Black Tot,

Master Blenders Reserve Rum 2023 Edition

54.5% ABV

For Master Blender’s Reserve 2023 Head Blender, 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 looked to put his own spin on the blend, this year including a rum from Grenada, distilled in 1993, to add depth and accentuate a rich orange oil notes from their perpetual reserve. 

Oliver began with rum drawn from their perpetual blend - the Master Blender’s Reserve from last year. Casks were then selected from Trinidad, Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and Grenada. A higher proportion of the Guyana component was included in this year’s Master Blender’s Reserve, the thick liquorice and muscovado in this rum helps recreate the unique flavour profiles they exhibited over half a century ago.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Cooked blood orange studded with cloves blends with notes of ruby port and cinnamon.

Taste: 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 Blend

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