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Isle of Wight HMS Victory Navy Strength rum

Isle of Wight HMS Victory Navy Strength

United Kingdom | Aged | 57% ABV

2.0/10
1 rating
Barely drinkable, hard to swallow
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1 Isle of Wight HMS Victory Navy Strength Ratings

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Charles M 🇬🇧 | 149 ratings
Posted over 5 years ago

If I am honest, I find all these attempts to push out a sophisticated rum based on what was served to navy ratings of old, to be a flawed concept. The rations that the British navy served were pretty rough and ready. They weren't trying to be sophisticated as those drinking it couldn't give 2 figs as to whether it was smooth or even tasted good. It came down to the more alcohol it had, the better.

The bottler's website states that it "is a fine blend of aged demerara rum from Guyana, Trinidad and Jamaica". It isn't. Tastes to me a blend of young rums, devoid of sophistication. There is little charm to it at 57% ABV with far too much alcohol masking most of its flavours, if there are indeed any good ones there in the first place. Adding a bit of water to see what's there, doesn't reveal anything I would go back for. In fact, I would rate this far below something like Chairman's Reserve.

I look at more of the blurb on the website. It states "Reminiscent of the taste of traditional ‘Rum Tots’ issued on board naval ships." As mentioned earlier, the traditional tot was served to the dregs that joined the navy and is a pretty poor standard to aim for. That people think that it holds some mystique is a mystery to me. Its a bit like Hogarth's "Beer Street and Gin Lane" and saying those that were comatosed were sophisticated and got drunk on a sophisticated alcohol.

And then the real poppycock. "The rum has been refined and rested in oak barrels using an oak stave from HMS Victory herself, adding an extra depth of character from the Royal Navy’s most illustrious warship." What complete and utter cobblers. An oak stave from HMS Victory giving extra depth of character!! That just goes to show that it is completely style over substance.

If it was bottled at 40% then maybe a 3 or a 4. Bottling it at 57% is just nasty. One to avoid, and thankfully I only have a 5cl bottle of it! And then there is the price. On their website it is GBP46 a bottle. I know that the 57% will attract a higher duty but even so, this is a complete rip off. As I say, it's below Chairman's Reserve which is a third of the price.




Brand Details

Name: HMS Victory Navy Strength
ABV: 57%
Type: Isle of Wight
Raw Material: Unknown
Process: Unknown
Distillation: Unknown
Women Led Rum: No