Black Tot reveals fifth annual release

London-based Elixir Distillers has unveiled its fifth annual release of Black Tot Master Distiller's Reserve rum.

Following the success of previous releases, Black Tot rum's 2024 limited edition will launch globally on 1 July. The 2024 edition focuses on Barbados, the cultural birthplace of rum, and includes 60% rum content from Foursquare, Mount Gay and West Indies Distillery. “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,” said Oliver Chilton, master blender at Elixir Distillers. Since the debut of Master Distiller's Reserve in 2020, Chilton has used a perpetual blend as a backbone for the annual release paired with variables to create a unique flavour profile each year. “I knew I wanted to highlight Barbados and then bring in some of the older Jamaican blends that we created a few years back for added intensity. We also used some deep, rich rums from Guyana and Trinidad, including one from the closed Caroni distillery." Black Tot Master Blender's Reserve 2024 offers 'notes of grilled, buttered pineapple with lime, chilli and coconut' on the nose, followed by 'hints of dark sugar, baked banana, sweet melon and guava' on the palate. Black Tot Rum promotes transparency and provides a detailed breakdown of the 2024 blend on the brand's website. The 2024 edition is aged in a combination of American and European oak casks and is limited to 3,000 bottles worldwide. The expression is offered un-chill filtered at 54.5% ABV and retails for £145 (US$184) for a 700ml bottle. Black Tot Rum began its journey in 2011 after founder Sukhinder Singh purchased 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 pay homage to the first Black Tot release, The Last Consignment.