Back to Antigua – back to the place where Dead Reckoning truly began. Picture Justin Boseley stepping off a superyacht after fourteen long days at sea, sunburnt, salt‑stung, exhausted… and then seeing it: a bar stacked high with the Caribbean’s finest rum. That first pour wasn’t just a drink. It was a moment. A spark. The beginning of a love affair between sailor and spirit that still drives every Dead Reckoning release today. This new Antigua PX bottling is a deliberate return to that origin point, a tribute to the island that shaped Justin’s palate and set him on the path to creating Dead Reckoning as we know it.

Of course, this release is Rum Tribe‑only. No retail shelves. No second batch. No “maybe next year.” This is a single‑cask, never‑to‑be‑repeated bottling crafted exclusively for our members – the kind of release that becomes a bragging right the moment it sells out. Those who secure a bottle will be telling the story for years. Those who miss it… well, they’ll be hearing about it for years.

Only one Antigua rum has ever come from Dead Reckoning before – the legendary Nelson’s Dockyard – and it became a cult favourite almost instantly. Reviewers raved. Collectors hunted. Members who missed out still talk about it. This new release isn’t a repeat; it’s a new chapter built on the same DNA. If you were lucky enough to secure Nelson’s Dockyard, this bottle completes the story. If you weren’t, this is your second chance at redemption.

The Dead Reckoning Antigua began its journey at the Antigua Distillery in English Harbour – the home of the famed English Harbour Rum. Distilled from a fermented molasses wash, the spirit ran through the distillery’s uniquely constructed 100% copper column stills (right down to the nuts and bolts). These stills produce an exceptionally clean, ultra‑refined spirit, coming off at an impressive 95% purity.

After distillation, the spirit was first aged for 2 years in Antigua in an ex-bourbon barrel before being sent to S.A. where it was lovingly transferred into a 60 year old Pedro Ximenez cask for one year, then (as if that wasn’t enough love for one cask of rum) back into a fresh ex-Makers Mark American-oak barrel and then left for four more years to age in the dry Adelaide climate. A total of 7 years in wood.

The rum itself has lived a life worthy of the Dead Reckoning name. It spent two full years ageing in the Caribbean, soaking up tropical heat and humidity before making the long journey to Adelaide. There, it endured five more years of dry ageing – a brutal, low‑humidity environment where the angels take more than their fair share and the rum that remains becomes concentrated, muscular, and intensely expressive. Ageing rum in South Australia isn’t a passive process. It’s a battle. A negotiation. Justin checked this cask constantly, ensuring the spirit evolved without losing its Antigua soul. This is rum shaped by weather, geography, and relentless human oversight.

Then came the gamble: a secondary maturation in a Spanish PX fortified wine cask. PX is powerful. PX is sticky. PX can overwhelm a rum in a heartbeat. But Justin didn’t just roll the dice – he monitored the cask obsessively, ensuring the fortified wine added depth, not dominance. The result is a beautifully judged balance between the structure of bourbon cask ageing, the lush sweetness of PX, and the bright, unmistakable character of Antigua rum. Nothing is lost. Everything is elevated.

So before this closes, here’s the truth: if Dead Reckoning has ever impressed you – if you’ve ever tasted one of Justin’s rums and thought “damn, that’s different” – this Antigua PX is the one you cannot afford to let slip away. Seven years of ageing. A PX finish that could have gone wrong at any moment. A cask that demanded constant attention. A flavour profile that hits the perfect balance between boldness and restraint. This is Dead Reckoning at its most confident, most refined, and most story‑driven.

Our Tasting Notes:

Nose: Somewhat woody on the nose at first pour.  But give it a minute or two in the glass, a swirl and some warmth and the nose opens right up. The oak notes become more of a table supporting big almost (but not quite) funky fruity notes with rich crème brulee and lovely vanilla-ery floral notes there as well.

Palate: Very easy drinking for 53% – no burn, just gentle warmth. Rather dry on the palate at first then sweet tropical fruit crashes through and it becomes lots creamier in the mouth. There’s also a definite nuttiness that appears adding richness and roundness to both the flavour and mouthfeel.

Finish: A medium finish that sees that sweetness on the palate become dry again. Bitter licorice, dark chocolate , espresso and a slight oak-ey mustiness alongside vanilla and even some choc-orange notes as it fades.

Wow – this is a bit of a chameleon, constantly changing its colours. Woody to sweet, dry to rich and creamy, and back to dry again… all with a lovely nuttiness I usually find in red-wine barrel aged spirit. This is real ‘talking rum’ – you’ll want someone to drink it with so you can talk about what you’re tasting. In fact – it’s so intriguing its downright conversational!

From Dead Reckoning

Back to where it all began. Each year after 14 days at sea driving a Superyacht from Spain to Antigua, the site of a bar stacked with the Caribbean‘s finest Rum was always a welcome site. 
The myth of sailors and Rum isn’t just a fairytale. It’s a love affair that is still enjoyed today.

This is the second Antigua rum to be released for dead reckoning. The first Nelson’s dockyard was held in very high regard with rum lovers and reviewers. 

This rum has been sitting in Adelaide South Australian dry ageing for 5 years now, this is on top of the two years Tropical ageing in the Caribbean. 

My aim with the secondary maturation in a Spanish PX fortified wine cask was to add additional layers of flavour profile & complexity. Secondary maturation in fortified Wine casks in the extreme weather conditions and low humidity in South Australia is something that has to be checked and maintained regularly. It’s all too easy to overcook something losing the true identity of the Rum you first added to the Barrel.

This release is a fine balance between the bourbon cask and fortified wine.

EVERY RUM OF THE MONTH PURCHASE GOES IN THE DRAW TO WIN A LIMITED EDITION DEAD RECKONING ‘KEITH PAYNE’ VITORIA CROSS RUM!

About Dead Reckoning

Dead Reckoning is an independent rum label built on adventure, authenticity, and a refusal to bottle anything that doesn’t tell a story worth sharing. Every release is a limited, single‑origin or single‑cask rum sourced from across the Caribbean and beyond, then shaped by Australia’s fierce climate to create deeper, richer, more expressive profiles. The brand has become known for its transparency, its maritime soul, and its willingness to take risks – unusual cask finishes, dual‑hemisphere ageing, and rums that proudly keep their distillery character intact. For many in the rum community, Dead Reckoning represents the sweet spot between craft independence, adventurous blending, and a storyteller’s instinct for drama.

Behind it all is Justin Boseley – sailor, adventurer, and the beating heart of the brand. His career at sea took him through the Caribbean, where long days on the water ended in rum bars stacked with treasures. Those nights sparked an obsession that eventually became Dead Reckoning. Justin’s approach is hands‑on and deeply personal: he selects every cask himself, oversees maturation in Adelaide’s punishing heat, and treats each release as a chapter in his own journey. His reputation in the rum world is built on honesty, grit, and a palate shaped by thousands of nautical miles. In short, Dead Reckoning is Justin – restless, bold, and always chasing the next great rum story.