Pusser's Rum Gunpowder Proof (54.5%)

Pusser's Gunpowder Proof is a full-bodied rum with notes of warmer spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, as well as honey and vanilla. The finish is very long and surprisingly smooth, considering its high alcohol content.
Before the introduction of the Sikes hydrometer in 1816, the ship's purser, or "pusser," tested the strength of the daily ration by mixing pure rum with a little water, to which a few grains of gunpowder were added. When the mixture was heated with a burning glass, the gunpowder ignited, and the rum was served at that strength. When the method was tested with a hydrometer, the alcohol content was 109% (54.5% ABV). Consequently, the pusser's rum remained at "powder strength," 109% alcohol, until the daily ration was discontinued on July 31, 1970, known as Black Tot Day.