Pussers Rum Gunpowder Black Label 54.5 Percent ABV

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The term was later also applied to the mix of rum, water, lime juice and sugar that was doled out to sailors to prevent scurvy. This may sound slightly mad and at times this interview will reveal the slight craziness of its creator BH Simpson. After the pipe of “Up Spirits” the final tot was poured at 6 bells on the forenoon watch (11:00 am).

For myself a quick refresher I enjoy is mixing the rum with tonic water and a slice of orange (preferably a low-sugar, full-flavour tonic like Quina Fina, another local hero). It’s less intense, even though it is based on the same blend, with slightly less alcohol by volume than the original strength, Gunpowder Proof expression. The final rum ration aboard Royal Navy Ships was served on July 31, 1970, henceforth known as “Black Tot Day” in the Royal Navy.

While there is no codified definition for what makes a navy rum, there are some guiding principles that are mostly agreed on. Pusser’s Rum Ltd was set up in Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands, to bottle and distribute the rum. Royal Navy rum gave rise to two enduring traditions: the concept of proof and the term splice the mainbrace. With a slightly different blend of ‘spices’ this rum was intended to evoke the smells of HMS Victory which I once visited in Portsmouth – all tarred rope, oak, canvas and tobacco. While I remember well the bottle of 1930’s Jamaican rum I once had the privilege to enjoy, this is not a rum I can lay my hands on ever again.

I’m soon to start bottling the second batch, which will be twice as many bottles to try to keep the rum-lovers happy. The place one finds oneself at any given moment is the result of many influences in a person’s life. One such is an annual release begun last October and timed to coincide with the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, an important date in the history of the Royal Navy. Named in honour of a naval tradition that helped prove the rum wasn’t watered down, this bottle is thick with dried fruits, pepped-up by bright citrus notes. Of course such a titanic producer has a certain inertia and so has taken some while to recognise the changing expectations of many rum drinkers.The age declared here is the youngest rum in the bottle, which has been matured in oak for extra flavour. American sailors also had the option of forgoing their spirit ration and receiving an additional three to six cents a day in wages.