Pusser's British Navy Rum is billed as the authentic British Navy rum. Upon the bottle it is stated as "Naturally full and rich. No flavoring agents used." meaning that no spices, flavors, or sugars are added after distillation and maturation, all the flavors come naturally from the authentic Navy recipe and the way in which the proprietary spirit is distilled. A quick trip to the Pusser's Rum website yields a plethora of rum history and information of this spirit that clinches this as being in fact the real deal. So what is British Navy rum? That requires a brief history lesson first. I will paraphrase it, but if your appetite is truly whet then I suggest you go straight to the Pusser's site and read on there…

Beginning around 1655 British seamen serving aboard naval vessels were allowed a daily ration of rum. The portion seamen were rationed was given neat (i.e. pure rum). In the mid 1700's the ration was cut with water and other ingredients supposedly to curb drunken behavior. The resultant rum drink was named Grog based on the nickname of the British admiral who instituted the alteration to the ration. The tradition lasted well into the 20th century where in 1970 it was finally abolished by the Royal Navy. The rum that had always been used was produced by the Navy and was never distributed to the general public.

The original Navy Rum was traditionally dark rum, and from what I gather the term "Navy Rum" was apparently used as a moniker for some dark rums. In fact other rum exists with "British Navy Rum" on the label. So why is Pusser's the real British Navy Rum?

Enter entrepreneur Charles Tobias, CEO of Pusser's Rum Ltd. Mr. Tobias approached the Royal Navy around 1979 and secured the rights and the original blending information from the Admiralty to produce the authentic British Navy Rum exactly as it was made for three centuries. Apparently this is a blend of 5 West Indian Rums and proprietary distilled Rum. Pusser's actually owns the original, 200 year old wooden pot stills acquired from the British Admiralty to distill their proprietary rum. These are proclaimed as the last two remaining wooden pot stills in existence.

What about the strange name? Well as their website says, "it's very simple". It is a sailor's corruption of the word "Purser". The Purser was the officer on the ship in charge of all the goods on board, including the rum. He released the rum for use in the ration. Thus the rum was known as "Pusser's Rum". Therefore "Pusser's" is a fitting name for the company and the current spirit.

So what does it taste like? Well at the time of writing it is the only "sipping" rum I have tasted. Prior to this I can only say that I've had "mixing rums" like Bacardi dark and Malibu Classic. Both were used for mixing with colas or in other cocktails, never neat or for the individual flavor. I bought Pusser's mainly on its pedigree and my experience with tasting Whiskeys (that and I'm a naval history buff…just having a bottle of authentic Britsh Navy Rum has an appeal)…therefore bear with me if I describe it more like I would a single malt (and this is touted as the "single malt of rum" by Pusser's).

I have been nosing and sipping it out of a tulip glass as I write. The color in the glass is a rich auburn. The nose is strong but not overpowering. First I notice a medicinal, rubbing alcohol scent. This gives way to a rich nutty aroma reminiscent of walnuts or Nutella (Hazelnut Butter) and possibly dark chocolates. The palette is at first light and sweet with a slightly syrupy mouthfeel. It then becomes peppery, holding it in the mouth longer it then takes hold of the tounge and the rum flavor and alcohol comes through, strong but never burning. There is a bit of citrus and possibly dried fruit. It has an intense warming sensation as you swallow, felt all over the mouth…ever so slightly numbing. One can continue to feel it warming as it goes down.

The finish is sweet and flavorful, somewhat fruity and complex but no fruits I can put a finger on, almost cognac-like. I wonder if it has been aged in wine casks, but perhaps this is from the aged wood staves of the pot stills. The finish lasts for a long time…hours…becoming woody with traces of brown sugar and slightly minty. I imagine sipping this on a cool autumn day…or perhaps having a dram on a cool wet day aboard a sailing vessel, to warm the body I suppose. Although I guess rum should conjure up images of the Caribbean or perhaps Pirates swaggering on a deck as they pursue a galleon of the Spainish main. I guess it's my knowledge of naval history that puts me into a cool reverent mood while drinking this latter day incarnation of "Nelson's Blood". And Pusser's does point out that it is a bottle of liquid history -- that's my kind of drink.

Now I can't know how it stacks up to the "real" British Navy Pusser's Rum, since I'm far too young to have ever been able to serve in the Royal Navy during the ration to have tried it. If it tasted at all like this I think I know at least part of the reason why the last day of the rum ration in the Royal Navy is known as "Black Tot Day". In any case, even at face value without the pedigree, I enjoyed this rum very much. I took mine neat, though I suppose next time I will cut it with some purified water or maybe add a fresh rock to allow it to open up some and reveal more complexity. I would call it a crime to mix this with anything, as it is just as enjoyable as a premium single malt. However, Pusser's has a recipe for the original Grog on their website that looks so tasty that I may just have to try it. Maybe the next time I sit down to watch Master and Commander or A&E's Horatio Hornblower series…

This rum definitely opens up the world of rum to me. It won't be the last one that I buy for tasting. That said, without any basis for comparison I will not rate this spirit...yet. However I will say that my top shelf would not be complete without a bottle of this. Hopefully I'll have an opportunity to purchase it in one of their decorative decanters.

Overall British Navy Pusser's Rum makes for a very enjoyable dram, and best of all, at around $20 US you won't need to spend all your "prize money" to enjoy it regularly. So when its time to "Splice the Main-Brace" raise a glass of British Navy Pusser's Rum to toast everyday, to our ships at sea, our men, ourselves, a bloody war and quick promotion, a willing soul and sea room, sweethearts and wives – may they never meet, and absent friends and those at sea.