Black Tot concludes Master Blender’s line
London-based Elixir Distillers has released the final annual edition of its Black Tot Master Blender’s Reserve rum.
Following the brand update of Black Tot earlier this year, the Caribbean rum brand has launched its latest rendition of Master Blender’s Reserve.
The limited edition release will be available alongside the brand’s Historic Solera and Finest Caribbean Rum.
The Master Blender’s Reserve 2025 features a ‘perpetual blend,’ consisting of a portion of rum reserved from the prior year’s release, along with additional elements, ensuring the final blend varies each time.
For its final release, the core of the blend features Guyanese rum, complemented by traditional navy rum components from Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad.
Notably, the blend includes a single cask from Trinidad’s closed Caroni Distillery.
Additionally, the blend contains a special portion of the original 50th Anniversary edition, which has been further maturing in an ex-Sherry butt since 2020.
The 2025 release displays aromas of black liquorice, dark chocolate, and overripe banana, with notes of Valencia orange juice, anise, dry cinnamon, mint, and fennel on the palate. On the finish, the expression offers additional notes of grapefruit and acacia honey.
Oliver Chilton, master blender of Black Tot Rum, said: “We went back to the beginning of our journey, layering diverse, rich, heavy flavours in a very traditional, naval rum style. In this case, we have not only a nod to 2024 but also a tip of the hat to one of our originals, the 50th Anniversary bottling.
“It is a privilege to get to work with these incredibly high-quality rums when creating each edition of Master Blender’s Reserve. With every iteration, we learn more about blending rum and how we can take inspiration from techniques from the past to create our future.”
The final Master Blender’s edition is offered at 54.5% ABV and is limited to 3,000 bottles.
Available worldwide from July, the expression has a recommended retail price of £145 (US$198).
Historic blend
The rum commemorates Black Tot Day on 31 July 1970, when the Royal Navy stopped sailors from receiving their daily ration, or ‘tot,’ of rum – a tradition that had lasted over 200 years.
Black Tot Rum was introduced in 2010 when Sukhinder Singh, co-founder of The Whisky Exchange and Elixir Distillers, acquired stoneware flagons containing the last shipment of Royal Navy rum.
Elixir bottled some of these flagons as Black Tot Last Consignment to mark the 40th anniversary of Black Tot Day in 2010.
Many of the flagons used in the blend of Black Tot 50th Anniversary, released on 31 July 2020, are also included in the annual Black Tot Master Blender’s Reserve. The limited edition has been released every July and contains some of the rum from the ‘last consignment.’
Related news
Trump's big bill backs spirits wholesalers
