Hey there !
10 people trying 7 navy rums in a blind tasting, what are the results ?
Experimenting with my friends online 
A quick recap for those interested.
The unanimous winner of the evening was Navy from Famille Ricci for RumX. Its balance, the ability to distinguish each rum in this blend, and the overall vegetal, fruity, mentholated, and caroni character made it the standout of the night.
Next, opinions were divided. A tie went to Funky Navy from Swell de Spirits: funky, exuberant, with notes of mango and likely Hampen DOK.
And finally, Veiler Royal Navy: a grand cru, older, bitter, marked by time, but still vibrant, with tangy fruit and grapefruit notes.
And to round off this tie, Black ToT Master Blender 2021, very oily, woody, with a truly dirty leather note. Surprisingly, we really enjoyed it, without necessarily recognizing the predominant role of Trinidadian rums in this blend.
Right behind this top two is Spirit of the Day, very fruity, more so than average, with a super pleasant nose, caramel, and coconut on the palate. Personally, I think it’s my favorite. I was a big fan when it was released, and I’m still convinced.
Finally, there’s Romdelux Imperial Navy. Probably the best value for money. Menthol from the TDL, a touch of sweetness, the beautiful Guyanese oak… it’s a well-integrated blend, easy to drink, and under €100, definitely worth considering.
The underdog is our Planteray, two to five times cheaper than the top-tier bottlings of the evening, but it didn’t disappoint. It offered lovely stewed tropical fruits, but a hint of caramel and speculoos (yum, we love speculoos up north!), which didn’t win everyone over.
Navy Rum fans? The choice is yours. Each offering is different, and that’s perfectly normal; this style of rum, with its rich and changing history, has evolved over time, and each brand makes its own interpretation.
Refs (in picture’s order) :
Spirit of the Day : https://www.rum-x.com/rums/24890/spirit-of-the-day-caroni-navy-rum/
Swell de Spirits : https://www.rum-x.com/rums/25150/swell-de-spirits-hampden-royal-funky-navy/
Famille Ricci : https://www.rum-x.com/rums/25000/famille-ricci-caroni-navy-blend-by-rumx/
Velier : https://www.rum-x.com/rums/26/velier-royal-navy/
Black Tot : https://www.rum-x.com/rums/10535/elixir-distillers-of-london-black-tot-rum-master-blenders-reserve-2021/
Planteray : https://www.rum-x.com/rums/24704/west-indies-planteray-mister-fogg-navy-rum-no-2/
Romdeluxe : https://www.rum-x.com/rums/9697/romdeluxe-collectors-series-no-1-imperial-navy/
So now, what is your favorite Navy Rum guys ?!
Jack
