Black Tot Master Blender’s Reserve 2021 (54.5% abv)

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, to which we added layers of fruit-driven flavours 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 flavours 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 flavours 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.

Black Tot Master Blender’s Reserve is inspired by the philosophy or Royal Navy rum blending. It displays a wonderful range of origins – from Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica, Barbados, Australia, our Black Tot 50th Anniversary Rum and the Royal 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.