“On July 31st 1970, a 300 year old Naval tradition ended at precisely 6 bells in the forenoon watch when the last rum ratio was issued aboard ships of the British Royal Navy – a day to be forever remembered as Black Tot Day.
Original Royal Navy records confirm that the rum used for the rum ration was most likely imported from the West Indies in oak casks by E.D. & F. Man & Co. Official Rum Merchants to the Navy since 1784. It was transferred into large oak marrying vats in the historic victualling warehouses of Deptford in East London, Gosport or Devonport from where it was despatched to British Royal Naval Ships.
With the withdrawal of the rum ratio, the British Royal Navy had little use for the remaining rum stocks which were filled into wicker clad stone flagons and transferred to HM bonded warehouses where it lay undisturbed, being only drawn upon for use in State Occasions and Royal Weddings.
This bottle of Black Tot contains the last consignment of the original Royal Naval rum and was bottled from the original imperial gallon stone flagons into which it has been filled and sealed under HM Customs and Excise supervision in December 1970.”
Remarkably, after 40 years Black Tot will be introduced at 54.3% (94.2° proof), almost exactly original issuing strength. But you’ll have to pay $1,000 a bottle for the privilege of drinking it.
