Black Tot 50th Anniversary

Black Tot's 50th Anniversary rum has a pretty intriguing make-up. With only 5000 released bottles, this full Navy Rum strength (54.5% ABV) offering is a blend of various aged rums from Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados. There's even a small component of the original, infamous Navy Rum blend within it. My first whiff is a combination of cereal, light toffee, malt and rubber. This shifts casually to delightful dark brown sugar with a touch of orange-pineapple-mango jam. I would love to bake cookies with the latter nose as a star ingredient!  My first sip made me say "ooohh this is spicy" and I did a little dance in my seat. After giving it a few minutes to breathe, there's an initial soft sweetness that is met by boisterous charred spices (with prominent anise) and tobacco. It quickly transitions to a drying, nearly bitter, hop reminiscent flavour with subtle mint. While the flavour faded too quickly for my liking, the soothing body warmth from this pour lingered for a while. I enjoy the regional collaboration that this blend represents and feel fortunate to "taste" a piece of history. 7.25/10