Elixir Distillers of London Black Tot Rum Last Consignment

The Last Consignment is Elixir Distillers of London's bottling of the final remnants of the British Royal Navy's rum stocks, the literal end of a centuries-old ration tradition, which is why enthusiasts treat it as liquid history. It is a navy-style blend in the English idiom, dark and full bodied, built on a Demerara backbone with the molasses-heavy, characterful weight that style implies.

Almost black in the glass, it pours thick and opens on old wood, black liquorice, leather, prune and molasses, with the wooden-still smoke and depth that mark Guyanese rum running through it. Bottled at cask strength, it stays dense and savoury, with dark chocolate, dried fruit and spice on a long, woody finish. This is a serious, brooding rum for experienced drinkers who value scarcity and history as much as flavour, and it asks to be sipped slowly.