Ancient Mariner Navy Rum
54% Alcohol by Volume – 108% Proof
Rare Aged Navy Rum to celebrate The Diamond Jubilee and still in production due to high demand
It was in 1970 that the last Royal Navy Rum Ration was issued. In 2011, to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee, a proposal was presented to create a Navy Rum that was as close as possible to the flavour and smoothness of the original.
To get the project going, a sample of the original Navy Rum was sourced. This was then matched with a selection of the finest, rare and exclusive single distillery rums from the Caribbean, until eventually one was found that faithfully replicated the aroma and taste of the original.
The rum used arrives in wooden casks from the Caroni Distillery on the island of Trinidad. Aged for 15 years, the dark, richly coloured rum is bottled at 54% Alcohol by Volume, straight from the cask. This means that you are getting the rum exactly as it is stored in wood at the distillery in the Caribbean.
The inspiration for the Ancient Mariner brand came from an unusual source – a Church roof repair fundraising event. It was a ‘Recitation by Heart’ of the famous poem, The Ancient Mariner. The venue: St. Michael and All Angels church in Helensburgh – a fabulous listed building – with a leaky roof.
The event took place one wild and stormy autumn evening. The lights inside the church were dimmed and the blackness of the nave was punctuated by candles. I can hardly imagine a more atmospheric situation for this literary experience as the rain beat on the roof. The recitation had the right balance of rhythm and pace to make the poem seem as if it has just been written.
The label and neck tag show scenes from the poem. The front label shows the ship in ice-bound Antarctica. The left side shows the ship tossed about on the Southern ocean and the right hand side features the lonely, wandering albatross as it is about to be struck by the fateful arrow shot by The Ancient Mariner.
Inspired by the Coleridge’s masterpiece, Ancient Mariner Navy Rum recalls one of the most memorable poems in the English language. From the terrifying space of the open ocean, the storms and whirlpools of an unknown sea, the vast icy caverns of Antarctica and to the hot equatorial seas swarming with monsters, all these visual elements combined with the magnificent engravings of Gustave Dore, have made a lasting impression with mariners throughout the world both at publication in 1798 to this very day. The haunting story of the Ancient Mariner who shoots the Albatross, bird of good omen, still resonates with thoughts of good and bad luck with sailors everywhere.
