Black Tot Royal Navy

I've had British Navy Rum from an old flagon, from the Castle Brands release of British Royal Navy Imperial Rum, and the Black Tot. In blending the Black Tot for consistency, they've really done something special. They took the bite out of the high-proof dog, and added layers of complexity. From a single flagon, the rum is in your face, with singular notes. This tasted like an aria... complex, layered. It's sweeter, but I won't count that against it. At the top.

So, I had this a couple years ago at place called Hogo in DC, which is unfortunately closed now. I ponied up $50 for a one ounce pour on two occasions. Once for me, and a second time to share with a history nerd friend of mine.

So, this rum is not very palatable. It has some nice notes of leather and tobacco with a backdrop of diesel.....or perhaps more like hydraulic fluid. It totally lived up to its expectations. If the military was in the business of distilling spirits, this is the product you would get.

That all being said, if you get a chance to drink this.......do it! Imagine yourself toasting a victory at Trafalgar, or sinking the Bismarck, or suffering from scurvy somewhere in the south Pacific. While this is not the best rum in the world, it is a great way to celebrate and experience how rum played a small part in affecting our world.

Now that I've tried most of the Navy Rums, it's time to try the original. I would like to remind you that Charles Tobias from Pussers company acquired the rights of the original blend from the British Royal Navy in 1980, as this is relevant in the conclusion.
I know from sailor reports that this rum should taste dark and earthy. I am expecting a Black Tot 50th style rum with more complexity and maybe dirty notes of a caroni.
Let's see what we have here.

Smell: A very dark smell escapes from the glass, which partly reminds me of Pusser's Gunpowder Proof but also of Black Tot 40. I first notice molasses, lots of liquorice and burnt sugar. The smell seems stale, there is some cold coffee, a slight medicinal note (some disinfectants smell of it) and smoked wood with a hint of wood varnish. You can smell that the rum is strong and earthy. In addition to the slightly medicinal note, a fruity note of dried fruits, especially blueberries, is noticeable. The fruit appears overripe or rotten in this composition.
I expected something similar from this rum, it met my expectations. That stale and dark aroma seems to be overaged however. If that were a modern pussers blend, I would have pointed out a few wrong aromas.

Taste: The taste starts slightly sweet with burnt sugar, some molasses and liquorice. It has very dark aromas and seems earthy. Tannins with a slight bitterness take over the taste. The rum quickly increases in spice and brings out old, wet wood. It tastes earthy in the middle, dried fruits with blueberries can be found in the background. The finish is sharp and long with wood, tannins and earthy barrel notes. Blueberries are again in the background.

Aftertaste: molasses, liquorice, medicinal notes, dried fruit with blueberries

Conclusion: The rum seems clearly overaged or stale. The taste lags behind the smell.
Licorice and molasses as well as blueberries are the main notes of its character. I guess the fruits were more present earlier. It probably tasted a little fresher and less stale 50 years ago. In any case, it has clear parallels with Pusser's rum, which continues its legacy to this day. There are parallels with the old version of the 150 proof, which was more medical and with the current Guyana version, which is more molasses heavy.
The Black Tot 50th is the best imagineable representation of last consignment. I mixed a fresher Tot in the Last Consignment style with more molasses and fewer wrong aromas and can now understand what the sailors liked about it. It was a kind of cola in form of rum.
Dark, earthy, fruity flavors were probably less common in the 1970s. We know such flavors from Pepsi or Coca Cola. That is why such a taste was probably particularly prominent in the past.
At the same time, it could scare off the inexperienced palate and flatter the experienced, and certainly made the old sailors laugh when they watched the newcomers drink their first ration.
As much as I love the Black Tot 50th and appreciate the Navy Rum, I cannot rate the Last Consignment with more than 85 points. It has clear signs of overaging and also very clear some wrong aromas. I hope you still want to try this piece of history and appreciate this rum.

Overall rating: 85 points

Sweetness: 1.5
Fruit: 2/5
Spice: 3.5 / 5
Complexity: 2.5 / 5
PL (700 €): 2/5 (here I have to take a historical aspect into account)

Sweet ginger cake and vanilla on the nose, very pleasant. Tropical fruit and sticky ginger cake palette. Harsh finish at first followed by toffee.

Very impressive blend of different styles. Very well balanced.

Tastes like nothing else. Leather, toabacco. Like Pussers but harsh and sophisticated

This one is smooth and has quite a bit of character. I had this one neat over dinner at a restaurant and loved it. Never heard of it, and only tried it off of the bartenders recommendation. After sitting for a while, the taste was still the same. I love when I can find a rum I can slowly sip without the flavor profile changing too drastically. The color of this rum is pretty dark, not too sweet and not too potent.

Very impressive blend of different styles. Very well balanced.

I bougth this bottles from a bar that was shutting down. Honestly they didnt know what they had. Great elixir. Nose full of chocolate, mix spices and dark old fruit. The palate its just an explosion. You can taste the oak and the flavors of the nose. And even tough is strong in alcohol, it goes down quiet easy. Without to much bite.

Its just a must have Navy Rum expresion.

The story and history behind it is more of interest than the rum it self. Most places that have it have a shot for $100-200, but it's not an orgasm in a glass. It was made for a bunch of sailors in the 70s.