Denizen Vatted Dark Rum
Denizen Vatted Dark Rum is Navy strength with a cause — 750mL at 50% ABV (100 proof), a vatted blend of 80% Guyana Demerara rum and 20% unaged Martinique rhum agricole — and you can order it online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 50% (100 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Blend: 80% Demerara (Guyana) — Savalle still + wooden Coffey still + wooden pot still rums, aged and unaged — plus 20% unaged Martinique rhum agricole
- Style: Vatted in the mid-18th-century British Navy tradition; bottled at full 100 proof
- Producer: Denizen Rum, created 2010 by Nicholas Pelis with Amsterdam blender E&A Scheer; owned/imported by Hotaling & Co., San Francisco
- Awards: 98 points & Rum of the Year, Bartender Spirit Awards 2022; Double Gold, Tag Global Spirits Awards 2022; 92 points Best Buy, Wine Enthusiast 2021
The Navy-Vatted Demerara
"Vatted" is the old Royal Navy word for marrying rums of different marks into one cask — and Denizen's Vatted Dark does it the 18th-century way: Demerara rums from Diamond Distillery's antique wooden stills (French Savalle, wooden Coffey, 18th-century wooden pots) vatted with unaged Martinique agricole, all at a full 100 proof. The brand takes its name from the liberated spirit of the 1823 Demerara rebellion against British colonists — "Denizen" is the rum of the rebellion, bottled in an eye-catching green label with Guyanese jaguar imagery. Shop the rum collection at Del Mesa Liquor, compare aged rums, or explore Denizen.
Tasting Notes
Incredibly floral on the nose — tropical fruit with earthier elements. The palate opens sweet: brown sugar-crusted peach and star fruit. The finish brings baking spice supported by strong green plantain. Reviewers add torched pineapple, allspice, cinnamon bark, mocha and mesquite — toffee-forward with dark fruit, spice and a subtle vegetal undertone.
How to Enjoy
At 100 proof this is a bartender's blender: a Dark Daiquiri or a Rum Manhattan shows what Navy strength can do. Brave souls sip it neat — the proof carries the flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "vatted" rum?
Vatting is the 18th-century British Navy practice of marrying rums of different marks into a single blend — Denizen revives it with Demerara and Martinique rums.
Is Denizen Vatted Dark the Mai Tai rum?
No — that is Denizen Merchant's Reserve (43%), built with Smuggler's Cove's Martin Cate to reproduce Trader Vic's 1944 Mai Tai. Vatted Dark is the heavier, 100-proof Navy-style Demerara.
What is the proof of Denizen Vatted Dark Rum?
100 proof (50% ABV), in a 750mL bottle.
Where is Denizen Vatted Dark made?
Blended from Guyana Demerara rums (Diamond Distillery) and unaged Martinique agricole; the brand is owned and imported by Hotaling & Co. of San Francisco.
Navy strength, liberated spirit — order Denizen Vatted Dark Rum online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.