Portsmouth Distillery Dark Navy Rum is a classic Navy-style rum. It is coloured and slightly sweetened with sugar cane syrup to give it its mahogany colour and deep, rich flavours. This dark coloured rum is bottled at a Navy Strength of 54.5% ABV. With Portsmouth’s naval connections, it was surely only a matter of time before a Navy-style rum appeared!
Portsmouth Distillery was established in 2018 by ex-Naval officers Vince Noyce and Giles Collighan. Vince and Giles shared a mutual love of rum, and the distillery was founded to make a Portsmouth Rum, but rum takes time to mature. In the meantime, the gin boom was in full swing, and they were ideally placed to take advantage with their very successful Fort Gin.
The distillery’s spiced Cinnabar Rum and flavoured Forum Rum were released early on, but the real aim of the project is to release aged rums. They have since released the 3-Year-Old 1812 Rum and, in 2024, the first 5-Year-Old 1747 Rum was released. The Portsmouth Rum range is completed by the 1968 White Rum and the Mutiny Coconut Rum. All of these are available to buy at Fareham Wine Cellar.
The rum is produced at Fort Cumberland, located at Eastney Point at the entrance to Langstone Harbour. The base for all of their rums is essentially the 1968 White Rum, an unaged white rum. This is made from powdered sugar cane juice is imported from Costa Rica which is then rehydrated at the distillery. The sugar cane syrup is then fermented. This is a long, slow fermentation (their very first fermentation took 4 weeks or so) before being distilled through the distillery’s 500 litre pot still (nicknamed Sophie Wu) and 4 plate column still. Sugar cane juice produces a different, more aromatic style of rum than those made from molasses. The rum is then matured in barrels at the Fort, or flavoured, depending on which rum it is going to be.
Portsmouth Distillery Dark Navy Rum is a three-way blend of the 1968 White Rum, the 3 Year Old 1812 Rum and the 5 Year Old Rum. The rum is coloured and slightly sweetened, with the same sugar cane syrup that is used to produce the rum. Unlike the rest of the distillery’s range, most of which is bottled at 41% ABV, this is bottled at a British Navy Strength of 54.5% ABV.
Nose: Subtle sweet treacle, tropical fruits, burnt banana, and rich raisins, with hints of burnt oak, vanilla, molasses, nutmeg, caramel, and floral notes.
Palate: Rich and decadent, with an explosion of flavours from all three rums. Expect caramel, citrus peel, tropical fruits, toffee, pear drops, and overripe bananas, balanced by delicate vanilla, toasty oak, and a spicy warmth.
Finish: Medium-length, clean, and warming, with lingering toffee, slight bitterness, and a well-rounded mouthfeel.
Perfect for sipping or crafting robust cocktails. Drink neat or over ice.
It is also great with ginger beer, ice and a wedge of lime.
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