Pusser’s Night Watch Black Strap Rum 40%

Description

Pusser’s Night Watch Black Strap Rum is a limited edition Pusser’s Rum release. It follows on from other recent limited editions such as the Deptford Dockyard and Pussers Coronation Rums.

A Unique Blend of Guyanese and American Rums

Pusser’s Night Watch Rum is a blend of Guyanese and American Rum and is therefore a slight departure from the classic Pusser’s Rum style. All of the other Pusser’s Rums are 100% Guyanese rum, like the Blue Label or Gunpowder Proof, for example.

This rum will be available from Fareham Wine Cellar later in 2025. Please sign up for notification emails.

Pusser’s Night Watch Black Strap Rum

What do we know about Pusser’s Night Watch Black Strap Rum?

• Night Watch Rum is a blend of rums from Guyana and the USA.
• As the label states, it is a dark rum made with blackstrap molasses.
• The blackstrap rum is distilled at South Carolina’s Hilton Head Distillery using Louisiana blackstrap molasses, considered to be the finest molasses in the world.
• The rum is distilled in a vintage wooden pot still and column stills.
• A blend of rums aged up to one year.
• It is bottled at 40% ABV.
• No artificial colour is added.

What is “Black Strap” Rum?

“Black strap” is a name that is often given to dark, robust rums that are said to be made from the thick, dark molasses. Molasses is a by-product of sugar production, the residue that is left after multiple boils of sugar cane juice. While most rums use molasses, there’s no formal definition of “blackstrap rum”.

This style of dark rum is often characterised by intense, molasses-heavy flavours, typically with notes of treacle, toffee and sometimes a slight bitterness or smokiness. This is often due to added colouring or flavouring (caramel, molasses, etc.). Other examples of this style include Goslings Black Seal and Cruzan Black Strap.

About Pusser’s Rum: The Naval Legacy

Pusser’s Rum takes its name from the Royal Navy slang term of “purser,” referring to a ship’s supply officer. For over three centuries, Royal Navy sailors received a daily rum ration, known as the “tot”. Rum didn’t spoil as easily as beer, and it also took up less space. Of course, it was also a great morale booster when away from home for many months.

Black Tot Day

This tradition, which sailors cherished, ended on July 31st, 1970, a date known in the Royal Navy as “The Black Day”, the day when the rum ration was discontinued. This was mainly due to safety concerns with operating modern machinery. On this day, disheartened sailors mourned the loss by wearing black armbands, pouring tots into the sea, and holding mock funerals, including a notable procession at HMS Collingwood with a black coffin, drummers, and a piper.

Acquired by Charles Tobias

The Pusser’s Rum name remained dormant until 1979, when entrepreneur Charles Tobias revived the tradition. Tobias secured the rights and original blending details from the Admiralty and established Pusser’s Rum Ltd on Tortola. By 1980, he began distributing Pusser’s Rum, allowing civilians to experience the authentic taste of naval rum for the first time.

Pusser’s Rum Charitable Donations, “The Tot Fund”

In return for the Admiralty Recipe, the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC) receives a donation from the sale of each bottle of British Navy Pusser’s Rum. Before this, the money went to The Royal Navy Sailors’ Fund, more commonly called the “Tot Fund”, until it was taken over by the RNRMC.