Dark Rum & Royal Navy
Darker side of rum is the perhaps the most direct expression of the raw materials which go in the making of this spirit. Dark Rum is historically black and originally developed in Guyana. With a sweet base that is rich & mellow, Dark Rum enjoyed huge popularity for most of the 20th century. Dark Rum is often heavy with obscuring caramel, but when stripped down, it is heady & rich and a powerful spirit.
Matter of Aging
Like with most spirits, darker the color, the older they are expected to be, it is the same with Dark Rum too. Inky depths of Dark Rum typically result from extended contact with molasses & caramel which eventually lend them a heavy, fat & sweet character.
Dark Rum & Royal Navy
Members of the Royal navy were entitled to a ration of rum for centuries. This practice started as a health precaution because water on-board did not stay fresh for long in sea. Eventually, this became a tradition and subsequently a lucrative trade on land too. The rich Dark Rum style of spirit developed in Guyana and which went on to become the center of Navy rum alongside other types of punchy rums from Jamaica.
Other quite popular rum was, the Lamb’s which typically combined a spectrum of 18 types of rums in a traditionally tannic foursquare blend including rum from Trinidad. Nevertheless, Dark Rum will always be linked to the Royal Navy when hard working sailors were given a daily tot. However, this tradition was discontinued in 1970 when it was forever scrapped and which came to be known as the Black Tot Day.
Famous Dark Rum Brands
Even now, Dark Rum is big business including the likes of Damerara, Pusser’s, Wood’s 100 and Lamb’s. However, there is more to Dark rum than these famous brands. While Gosling’s Black Seal provides Dark Rum a distinct Bermudan twist with spiced treacle and black-fruit sweetness, Myer’s from Jamaica is perfect for richly accented cocktails.
Moreover, fully aged Dark Rums are not just about caramel & molasses. Reserva Limitada is a great example which is matured at altitude within a solera ageing system.
