Pusser’s Rum 50th Anniversary Rum. To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Black Tot day on the 31st July 2020 Pusser’s have decided to release this Limited Edition rum. Only 3,600 bottles of this rum will ever exist.

For those unfamiliar with Pusser’s, they purchased the rights and recipe to produce a Navy Rum, which recreates the blend used by the British Royal Navy. Founder Charles Tobias formed Pusser’s Rum Ltd in 1979.

This particular rum is an “upgrade” on the Gunpowder Proof version of Pusser’s. Unlike the recently re-released and re-blended Pusser’s 15 Year Old this has been released at “Gunpowder Proof” of 54.5% ABV.

Pusser’s Rum 50th Anniversary Rum is an aged blend of rums which was put together at the West Indies Rum Distillery (WIRD) back in 2015. The rums in the blend were already 3 years old at this point, so we are dealing with a 7 year old rum blend. This rum was made to the specification last used by ED F Mann, a famous supplier of rum to the British Navy.

It is a blend of Pot and Column distilled rums from Guyana and Column Distilled rum from Trinidad. There is a heavy emphasis on the rum from the historic Port Mourant Wooden Pot Still.

Currently Pusser’s Rum 50th Anniversary Rum is available at Nauticalia, as the name suggests the website focuses on Nautica themed gifts and accessories. It retails at £54.99 for a 70cl bottle.

Presentation wise we have an opaque black bottle with gold lettering. It’s really difficult to catch and even see in real life but there is a ship on the label. It’s really difficult to make out though! I really like the presentation particularly the gold anchor on the chunky cork stopper. They have went for a flat topped stopper. It looks really good on the shelf!

Price wise I am actually quite surprised that it isn’t more pricy. I’m not complaining though. It will be really interesting to try a more aged version of Pusser’s at Gunpowder proof.

As you might expect I’m quite excited to try this rum and get a review out. It would have been ideal to wait till Black Tot Day and do a review but that’s about 8 months away!

Not a chance so let’s get cracking!

In the glass Pusser’s Rum 50th Anniversary Rum is a very dark brown – mahogany with vivid red flashes around the edges.

The nose is familiar. It has a lovely sweet toffee and raisin aroma similar to the current 15 Year Old, mixed with some of the Gunpowder menace. So we get a nice hit of dark chocolate and aniseed. Undoubtedly from the Port Mourant. This is indeed very heavily influenced by the Port Mourant.

Further sipping reveal some ginger and star anise. There is a nice spicy oak overlapping the sweetness and a warming molasses note. Slightly bitter and smoky.

Sipped it is not as sweet as the nose. This is a rich, warming Licorice heavy initial sip. The mid palate reveals toffee, molasses and dark chocolate. This is tempered by some heavy ginger and some heat from the alcohol. It’s a hairs on the chest kind of sipper.

It’s unmistakably a Navy style rum. It does however have more complexity than most. Finish wise its long and spicy with lots of spice especially ginger and some white pepper. A touch of clove and some slight mustiness.

If you are a Pusser’s fan this will not disappoint. It is almost the best of both worlds in terms of the more refined notes of the 15 Year Old mixed with the punchier notes of the Gunpowder proof. It is certainly giving me food for thought about an increased ABV Pusser’s 15 Year Old.

It’s every bit as good as I hoped it would be and if you like Pussers or Navy style rum in general you will really enjoy the bottling.

Fantastic stuff.

Up Spirits!