From the Royal Navy's rum ration to its own brand
The name Pusser's comes from the slang of the Royal Navy: this is what the sailors called their “purser,” the supply officer who distributed the daily rum ration for centuries. This tradition ended on July 31, 1970, the so-called Black Tot Day, when the Admiralty officially abolished the daily issue. Nine years later, former US Marine and world sailor Charles Tobias convinced the British Admiralty to let him have the original blend recipe and founded Pusser's Ltd. in 1979 on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, where it is still blended and bottled today.
In 1990, Tobias sold the brand to Jim Beam in the interim, but later bought it back and continued to run Pusser's as an independent company. As part of the agreement with the Admiralty, the Royal Navy Sailors' Fund, known as the “Tot Fund,” still receives an ongoing donation from worldwide sales today – originally two US dollars per case sold, with an initial check for 10,000 pounds in 1980. This connection to the Royal Navy still shapes the brand today.
Craftsmanship from the Demerara Valley: wood, molasses and patience
The molasses for the rums comes from the Demerara Valley in Guyana, a region known for its sugar cane production since the 17th century and which once housed 300 of its own sugar cane distilleries. The character of the Admiralty blend is primarily shaped by the distillate from the double wooden Port Mourant still, which first went into operation in 1732 and is still the basis of Navy rum distillation today. The “Greenheart” staves of these old wooden stills have absorbed organic aromas over decades, which give the rum a depth that machine-made rums cannot achieve. After distillation, the rum matures in charred bourbon oak barrels, which brings additional softness and aromatic complexity – with at least three years of barrel aging. Artificial colors and flavors are deliberately avoided, entirely in the spirit of the original Admiralty recipe.
The 15-year-old and the legacy of “Nelson's Blood”
The flagship of the range, the Pusser's Rum 15 Years, is produced in small batches and appears dark amber with aromas of Demerara sugar, molasses, dried fruits and spicy notes, carried by a full, round body and a warm, long finish. The nickname “Nelson's Blood” refers to the legend of Admiral Nelson, whose body was allegedly preserved in a barrel of rum after the Battle of Trafalgar. In addition to the 15-year-old, Pusser's carries other styles such as the overproof Gunpowder Proof, which reflects the historical Admiralty strength. The 15-year-old is suitable for tasting neat at room temperature, but also as a base for the cocktail classic Painkiller, which Pusser's helped to shape.
