London-based Elixir Distillers has announced the fifth annual release of its Black Tot Master Distiller’s Reserve rum, set to launch globally on July 1, 2024.
The 2024 edition spotlights Barbados, the cultural birthplace of rum, featuring a blend with 60% rum from renowned distilleries Foursquare, Mount Gay, and West Indies Distillery. Oliver Chilton, master blender at Elixir Distillers, noted, “For this new release, we wanted to focus on the warmth and fruit of rums from Barbados, which has given us a foundation of juicy pineapple, lime, and sweet melon.”
Since the introduction of the Master Distiller’s Reserve in 2020, Chilton has employed a perpetual blend as the backbone for the annual releases, enhancing it each year with unique variables to craft distinct flavor profiles. The 2024 edition also incorporates older Jamaican blends for added intensity, along with rich rums from Guyana and Trinidad, including a rare selection from the closed Caroni distillery.
Tasting notes for the Black Tot Master Blender’s Reserve 2024 include aromas of grilled, buttered pineapple with lime, chili, and coconut, leading to flavors of dark sugar, baked banana, sweet melon, and guava on the palate.
Dedicated to transparency, Black Tot Rum provides a detailed breakdown of the 2024 blend on its website. This edition is aged in a mix of American and European oak casks and is limited to 3,000 bottles worldwide. It is offered un-chill filtered at 54.5% ABV, retailing for £145 (US$184) for a 700ml bottle.
Black Tot Rum originated in 2011 when founder Sukhinder Singh acquired stone flagons filled with rum from the Royal British Navy. As with previous releases, these original navy rum flagons from the 1970s were used to honor the first Black Tot release, The Last Consignment.
