Two potent powerhouses from British Navy Pusser's and a zombie meets a bacon/ orange caramelized Loligo Vulgaris - by Jan Ohrt

$Two potent powerhouses from British Navy Pusser\'s and a zombie meets a bacon/ orange caramelized Loligo Vulgaris$

Rum blogger Jan Ohrt takes you on a voyage from the days when ships were made of wood, powered by the wind and crewed by men of a very special kind. We'll taste the strong stuff from Pusser's Rum Ltd, which claims to still produce the most historic and traditional rums on the market today. We'll also try our hand at a fierce zombie and sink our teeth into a 10-armed octopus.

Blogpost by Jan Ohrt

Now, such a daily tot may not seem like much to the seasoned and hardened rum drinker, but the navy had been granted permission by the royal family to distill slightly heavier strengths for purely practical reasons. The rum was stored below deck along with the powder kegs, so it was important that in the event of a leak from a rum barrel, it wouldn't destroy the powder supply so that it could still ignite reliably even if it had been slightly rum-infused. Hence the term "gunpowder proof" and it was easy for the crew and soldiers themselves to test the strength before drinking it. It should be noted that licenses were also issued to load barrels of gin in the same enjoyable strength, but these were drunk by the ship's officers, who would rarely condescend to drink rum when on a long voyage. Water and beer were not a viable option for quenching the crew's thirst, as the heat of the tropics quickly caused such things to spoil and, of course, took up a lot more space below deck and, as a bonus, scurvy could be kept away from the crew when lemon juice was added to the liquor. However, this all came to an end on July 31, 1970 on Black Tot Day, as it was no longer felt that such an arrangement belonged in a modern navy.

British Navy Pusser's Select Age 151. 75.5%.
The tradition of serving rum in the British Navy began in 1655 on the defunct ships of the Royal Navy's West Indies Squadron based in Jamaica and it didn't take much more than 75 years before word spread to the rest of the fleet and the practice became the norm on all seven seas. There are many theories as to why. Life at sea in those days was hard and not without danger, so it could be good for morale among the crew to have a daily reward, not to mention the prospect of a "double tot" (a good pint) on particularly arduous occasions or as a welcome reward if you spliced a broken bill. The ship's purser, also known as "The Pusser", was responsible for the distribution.

Let's start at the mild end of the scale with Pusser's Gunpowder Proof. Several thorough and semi-scientific tests throughout the history of rum have proven that a true gunpowder proof should hold its 57.15% but that the real naval rum was watered down to 54.4%, so this anniversary model from Pusser's should be the real thing. Whether it is or not remains to be seen, but the nose is obviously hot with a mixture of too many things, I think. You encounter a veritable jumble of coffee, ripe bananas, burnt cream, brown sugar and caramel, but also vanilla, cinnamon and ginger, the scent is certainly not unpleasant, but honestly seems a bit messy. This abundance of notes is weaker on the tongue and palate, although they are further complemented by sugar, nuts and truffles, and at the very back end you can detect chocolate, black the and dates, but without the rum becoming subtle in any way. I'm not overly impressed, still a little confused and can't really make heads or tails of this rum.

Would I buy another Pusser's Gunpowder Proof 54.4%?
I don't think so Maybe, maybe, maybe Probably, probably Yes, I would British Navy Pusser's Gunpowder Proof. 54.4%.
We try to turn up the heat with Pusser's Select Age 151, at a hefty 75.5%. This high-potency dark rum takes its surname from a term coined in the late thirties and covers types of alcohol at 151 U.S. proof, which can knock most people out in one fell swoop. Recommended to be treated with care, used only as a mixer, it was mostly served as a dram to potential fighters because it didn't take many of them to stay on the ground after even a few gentle taps on the box. The first encounter with the nose is unabashedly brutal but quite good, filling it with fruit peel, dark syrup, black banana and butter. Both oak and tanned leather are right on the edge, so we try to gently place a small sip in our mouths. The result is more than overwhelmingly intense with dark fruit, browned butter, raisin and lots of earth, leather and old oak, which presumably comes from the pot-still the rum has been through and from the barrels it has been aged in for at least three years. Finally, at the back of the palate, there is a warm, soft and long finish that will be remembered for a long time.

Would I buy another bottle Pusser's Select Age 151 75,5%?
I don't think so Maybe I would Probably I would Yes, I'm going to follow all recommendations

Following all recommendations and common sense, I'm going to mix these Pusser's into a terrifying Zombie:

Start by placing your glass in the freezer until it's frosted. Pour the ice cubes into a shaker. Add both rums, apricot brandy, lime juice, pineapple juice and sugar and shake until the shaker fogs up. Pour into glasses without straining and garnish with a mint sprig

3 crushed ice cubes
3 cl Pusser's Select Age 151 75,5%
3 cl Pusser's Gunpowder Proof 54.4% Pusser's Gunpowder Proof
3 cl apricot brandy
8 cl pineapple juice
1 tbsp. lime juice
2 tsp sugar
1 sprig of mint

For the belly, I make a bacon and orange candied octopus:
1 fresh 10-arm squid.
3 slices bacon.
1 tbsp. orange juice.
1 tsp. cane sugar.
1 organic lemon.
A little oil for frying the fish.

1. Clean and rinse the fish, remember to remove the ink cartridge and flip sticks.
2. Place the bacon on baking paper, sprinkle with sugar and pour on a little orange juice. Bake at 200 degrees for about 10 minutes. Remove and cool. Chop coarsely.
3. Fry the squid on a grill pan in a little oil for about 3 minutes on each side.
4. Cut the fish into bite-sized pieces, arrange and sprinkle with your bacon pieces.
5. Grate some lemon zest and pour some fresh lemon juice over the fish. Garnish with some freshly chopped parsley if you like.

Cheers and enjoy!

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