original Royal Navy Rum.

Married and perfect balanced, the Master Blender's Reserve 2024 was created: a buttery experience up to 25 years old with notes of grilled pineapple, dried mango, baked banana and roasted vanilla sticks.

Details about the bottling:
Age: up to 25 years (Original Royal Navy Blend older: continuously blended from the early 19th century to 1970)< br>Origin: Barbados (60%), Trinidad (25%), Jamaica (5%), Guyana (5%), mixed (5%)
Base: Molasses
Distillation: Column Still, Pot Still & ; Wooden Pot Still
Barrel Type: American & European Oak Casks

Tasting Notes: This is what the Black Tot Master Blender's Reserve 2024 tastes like

• Nose: grilled buttered pineapple with lime, chili and coconut - white chocolate with mint and strawberry ice cream
• Palate: buttery and thick, with manuka honey, roasted vanilla sticks and dried mango - sweet spices balance with sweet citrus fruits, hints of Dark sugar and baked banana combine with sweet melon and guava
• Finish: light notes of licorice balance the tropical sweetness, dried mango with a hint of bitter chocolate and kaffir lime leaves

What is the Black Tot?

Official rum rations were offered throughout the British fleet since 1731. On the long crossings, the sugar cane liquor simply lasted longer Wine, beer or water, which spoiled particularly quickly.
The Navy mainly bought rum in English ports - and became an involuntary blending pioneer.
Man acquired the rum in Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and later Trinidad, but also from other countries when supplies required it. A total of around 18 million liters of this “world blend” was available in wooden vats at any time.
Almost 250 years of technical developments later, the navy was a different place - and drinking alcohol on board was much more dangerous. On July 31, 1970, the seafaring custom was ceremoniously ended.
At 6 glasses for the morning watch (11 a.m.) the last ration of rum was served on board the ships.
This day ended as Black TotDay in the history of British seafaring.

With this “funeral” ( in fact, some sailors wore mourning clothes) the official rum ration (the so-called “tot”) in the British Royal Navy was an end of an era. But: “Black Tot Day” was born - a rum holiday.