Black Tot Master Blender's Reserve Cask Strength Rum (700ml) - 2023 Limited Edition

For the fourth evolution of the Master Blender's Reserve, Oliver Chilton has looked to create a blend that is closer to the original Navy rum with a heavier mouth feel and rich notes of wood smoke, espresso and cacao. As always, he has put his own spin on the assemblage, this year including a rum from Grenada, distilled in 1993, to add depth and accentuate a rich orange oil notes from the Perpetual Reserve. As always, the blend begins with rum drawn from the previous year's Master Blender’s Reserve - this works in a similar way to a Solera, whereby one-third of a blend is held back for another year and blended again. In 2023, casks were selected from Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and Grenada (see below for a comprehensive breakdown). Notably, a higher proportion from Guyana component was included, the thick liquorice and muscovado in this rum helps recreate the unique flavour profiles they exhibited over half a century ago.

 These five blends were then brought together and married with the Perpetual Reserve, as well as some of the original Navy Rum from 1970, keeping the liquid history alive. Chilton comments, "With a larger focus on older rums from Guyana and the addition of 30-year-old rum from Grenada, a real sense of maturity and status has developed. It is such a privilege to be able to keep back stock from each blend to mature on and use as the heart of the next iteration of Master Blender’s Reserve, reimagining a blending technique used for so many decades by the rum blenders of the Navy.” 54.5% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

Notes from the producers... NOSE
: Cooked blood orange studded with cloves blends with notes of ruby port and cinnamon
. PALATE
Initially flavours of liquorice sticks, toffee and cherry drops create a rich and full palate with orange marmalade cutting through.
 FINISH
...Rum and raisin toffee and chocolate notes linger in the finish with hints at cinnamon and nutmeg. The full specifications for the blend are as follows:

Guyana: 31.5%

• 1.7% 21 Y.O. (1 Tropical, 20 Continental)Demerara Distillers Wooden Pot

• 3.3% 20 Y.O. (1 Tropical, 19 Continental)Demerara Distillers Wooden Pot

• 4.2% 19. Y.O. (Continental)Demerara Distillers Pot

• 4.9% 19 Y.O. (2 Tropical, 17 Continental)Demerara Distillers Column

• 7.7% 8 Y.O. (5 Tropical, 3 Continental)Demerara Distillers Pot/Column

• 9.7% 31 Y.O. (Continental)Demerara Distillers Column

 Barbados: 18.3%

• 2.0% 27 Y.O. (3 Tropical, 24 Continental)
  West Indies Rum Distillery Pot/Column

• 2.5% Barbados Master Blender's Reserve 2022 BlendPot/Column

• 4.6% 16 Y.O. (14 Tropical, 2 Continental)Foursquare Pot/Column

• 9.2% 8 Y.O. (5 Tropical, 3 Continental)Foursquare Pot/Column

Jamaica: 9%

• 3.5% Jamaica Master Blender's Reserve 2022 Blend
  Pot Still

• 5.5% 6 Y.O. (3 Tropical, 3 Continental)Worthy Park Pot

Trinidad: 19%

• 2.7% Trinidad Master Blender's Reserve 2022 Blend
  Column

• 4.3% 15 Y.O. (8 Tropical, 7 Continental)Ten Cane Column

• 4.4% 16 Y.O. (7 Tropical, 9 Continental)Trinidad Distillers Column

• 7.6% 14 Y.O. (10 Tropical, 4 Continental)Trinidad Distillers Column

Grenada: 2.7%

• 2.7% 28 Y.O. (15 Tropical, 13 Continental)
  Unknown Column

 Perpetual Blend: 19.5%

• 19.0% Perpetual Blend - Master Blender's Reserve 2022
  Pot/Column

• 0.5% Perpetual Blend - Original Royal Navy Rum Blend
  Pot/Column