Style: Barrel-aged pot still rum
Age: Blend of 5 and 6 year old distillate
Proof: 110 (55%)
Region: Barbados
Located in Barbados, Mount Gay is the oldest rum distillery in the world. Founded in 1703, the brand is celebrating its 230th anniversary with possibly its most intriguing release yet. Master Blender Trudiann Branker and the team at Mount Gay took locally grown sugar cane to craft the first entry in their new Single Estate Series. Distilled entirely on pot stills and aged in the Caribbean for 5 and 6 years, this rum promises to be “As Barbadian as rum could be.” Let’s give it a taste.
Tasting notes
The rum opens up with a bouquet of ripe bananas, charred pineapple, and rich vanilla. It has the rich, full, ester-heavy aroma expected out of any pot-distilled rum. Up front, the palate consists of caramel, mango juice, and a warming touch of orange zest, clove, and nutmeg. A noticeable smokiness, which likely originates from the charred bourbon barrels the rum was aged in, rounds out the palate. The finish is probably the high point of this rum. A finish of rich papaya juice and caramel coats the palate and lingers just the right amount of time.
Final thoughts
For fans of full-flavored, unapologetic, pot-distilled rum, Mount Gay’s first entry of their Single Estate Series will not disappoint. It’s vibrant, aromatic, and packed with all of the ester-y goodness that makes pot-distilled molasses rum so beloved by enthusiasts. It feels like much more time maturing in the barrel would dilute the ripe tropical fruit notes that set this rum apart. Trudiann Branker has definitely outdone herself with the blending of this rum.
