RumX Navy Rum by Famille Ricci

Navy rums are the most exciting blends in the world of spirits! If you take a closer look at the rum market, you will inevitably discover that countless rum brands now have a navy rum in their range. If you enter the term ‘navy’ in the RumX search bar, you will find 188 different rums on this topic.

The fascination with this legendary rum blend is greater and more relevant than ever. At RumX, we have already dealt extensively with the topic of navy rum, its history and various qualities in our blog.

We have been passionate about this topic for many years and have always wanted to create our own navy rum blend for our international RumX community. After more than seven years, the time has finally come! But ambitious ideas need strong allies!

Why was Ricci Spirits the perfect partner for our RumX Navy Rum?

When it comes to the blending process, there is no getting around the French brand Ricci Spirits in the world of rum. On their estate in Mougins on the Côte d'Azur, which has been family-owned for 50 years, the Ricci family has been maturing its own casks since 2019 and specialises primarily in rum blending, the so-called assemblages. In 2024, they opened their own distillery, where a wide range of rums are distilled and blended.

Their constant pursuit of excellence did not go unnoticed: several gold medals at the International Spirits Awards, awards at the Spirits Selection by Concours Mondial, and special prizes for the quality of their blends underscore this house's uncompromising standards. The Cuvée OVNI 2 caused a particular stir, even being named the Best Rum in the World at the International Sugarcane Spirits Awards.

In December 2024, the success story reached another milestone. Based on approximately 80,000 rum reviews in 2024, our RumX community named the Ricci family the Best Independent Bottler of the Year 2024 on RumX!

When we at RumX were considering which partner we wanted to create a Navy Blend with, Ricci Spirits was our absolute dream producer! A lively meeting with owner Morgan Ricci in a bar in Paris and several brainstorming sessions at the Paris Rhumfest later, the foundation for our shared vision was laid!

The biggest challenge when creating a blend is when one ingredient dominates the others. This prevents you from achieving the synergy of a perfectly balanced composition. This can best be compared to a classical orchestra: if one instrument breaks ranks or plays too loudly, the whole piece can fall apart or sound out of tune, or taste out of tune, to stick with the rum analogy.

However, this can also be desirable and taste fantastic if, for example, you want to emphasise a particular style and celebrate the extremes. After our discussions with rum expert Matt Pietrek, we found that the historic Royal Navy Rum had a strong dominance of Demerara rum components, which made up to 60% of the blend. This characteristic is particularly evident in the outstanding The Last Consignment – both on the nose and on the palate.
In contrast, the popular Tiger Shark from Velier has a completely different profile: here, the Jamaican Worthy Park is in the foreground, characterised by intense, overripe banana notes.
In their exclusive Royal Navy Very Old Rum on the other hand, the focus was deliberately placed on the Caroni rums it contains, giving the blend a strikingly different aromatic direction.

What are the challenges of a master blender?

Like a conductor, the great art of the master blender lies, among other things, in harmonising the individual components in such a way that you can taste the individual components, but the overall composition creates something completely new and unique – a completely new taste experience. Some navy blends, for example, have the characteristic that the very intense Jamaican rum components, thanks to their high ester fermentation (esters = fruit molecules), steer the aroma and taste too strongly in the direction of overripe bananas and pineapples. However, if too little is used, the Caribbean exoticism and acidity-freshness are missing.

The same applies to bitterness. If rums from very old casks, mostly from British Guiana, are used, there is a risk that the tannins and bitterness of the wood will overpower the blend and take away from the delicate, volatile aromas.

How do you blend a rum with the perfect balance?

First, a tip: we recommend that every rum lover try creating their own blend at home using the rums in their home bar. Apart from the fact that it's really fun, you'll learn that the process is not that easy! Blending spirits is a true art.

According to Morgan Ricci, owner and master blender at Ricci Spirits, there are two ways to understand a blend:

• Either the individual components remain clearly recognisable,
• or they merge into a harmonious whole that shapes an overarching style.

As the RumX team, we deliberately chose a combination of both with Morgan! This means that in the RumX Navy Blend, each origin remains recognisable – after all, enthusiasts love familiar markers. At the same time, however, it was also our top priority to create a homogeneous overall picture that respects the character of a great navy rum and brings it together in a convincing way. To achieve this, we carried out three complex blending steps.

1. The Dual Anchor + Lift method

To achieve the perfect balance in our Navy Blend while creating a completely new flavour profile, Morgan Ricci used the following ingredients in a Dual Anchor + Lift method.

• Structure anchor: Trinidad (Caroni & T.D.L.) and Demerara rum lend depth, weight, body and a long finish. With dark notes of cocoa, leather and coffee, they form the foundation.
• Aroma anchor: Jamaica/Hampden provides exoticism, freshness and delicate acidity. Pineapple and mango bring drive and tropical vibrancy.
• Lift: Jamaica/New Yarmouth smooths the tannins with natural sweetness and gives the blend a creamy texture, elegance and aromas of coconut, vanilla and stone fruit.

The result is a rum that is powerful, complex and, above all, finely balanced – a thoroughly elegant interpretation of the Navy style.

2. Step-by-step assembly

Morgan proceeded step by step – following the principle he had already established with the Quintessence cuvée: only two components are combined sequentially at a time to achieve a precise balance. In other words, the individual components are blended step by step, not all at once.
The earthy rums from Guiana were the first to be added, together with the structuring base of New Yarmouth 1994. This was followed by the fruity body with two T.D.L.s, followed by the characterful Hampden, which brought intensity and radiance. The crowning glory was the Caroni, which lends length and depth with its hydrocarbon and petrol notes – similar to peat in whisky, but without overpowering the other aromas.

3. Precision and patience

The entire process took almost two months. After each base, Ricci let the blend rest for 10 days and aerated it twice a day. Finally, our Navy Rum was at 60.1% alcohol and was carefully reduced to 57.1% – slowly, so as not to destroy any flavours. Although this method initially ignites the fire of the alcohol, after a resting period of 2 to 3 weeks, the rum unfolds its full intensity and balance.

The result: a navy rum with backbone, brilliance and length

After many weeks of patience and hard work, the time has finally come – together with the Ricci family, we are proud to present our interpretation of a perfectly balanced, complex navy rum!

What is the final composition of our Navy Rum?

• Guyana 2012: 25%
• New Yarmouth 1994: 25%
• T.D.L. 2003: 20%
• Caroni 1998: 10%
• T.D.L. 2009: 10%
• Hampden H 2014: 10%

What are the key facts about RumX Navy Rum?

• Average age: 20 years and 9 months
• Alcohol content: 57.1%
• Bottle size: 500 ml
• Limited to only 300 bottles
• Price: 169€

Where and when and can I buy it?

• Available: Only on RumX, in the app and on the website (www.rum-x.com)
• Official release date: 10 October 2025
• RX+ users will receive exclusive early access on 9 October 2025
  Why is being an RX+ member such a great deal for rum lovers?

How does our RumX Navy Rum taste?

The first contact exudes an extravagant aroma of overripe fruit, petrol notes of an old Riesling and hot caramel. On the palate, a remarkable complexity invites us on a magnificent sensory journey. The perfect balance is created by notes of fruit salad, pineapple, cola and fresh tropical fruits. Robust wood, leather and caramel notes give this rum structure, roundness and depth. The slightly tarry nuances transport you on a journey to the deck of a pitching 19th-century steamship. The tasting reveals an incredible intensity and sweetness of roasted black and yellow fruits, culminating in a long, dry finish. Subtle aftertastes of petrol and fresh menthol round off this unforgettable taste experience.

A genuine navy rum for an unforgettable moment of pleasure!

And because rum is best enjoyed in good company, we celebrated an exhilarating release party at the legendary Bar 1802 on 27 September 2025 together with Ricci Spirits and our RumX community!

To conclude, here are a few atmospheric impressions of the evening.