Elixir Distillers of London Black Tot Rum Master Blender’s Reserve 2023

Black Tot Master Blender's Reserve 2023 is a navy style blend from Elixir Distillers of London, drawing on rum from several countries. The navy idiom is a blending category rather than an origin, classically leaning on dark, molasses rich Guyanese rum, and that Demerara backbone is clearly the engine here. It is bottled at cask strength and built as a robust, full bodied sipper.

A blend of pot and column still rum, it shows dark chocolate, dried fruit, wood and caramel on the nose, then chocolate, dried fruit, leather and firm oak on the palate, with a roasted, woody, dried fruit finish. The Guyana influence brings a dark, slightly tarry depth, and at 54.5% there is real weight, leaning darker and woodier than the lighter releases in the range. This is one for drinkers who enjoy bold navy blends and heavier Guyanese profiles, best taken slowly and neat so its roasted, leathery layers have room to settle.