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Dead Reckoning Three Continent Blend (TCB)

Is this new Dead Reckoning Rum a 3 continent indy rum bottling or a science project? Well both! Follow along with us:

  • Rum sourced from 3 countries (Guyana, Vietnam, South Africa)
  • The Guyanese rum is a 3-still blend (is this a blend of a blend?)
  • The rums (aged between 3 and 5 years) then married into an ex-Makers Mark Bourbon cask
  • That Barrel was then rolled into the Adelaide sun every day for 18 months
  • Some crazy angel share/ABV magic happened
  • Bottled at a perfect 50.3%

We are thrilled to present the latest Dead Reckoning super juicy fruit, fruit salad of a “hot house rum” – The Dead Reckoning 3 Continent Blend!

Now we know that Dead Reckoning has been producing some absolutely sensational rums up in the Adelaide Hills. We’ve also seen that the peculiar micro-climate of the area causes the ABV of casks matured here to INCREASE over time. The incredibly low average humidity of the area means that water is drawn out of the casks at a faster rate than the alcohol. With over 12 degrees difference in average minimum and maximum temps in summer (over 8 degrees difference in winter), combined with the frequent temperature and barometric extreme events of Adelaide means any cask maturing here is really working!

But what if the natural bizarre climate and its effects got you wondering… what if MORE? What if you were to somehow turbo-charge this ‘Adelaide Dry Aging’ phenomenon?  What if you could somehow ramp-up an already insane maturation environment? 

What if… you put a barrel of rum on a wheeled rack and rolled it out into the Afternoon sunshine every day for… let’s say… 18months? (Yes this is what actually happened!) Not only would you use the heat of the direct sun to warm it (up to 52 degrees as it turned out!) but the twice-daily movement of the barrel would add agitation to the list of factors ‘boosting’ this ‘hands-on’ finishing treatment.

But first – you’d need a rum with shoulders big enough to take this… abuse? … torture?… SCIENCE! Justin had already Mhoba and Sampan in mind as he’d never heard of a blend from these countries (South Africa and Vietnam) before. However, he felt this pair needed a third with some real ‘oomph’ to give the blend some muscle. And a 3-still blend of Guyanese Rum at 68%abv was just the steroid this gym-junkie-to-be needed. In the end the ratio was 8% Guyana, 56% Mhoba and 36% Sampan. So this is a blend of both molasses and cane-juice based rums from three continents – hence Three Continent Blend or TCB.

These rums already ranged between two and 5 years of age prior to their ‘Dead Reckoning’ treatment.  They were married into an ex-Makers Mark Bourbon cask and tortured for a further 18 months under Justin’s hellish regime. Every afternoon the rack was wheeled over to the roll-a-door which was (un) ceremoniously opened to allow the full hit of the afternoon sun to smash it (in summer) and warm it’s icicle-ey  (well.. not quite icicle-ey I suppose) bones in winter. Once the sun went down, it was wheeled away and put to bed for the night. I’m not sure if Justin read it a story, or tucked it in – but I’m sure it went to bed each day knowing it was truly loved J

And so what was the result of this ‘Hot House’ treatment?  Well firstly, and objectively, a massive 27% angels share by volume accompanied by a 7.8% increase in ABV. Yep, the blend went into it’s finishing cask at 42.5% and has come out the other end at 50.3%. Both of those numbers are really quite astounding. But, when all the scientific dust is settled, what’s really important is … what does it taste like?

a hand-made, single-barrel, family-run, farm-to-bottle, artisanal-production Cachaça

Our Tasting Notes:

Nose: Wow, well first of all it’s a HUGE hit of yummy yummy fruit salad. Then there’s brown sugar, sultanas and subtle wafts of sweet “polythene glue making everything so sweet” (to quote Brisbane’s Regurgitator – a much better earworm). It’s just so big and sweet and… nosey. I could sit here nosing this for a week! It’s all-at-once earthy, floral, meaty AND fruity sweet!

Palate: The mix of still types gives this a creamy mouthfeel, but still a sense of ‘crispness’ of the column still. A medium pepper hit – but that tames very quickly and is much subdued by the second sip. There’s more funky tropical fruit here, but also liquorice, sweet caramel and even some very tame leather notes.

Finish: That big sweet funky ester train just keeps on a-rollin’. The pot still percentage keeps the oilyness going well into the finish – real chewy stuff. So many sweet fruits and lolly-memories tumble and spin and dash in and out.

This is a big, juicy and utterly delightful rum that is also a bit of a chameleon on your palate. Just when you think you’ve got it pegged, you pour another glass and find a new note that reminds you of something almost-forgotten from your childhood. In the subsequent drams since first penning these notes I’ve also picked up milk-bottle lollies, honey-jumble biscuits, tinned pineapple, sherbet and even a bubble gum from my very early days as a kindy kid in Switzerland who’s name I’ve forgotten – but I certainly remember that taste. It’s a rum you’re going to want another of to see if you did taste that… and another just to be sure.

  • PRICE : $139

  • ABV : 50.3%

  • BOTTLE: 700ml

  • REGION: Guyana / Vietnam / South Africa / Australia (SA)

  • No Added Sugar / No Added Colour

FROM DEAD RECKONING

Welcome to Australian hot house rum – otherwise known as Dead reckoning TCB.

I wanted to create a blend using three rums from three distilleries from three different continents. I also wanted to use Cane juice as well as molasses based rums. The Rums used for the blend was Guyana/South Africa/Vietnam. To my knowledge, I have not seen a blend with Mhoba or Sampan before. With the 3 stills used from Guyana it’s a blend within a blend. 

The Blend ratio : Guyana 8%, Mhoba 56%, Sampan 36%

Bourbon cask aged – 2-5 yrs Tropical & Australian dry aged 1 1/2 years 27% angels share.

A 3 still Guyanese blend – Port Mourant double wooden vat single retort / Enmore Coffee twin column  / Diamond Versailles single wooden vat single retort ) bourbon cask tropical aged Molasses based, Mhoba pot still rhum American oak African aged cane juice , Sampan rhum column still pure sugar cane juice

The South African and the Vietnamese just didn’t have enough backbone to it when I was playing around with the blend, it needed something with balls so the Guyana blend although it was only a minor component definitely gave it the foundations I was looking for

For this experiment, I decided to age a barrel of Rum in my steel sided garage in Adelaide South Australia. The Barrel used was a level three char 200 L EX makers mark bourbon Barrel.

I made a barrel rack on wheels and wheeled the barrel into the afternoon sun, every single afternoon for the 18-month period.

Then overnight it was brought inside where it naturally cooled down, its effect – opening and closing & contracting the internal oak barrel grain. Another factor to take into consideration is whilst it was wheeled twice a day, the rum was agitated / sloshed around.

Internal Barrel temperatures reached a maximum of 52° and a minimum of 2° over the ageing period of 1 1/2 years. In the shed – Lowest humidity reading was 15%, highest 88%. As well as a huge 7.8% increase in ABV over the 18 month period.

As an Indy bottler, it’s nice to be able to play around with things, try different blends, experiment and ultimately leave your fingerprint on a release. The end result on this experiment is a spirit that tastes well beyond its true age, rich viscous with layers of Stonefruit flavours.

ABOUT DEAD RECKONING

Justin Boseley, has immersed himself in rum for the past 20 years; a journey starting as a deck scrubbing lad with a thirst for Rum and adventure culminated in him becoming a Chief Officer; driving billionaire’s mega yachts around the world. This life of salty seadog adventure took him to Rum’s heartland, the Caribbean islands for 6 months a year, every year.

When he wasn’t at the helm of a mega-yacht he could be found hanging off a bar or at a distillery sampling the best the Caribbean rum scene had to offer. Upon ending his days at sea there was only one thing he knew better that navigating around the world’s oceans- that was Rum. For 10 years Justin has scoured the globe discovering & importing the world’s best rums into Australia.

Dead Reckoning is Australia’s first independent rum bottler, and each release from his bond-store is an anticipated event that never fails to please!  The Rum Tribe is incredibly proud of our close association with Justin and the Dead Reckoning brand.

ABOUT MHOBA

Nestled amongst the rolling hills of the Onderberg district of Mpumalanga and amidst our own sugarcane fields, you can find The MHOBA Rum Distillery: An artisan distillery where we make 10 different types of Pure Single Estate Sugarcane Rhum or Pure Single Sugarcane Rhum.

Unlike most traditional rum, which is made from molasses which is the by-product of refined sugar production, MHOBA rum is made from pure sugarcane juice. Our rum is 100% pot distilled from fermented sugarcane juice and contains no additives, colourings or flavour modifiers and is therefore termed Pure Single Rum; The rum equivalent of Single Malt Whiskey.

What makes MHOBA rhum even more unique is that the whole rum making process occurs on our sugar estate. From planting our own organic sugarcane right through to hand filling and labelling our bottles after distilling in our self-designed and self-built stills, MHOBA Rhum is 100% rum that is made by us.

ABOUT DISTILLERIE INDOCHINE

A team combining more than 35 years of experience in the field of wines and spirits, but above all, a group of friends dedicated to bringing together in the same project, their love for rum and their attachment to Vietnam. Antoine Poircuitte, the Master Distiller, driven by his passion and experience, wanted to bring back to taste a family tradition in order to elaborate the best Vietnamese agricultural rum.

The one and only place in Vietnam where you will be able to discover a French still and a traditional ageing method surrounded by a pristine beach! It is the ideal place for all lovers of Artisan rum who want to enjoy their tastings in a heavenly setting.

The harvesting time of Sampan production takes place at the end of each day. Harvesting done by hand means a low per-hectare yield but enhances a better juice concentration. To ensure maximum freshness and a high-quality juice cane, the canes are always delivered within 12 hours of harvesting, directly at our production site.

ABOUT DIAMOND DISTILLERY GUYANA

In 1993, there were only three distilleries still operating in Guyana (Diamond Distillery, Uitvlugt Distillery and Enmore Distillery). By 2000 only Diamond Distillery remained. Luckily (for the rum world), the stills and expertise from the Uitvlugt and Enmore Distilleries were transported and housed at the Diamond Distillery. These 4 ‘Heritage Stills’ (three of them wooden!) are still in use today at Diamond Distillery. And the Guyanese component of TCB is a blend of all of those stills!

Boutique-y Rum Diamond Distillery 18 Year Old Unconfirmed Still – September 2022

Boutique-y is BACK! But this absolutely fantastic 18-year-old, limited release, pure rum all the way from Guyana does have a certain air of mystery about it! There are only 970 bottles of the Boutique-y Rum Diamond Distillery 18yo rum worldwide and the Rum Tribe have the entire Australian allocation…yep, exclusive to the Tribe!

Our Rum of the Month is this sensational rare, pure, aged, single rum from Guyana.  Yes folks, a pure, unadulterated Demerara rum from Guyana’s legendary Diamond Distillery.  Not just any old Diamond Distillery rum, no less than an 18-year-old, pure rum, with no added sugar, colouring or flavouring, presented at a close to cask strength bottling.

Boutique-y Rum Diamond Distillery 18 year old

What about the mystery you say? What we DO know about it is that it was distilled in the Diamond Distillery in Guyana in 2001.  It was then aged in 2 ex-bourbon casks for 10 tropical years in Guyana then shipped to Europe for 8 years of Continental ageing. Both the casks were then disgorged and married together, then bottled at a healthy 51.3% ABV.

What we DON’T know about the Boutique-y Rum Diamond Distillery is exactly what still it was distilled in. You see, Diamond distillery has 4 ‘Heritage Stills’.  In 1993, there were only three distilleries still operating in Guyana (Diamond Distillery, Uitvlugt Distillery and Enmore Distillery). By 2000 only Diamond Distillery remained.  Luckily (for the rum world), the stills and expertise from the Uitvlugt and Enmore Distilleries were transported and housed at the Diamond Distillery.  These 4 ‘Heritage Stills’ (three of them wooden!) are still in use today at Diamond Distillery. And this rum came from one of those stills – we just don’t know which one!

More info on the four Heritage Stills can be found here.  

That Boutique-y Rum Company is a UK indy bottler who have a no nonsense approach to rum.  They search the globe for fantastic barrels of rum, then ship them to the UK for further aging. Once they are happy with the rums maturation, they then bottle the rum, the whole rum and nothing BUT the rum.  You see, like us, TBRC are all about pure rum – be it single cask, single distillery or blended – we want the rum, and just the rum! No colouring, no sugar and nothing else added.

Boutique-y Rum Diamond Distillery 18 year old

Boutique-y Rum Diamond Distillery Tasting Notes:

Nose: Deliciously rich and sweet on the nose – a real tropical fruit salad with bananas, pawpaw and passionfruit immediately apparent which becomes a more candied fruit aroma as it opens up. Some earthy notes with vanilla and cinnamon also adding to the fray. 

Palate: Initially drier on the palate than the nose would suggest.  A brief burst of pepper follows but then sweeter fruit notes emerge and more vanilla shines though.  The oak comes through (as it would at 18yo) as a pleasant, earthy, ‘old’ smell.

Finish: That oaky, mustiness flows through and lingers alongside flashes of stewed fruit, pineapple (or is it passionfruit?) bursts and memories of fruit tingle lollies on the tongue.

The Boutique-y Rum Diamond Distillery 18yo ‘Undisclosed Still’ is delicious, and rare, pure, aged rum. It’s immediately apparent on the first sip that you’re experiencing something truly amazing. I’d like to say ‘wait till you give your friends a taste’ – but I’m not sure you’re going to be that generous with this one!

  • PRICE : $149

  • ABV : 51.3%

  • BOTTLE: 500ml

  • REGION: Guyana

  • NO Added Sugar/ NO Added Colour / Non-Chill Filtered

Boutique-y Rum Diamond Distillery 18 year old

FROM TBRC

Come join the fun as we invite you to play ‘Which Still Is It Anyway?’

Join Boutique-y Pete in his shiny game-show-host-suit as we challenge you to guess which of the Heritage Stills this delicious bottling was produced on.

Was it?

  1. the Versailles
  2. the Enmore Column
  3. the Port Mourant
  4. the Savalle

Will the truth be revealed? Boutique-y Pete has his suspicions.

Tasting Notes: 

Nose: A zing of green apple skin in the background, with ginger and cinnamon spice alongside barbecued, caramelised banana, with just a hint of machine oil peeking through.

Palate: Initially rather woody, with damp oak leading into toffee penny, just a touch of smoke and underripe tangy pineapple.

Finish: Old leather alongside fruit and nut milk chocolate, with sweet, plump raisin lingering.

ABOUT TBRC

Following in the footsteps of sibling brands That Boutique-y Whisky Company and That Boutique-y Gin Company, That Boutique-y Rum Company (TBRC) is here to bring delicious rums to confirmed geeks, adventurous rookies and the rum-curious.
TBRC is all about delicious, unusual and honest rums, which means they adopt a no BS approach to classification. They aim to provide a total understanding of the liquid in the bottle so you can navigate and explore the category with confidence. No confusing mumble, just exceptional rum.

You won’t hear TBRC talking about dark and light rums, but you will hear them getting excited over everything from pot still rums from single distilleries to multi-column rums from multiple distilleries. They aim to provide a total understanding of the liquid in the bottle so you can navigate and explore the category with confidence. No confusing rumbo-mumbo-jumbo, just exceptional rum.

Dead Reckoning – HMS Antelope – January 2022

In the spirit of kicking off the new year in a BIG way – we’re leading 2022 with a brand-new Dead Reckoning release the Dead Reckoning HMS Antelope. A distinct blend of 5 world class rums from Australia, Jamaica, Trinidad, Guyana and Barbados…this Navy Strength (55% ABV) is a smooth flavour explosion typical of Dead Reckoning and The Rum Tribe gets the first taste!

This is the 3rd Dead Reckoning Rum release (following The Sextant and Mutiny ‘South Pacific’) and they have all been HUGE hits with the Tribe. All different but all exceptional and the Dead Reckoning HMS Antelope is great, complex and well balanced combination of flavours and a homage to ‘Navy Rum’.

The Dead Reckoning HMS Antelope pays homage to ‘Navy Rum’ with a blend of four-year-old pot still Rum from Australia (in fact Australia’s oldest distillery), 3–5-year-old column still rum from Trinidad, three-year-old pot still rum from Jamaica, 2–5-year-old pot and column still Rum from Guyana plus to round it off three-year-old pot and column still Rum from Barbados (Foursquare).

True to Justin’s ethos of adding nothing to the rum (until it’s poured in a glass that is – then all bets are off!) – the Dead Reckoning HMS Antelope is made entirely without any colouring or added sugar or flavours.

Dead Reckoning HMS Antelope

This release is very personal to its creator – Independent bottler, Justin Boseley. Not only is the Dead Reckoning HMS Antelope an ode to traditional Navy Rum – it also pays tribute to a Royal Navy ship with an impeccable WW2 record, and is dedicated to one of the sailors who served aboard her – Justin’s Grandad, Sidney Boseley – This rum is dedicated to Sid.

‘Navy Rum’ is what the Royal Navy (interestingly, the RAN never served a rum ration to its sailors) served as part of the revered ‘Rum Ration’ or ‘Tot’ to their sailors. Starting as early as 1655, the RN’s daily ‘tot’ began as beer or wine, but gradually it changed to rum. By 1790, the ‘rum tot’ was standardised over the whole of the RN.  Of course, it was cut with water and lime juice (to combat scurvy) – and the rum itself was no stranger to colouring (ie caramel) and sugar (however no such additives in any Dead Reckoning release). ‘Navy Rum’ was blended from rums from around the world (obviously mainly British colonies). 

To be considered a ‘Navy Rum’, its minimum strength must be 54.5% ABV or higher. It is widely considered that a ‘true’ Navy Rum should contain aged rums from at least two or more of the following colonies: Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, and Trinidad.

There was never an official Navy rum recipe. Whilst there was almost certainly a flavour profile it changed over many decades. Through out time Rum from Caroni in Trinidad, Martinique, Cuba, Australia, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Antigua, Saint Kitts and Nevis and the Virgin Islands has been used. 

Dead Reckoning HMS Antelope

Dead Reckoning HMS Antelope Tasting Notes:

Nose: Banana-ey funk at first but then it’s more a banana custard with subsequent sniffs which shares the spotlight with sultana aromas. A tropical fruit presence is there also- with fresh fruit notes and floral hints.

Palate: Thick and rich and oh so creamy. Real Christmas pud spices and a bug dollop of home-made custard in this one but those tropical vibes from the nose don’t give up either! So much delightful fruity sweetness! There is a slight funkiness in the mouth, but very mild – and acts to tie in the rest of the flavours rather than sitting apart and dominating them.

Finish: Lovely and long and with a jumble of fruitiness, more cakey spices and a nice touch of mild pepper creeps around it as it fades.

Look, I won’t be mixing this one (much). It’s just so good on it’s own in this swabbee’s humble opinion. Just a great, complex and well-balanced combination of flavours that swirl around each other without any one of them taking control or dominating. So easy to sip, so little alcohol burn, so … well so bloody good! Now I’m going to stick my neck right out on this one – it’s also fantastic in a ‘Moreton Bay Mud’ – Ice, milk, rum.  Simples. Best drunk in an enamel cup at low tide on a sand bar at dawn with a bacon and egg sanga! Optional garnish – esky full of fish on ice from the overnight session in the boat.

  • PRICE : $149

  • ABV : 55%

  • BOTTLE: 700ml

  • REGION: Australia, Jamaica, Trinidad, Guyana and Barbados

  • NO Added Sugar/ Non-Chill Filtered

FROM DEAD RECKONING

I felt a tribute to not only my grandpa but all those sailors that served in WW2 was needed in the rum world. Stories of my pops days at battle and his daily TOT were a mainstay in my child hood, whilst playing darts and snooker at the local RSL.

This rum blend came from the heart, I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did creating it, To Sid  !

Tasting notes courtesy of Cody Banks from Hains & Co bar in Adelaide.

The HMS Antelope immediately jumps out the glass with a mix of sweet, rich plums and dark cherries. Sweetness turns slightly spicy with a whack of soft liquorice anise and gentle ginger. This rests on a subtle honeycomb backing that is neither too sweet or cloying, simply adding structure to an already interesting nose. 

The nose is thick and cakey, as the ABV starts to show itself so too does the tropical fruit funk of the Jamaican start open up. Pineapple skin, papaya and green apple skin present as much fresher tropical notes than the more usual over fermented stew of pineapple, mango & bananas many straight Jamaican rums have. 

Thick and viscous on the palate, it retains a great amount of fresh tropical fruit, stone fruit also presents itself via apricots and orange melons, intertwined with dark berries and plums. 

As the palate evolves, so too does the fruit, turning darker and spicier as it lingers longer. This is certainly reminiscent of great navy rums of old, as it descends into true dark molasses, pimento, ginger and anise. 

A long finish of blackcurrants and spices, I would recommend drinking this at its bottled 55%, water doesn’t do this true navy rum justice.

THE STORY OF SID AND THE HMS ANTELOPE

The Sailor 

Sidney Boseley was born and raised in Kent, England_. Like tens of thousands before him, When the call for arms was put out to serve King and country, Sid enlisted in the Royal Navy . Sid served on the British destroyer HMS antelope between the years of 1939 to 1945. 

The Ship 

HMS antelope was an A class destroyer ,323 feet long with the top speed of 35 kn ,displacement 1773 tons, Her armaments consisted of 4 x 120 mm guns, 2 x 40 mm anti aircraft guns , 2 x quadruple 21 inch torpedo tubes & six Depth charge chutes

WW2

On the outbreak of the Second World War the destroyer HMS antelope was assigned to the 18th destroyer Flotilla, channel force, based in Portsmouth. For the rest of 1939 and early months of 1940, antelope carried out patrol and convoy escort duties in the English Channel and western approaches. On on 5 February 1940, antelope was the sole escort of the outbound Atlantic convoy 08 84 south of Ireland when the German submarine U– 41 attacked the convoy, sinking the freighter Beaverburn and damaging the tanker Ceronia. 

Antelope retaliated, by depth charging and sinking the U boat. It was the only you boat at sea at the time in the area and was the first U boat in history to be sunk underwater by a single destroyer. 

Norway 

In April 1940 antelope was attached to the home fleet for operations as part of the Norwegian campaign. Antelope after operations in Scapa flow collided with the destroyer Electra. Antelope then returned to the UK for repair. 

Atlantic Operations

August 1940 antelope sailed in a convoy to take part in operation Minus the attack on Dakar west Africa. During the convoy antelope encountered the German U-boat U-31 of North West Ireland. Depth charges from the antelope drove U-31 to the surface where her crew abandoned ship. Antelope attempted to board U-31, but collided with the unmanned submarine damaging the destroyer and sinking the boat. Antelope rescued 44 of the German U-boats crew and returned them to the United Kingdom. 

And August 1941 antelope to park in operation Gauntlet ,antelope formed part of the escort for the Arctic convoy to the Soviet Union.

Antelope formed part of the destroyer escort for the battle cruiser Hood and battleship Prince of Wales in the chase for the German battleship Bismarck. Separated from the battleships during the battle of the Denmark straight antelope then searched for survivors from the sinking of the Hood of which only three people survived. 

Malta 

Antelope sailed to Gibraltar in 1942 escorting US aircraft carriers in an attempt to deliver badly needed 62 spitfire aircraft to Malta. During this convoy they were under constant attacked from German U boats and the German Luftwaffe. 

Antelope took part in another 5 escorts delivering an additional 55 more spitfires and much needed military supplies to Malta in May. 

Antelope was then based off west Africa, antelope escorted troop convoys taking part in operation Torch, the Allied invasion of West Africa.

In July 1943 antelope took part in operation Husky the Allied invasion of Sicily .

On June 5 and six 1944 ,the antelope took part in D- Day.

Dead Reckoning ‘The Sextant’ – December 2020

Welcome to the world launch of a new rum brand! Yes, this month we take on the world with the world-wide release of the ‘Dead Reckoning’ rum brand – and we are beyond stoked to be able to showcase it for the first time ever, anywhere!

As is only fitting – The Rum Tribe members will be the first IN THE WORLD to taste this new rum. With only 330 individually numbered bottles produced – we’ll be accounting for the vast majority of the entire world supply of this release! Bad luck, rest of the world – but the Rum Tribe gotta rum!

Blended from 4 major distilleries, Dead Reckoning is the baby of rum legend, Justin Boseley – ex- mega-yacht captain, and nowadays importer of high quality rums into Australia. ‘The Sextant’ adds yet another feather to Justin’s enviable cap – rum blender and brand owner!

‘The Sextant is a blend of 4 Caribbean rums from FourSquare (Barbados), Worthy Park (Jamaica), Angostura (of the ‘bitters’ fame) and Demerara (Guyana) all blended into the Dead Reckoning ‘The Sextant’ here in Australia.

Dead Reckoning ‘The Sextant’ is a 5 year old Column still rum from Trinidad (Angostura), a 3 year old Pot still rum from Jamaica (Worthy Park), a 5 year old pot and column still rum from Guyana (Diamond Distillers). To round out the palate Justin has selected a 3 year old pot and column still rum from Barbados (Foursquare).

All the rums used in The Sextant are 100% tropically aged, then bottled & blended in Australia at 49% ABV.

Our Tasting Notes:

Nose: A huge funky fruit salad – bananas jump at me first, then sweet pineapple and pawpaw. All wrapped up in a creamy egg-nog envelope.

Taste: A deep velvety demerara rush coats the whole mouth at first then a warm spice hit cuts through… and the tropical fruits come through again! A very long finish with luscious stewed fruit with just enough spice to contrast, but not overpower, the delicious lingering sweetness.

Dead Reckoning ‘The Sextant’

  • PRICE : $139


  • ABV : 49%


  • BOTTLE: 700ml


  • REGION: Trinidad, Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados


Dead Reckoning ‘The Sextant’

FROM THE BOTTLERS

DEAD RECKONING, in navigation, dead reckoning is the process of calculating current position of some moving object by using a previously determined position, or fix, by using estimations of speed, heading direction and course over elapsed time

A sextant is a doubly reflecting navigation instrument that measures the angular distance between two visible objects. The primary use of a sextant is to measure the angle between an astronomical object and the horizon for the purposes of celestial navigation.

Dead Reckoning ‘The Sextant’ Rum Release is a step back in maritime history, a masterful blend of four offerings from Justin’s favourite distilleries. A well balanced mix of rums from arguably some of the finest distilleries in the world.

It is well known the British royal navy’s daily rum ration or ‘Tot’ was a mainstay of life upon the seas. Rum sourced for the now legendary tot was often procured from the chain of British colonies around the world. Some of the rums selected for Dead Reckoning releases have been loved and recognised for 3 centuries and have fortified many a thirsty mariner.

Dead Reckoning ‘The Sextant’

ABOUT THE BLENDER AND DISTILLERIES

Justin Boseley

Justin, has immersed himself in rum for the past 20 years; a journey starting as a deck scrubbing lad with a thirst for Rum and adventure culminated in him becoming a Chief Officer; driving billionaire’s mega yachts around the world. This life of salty seadog adventure took him to Rum’s heartland, the Caribbean islands for 6 months a year, every year.

When he wasn’t at the helm of a yacht he could be found hanging off a bar or at a distillery sampling the best the Caribbean rum scene had to offer. Upon ending his days at sea there was only one thing he knew better that navigating around the world’s oceans- that was Rum. For 10 years Justin has scoured the globe discovering & importing the world’s best rums into Australia.

Having an intimate knowledge of the Australian market, Justin identified space for unique, rare blends. Enter Dead Reckoning Rum. An Australian Independent label specialising in master-mixed rum blends, single casks and some rare, forgotten ‘barn-finds’ of the Rum world. Justin has his sights set on truly unique and memorable releases by his label.

The Diamond Distillery

Located in Guyana is the culmination of a rich history of Rum making that stretches back to the 1650s. In its heyday it boasted over 300 sugar estates, each with its own still producing world class Rum.

However, over the centuries, a process of amalgamation saw the various estates combine, with only a small number of unique stills surviving the test of time. The heritage stills as they are now known have all been relocated to Diamond Distillery on the banks of the Demerara River under the governance of Demerara Distillers Limited.

Foursquare

The owners of Foursquare Distillery, the Seale family, can trace its roots on Barbados back to the 1650s, and can reference five generations of rum-making expertise dating back to 1820. The establishment of the foursquare brand, however, came much later. While the family could lay claim to one of Barbados’ oldest trading houses, Reginald Leon Seale was prohibited, like other traders, from selling rum directly to consumers under the Barbados Excise Law. Solution? Establish a distribution business in Bridgetown. In the early 1900s R. L. Seale was born.

Despite being sat in the middle of a sugarcane plantation, foursquare are forced to import most of their molasses from Guyana. Surprisingly, given the number of different brands of rum produced at foursquare, they utilise a singular fermentation practice. Using distillers yeast imported from South Africa, the two-step process is computer temperature controlled, progressing very slowly molasses is added during the latter stage over a period lasting 24 hours. Rums produced at foursquare are all a blend of pot and column stills. Blends are undertaken both before and after ageing, with all casks filled with various blends of the pot and column stills. Master distiller Richard utilises American oak, ex whiskey casks for the majority of Foursquares’ rums, often also experimenting with Sherry, Madeira port & Zinfandel casks which offer nuanced variation in flavour.

Worthy Park

Worthy Park has been producing rum intermittently since the 1740’s. There was an oversupply of Jamaican Rum following World War II and under agreement with the Spirits Pool Association of Jamaica production was ceased in 1962. After being out of the distillation business for decades, the Clarke family decided in 2004 that there was room for a Jamaican rum, made with quality ingredients by distilling in the Traditional Jamaican Pot-Still method, however with modern efficiency, utilising state-of-the-art equipment. In 2005, the new distillery was complete! By 2007, the flagship brand of Rum-Bar Rum was launched and has forever changed the Jamaican rum industry.

Angostura

The House of Angostura’s award-winning rums are steeped in nearly 200 years of tradition. Dr. Johann Siegert first produced aromatic bitters in Angostura, Venezuela (today called Ciudad Bolivar) in 1824 to use as a tonic in his medical practice. In the 1870s, he and his three sons migrated to Trinidad, where they began to produce their aromatic bitters on a larger scale and add them to cocktails.

Angostura rums are column-distilled using a combination of two rigs. The first is a large single column system responsible for their heavy rum production. Their five-column setup handles the light rum production. If such a setup sounds familiar, it’s largely on par with Puerto Rican Rum production, as a point of comparison. The idea is to keep enough flavour components on hand while also ensuring a clean spirit. According to Angostura’s long-serving—though now semi-retired—master distiller John Georges, you want to keep “just enough of the funky stuff”.