Black Tot Finest Carribean 5-Year

"Navy style" blend of column and pot still rum from Barbados, Guyana and Jamaica
46,2%abv unsweetened and unchillfiltered
Nosing: Very strong distinct ripe banana note, vanilla, caramel, all quite traditional caribbean blend aromas.
Palate: Dry, caramel, vanilla, bit tannic or bitter on back palate, quite oaky, hint of banana

Ok "navy style", i appreciate the nonsugaring on this one and overall this is a decent rum but not one that i find interesting enough,
i feel like this rum could have been much more special and desirable for rum fans if only pot still rum would have been used (and from my knowledge that is what the historical navy rum was) it is bit too "light" and gentle for my palate and pricewise it cant compete with the likes of Pussers or Woods in the navy rum market.
Im just bit disappointed,
i dont know who this rum was meant for, it does have some merits that usually are of interest for rum aficionados,
no sweetening or chill filtering but in the end you have a product that is quite basic multi island blend,
it is good rum but very overpriced for 35€.
In the end i get a feeling that the Black Tot licence and branding was where the most focus was when making this product, sadly

Nothing spectacular.

Good if you like British style rums. Not exactly my cup of tea, but I can see the potential.

Aroma is light wooden. Taste is complex with combination of wood, earth and fruit. Aftertaste is average and a bit bitter.

Light to medium body of ageing with bit complex notes, a touch of sweetness, some light barrel, a bit of spice and at the end i touch of vegetables like agricole rums...

Navy-like, but not that heavy, not that "Jamaican". Very diverse palette, which is probable an effect of really good rum blending. And with the price above 40 euro... quite a winner. Of course you can go for Pusser's Overproof, but this one is just different and slighly, but noticeably better.

Stunning bottle to start with and when you open it, it has a great mix of smells. As someone who drinks mainly Spanish Latin American/Caribbean rums, this has a noticeably different style. Much less sweet and more complex mix of flavours. Is great over ice and now one of my favourites. Need to try more navy style rums it seems.

Also love the history behind the black tot

Loved it, from the rich smell when you opened the bottle all the way through the tasting g to the aftertaste. I’m my opinion the ‘finest Caribbean rum’ lives up to its title

Tasted at Laka Lono, August 6 2024 - 6 days after Black Tot day
Appearance: gold
Aroma: honey 🍯
Flavor: beech wood, honey, orange, caramel
Notes: this is a complex flavor profile, a rum that should be dumped on a poundcake and served with coconut cream. Delicious.

Tasted at the Kill Devil Rum Club at Laka Lono on 7/31/24. Pours a golden amber color. Aroma is mildly biscuit and mildly Kraft Caramels. Delicious flavor with huge amounts of honey and brown sugar. Notes of sherry, peach, and a bit of chicory. Mild tingling ending to the palate.

7,5:On the nose, the rum's navy profile comes across as soft and round. Gunpowder, iodine and copper are here, we notice smoky, roasted profile with burnt sugar, even funkiness, notes of garlic!Soon exotic fruitiness comes in, the rum becomes woody, it is charred.
Aeration gets us joined gunpowder and fruit. A harmony is created between full-bodied, fruity and now pastry aromas with baking spices and some herbal notes. Almond, dried banana, resin and prune, with hints of quince paste, very dark cocoa and copper with nail polish are nicely balanced.
7,2:On the palate the first attack is syrupy, thick, powdery with caramelized burnt sugar and gunpowder, then nutty, coppery, slightly bitter and astringent notes, buttery and quite balanced.Pastry notes follow.The exotic fruits of the mid-palate are then clothed in cocoa and gourmet spices.
7,5:The finish is spicy, vegetal, buttery, resinous and with molasses, some fruity notes and licorice in the end.