Pusser's Rum Gunpowder Proof (Black Label)

Rating: 15/23 This rum claims to be the most faithful reproduction available of the British Navy's traditional rum (though oddly it is bottled a little below navy strength). Just like with government cheese, there are a lot of fans of these legendary consumables provided for free by the government. I've long wondered whether it is just people's nostalgia that is the source of all of the praise or whether some borderline-accidentally brilliant products have been lost to the world. This may not be exactly the British navy's rum, but it's as close as I'm likely to get to answering this question. N: Rich and full. Molasses with a tartness nuttiness that makes me think of oloroso. There is some funkiness in here too. I'm having some trouble describing it, but it's definitely in the hogo direction. Soy sauce and barbecue sauce show up at times, adding a savory character. P: Sweet molasses with a bit of caramel and maple even. There's some nice tannic character that suggests woodiness, though this doesn't taste super woody. I get that tartness from the nose, along with the nuttiness. It's not the most aggressive oloroso flavor, but I do get a bit of that vibe. Definitely some spiciness in here with ginger, cinnamon, and even some odd juniper. The standard barrel char mixed with a little bit of fireworks meets some dark Venezuelan chocolate. Hints of some nice meat at times, but not really anything I'd identify as soy sauce or barbecue sauce. I don't get much, but I also get little bits of tropical fruit here and there, mainly banana, lime, and grapefruit. F: The bitter side of the molasses and wood. Funky without having a ton of that firework character to it. Not that complex, but some bits of spices and tropical fruits remain. It's a long-lasting, full finish. - Conclusion - I like this. It's not that refined and it tastes like the aging was either sped-up or faked, but it has several brash flavors all coming at each other, making it fun to drink. It's kind of a nicely complex dark rum with well-executed flavors and a nice fullness. This is absolutely a sippable rum and it would also make a great mixer. It has that Elijah Craig B520 forcefulness, but it lacks the maturity and finesse of refinement and complexity. But the B520 sets an incredibly high bar. This is closer in quality to Plantation Xaymaca, which - although stylistically very different with its tropical fruitiness - has a similar edginess. I don't see this being less than a 14, but I'm struggling to see it above a 16. I could maybe faintly imagine, a 17, but that seems unlikely. Turning to Russell's Reserve 10 - my canonical low 16 for bourbon, but close enough for this I guess - this has some fullness and richness that I love, but it just isn't quite as good. Based on that, this will be a 14 or 15. I'm giving it the 15.

The Bottle: Fairly non-descript, though it looks like it came off of a shelf from 1973. It isn't bad, it just isn't a looker. In the Glass: Just a few degrees into bronze territory from what looks like dark orange if you hold it up to the light. On the Nose: Due to the 54% ABV, you need to add a few drops of water to get near this one. Once it's been tamed a bit, it opens up with some distinct molasses sweetness. There's a heavy, winter, British dessert to this (almost like you need a spoon to get through it) that's then wrapped up in something savory. Distinct black pepper notes to this that play nicely with the sweetness. This sits somewhere in the middle of the field in terms of complexity. Engaging, but not demanding. Taste: This arrives with that molasses sweetness, which then develops a citrus edge and finishes peppery and bitter. It's a fairly quick process from start-to-finish, and it doesn't seem to change much even if you let the glass sit. The savory-bitter note on the end suggests that it would be better in a mixed drink than as a stand-alone sipper(which, to be fair, it isn't billing itself as). I'm not sure that I've ever come across a rum that finishes like this one. I think that the savory-pepper aspect to it could play nicely in a Tiki drink, given that this is an over-proofed spirit; but you'd have to be sure that you get the balance correct. If you're looking for a solid sipper, you should look elsewhere. As a mixer, it would be hard to recommend this one against the likes of the Plantation O.F.T.D or Smith & Cross; but I could certainly see a case for it in the right cocktail.

Caramel covered sugar cookie Nose after 15 min rest: Browned salted butter, spice, medium caramel, dark molasses, dates, slight banana Taste: salted butter, cane sugar, and dark caramel, and molasses hit the palate. The molasses flavor holds out as the others decay. Later on the subtle banana fruitiness emerges with a touch of baking spices on the finish, with a burnt marshmallow/caramel last. Moderately long finish

A higher proof traditional British Naval rum (previously known as Blue Label) crafted with a blending recipe from the Admiralty before being bottled at 54.5% ABV. It has an aromatic birth with notes of sugar cane, stewed & dried fruits, wood, herbs & spices; while a rich & full life adds notes of dates, prunes, slightly overripe figs; that led to a long & dark syrupy death. June 2017

Nose: Citrus, hint of smoke Palate: Woody, earthy, very dark and heavy Finish: Surprisingly mild considering how heavy the flavor is

Notes of raisins (but guess I'm the only one tasting that), pleasant sweetness yet quite strong on it's own (neat)