Mount Gay Barbados Golden Rum, XO Triple Cask Blend, 70cl

Product Information

Barbados is one of the most densely populated island nations in the world. Hundreds of years ago, Mount Gay could rely on the molasses from local sugar cane for all of its needs, but that’s no longer the case as there simply isn’t enough available land anymore. In addition, while there used to be nearly 40 sugarcane refineries on the island, only one remains active today. So, although the distillery relies on sugarcane sourced from around the Caribbean, it only imports varieties that are native to Barbados. From a geological perspective, Barbados is different from volcanically formed Caribbean islands. Barbados is actually the product of accumulated and uplifted coral limestone. That means the island has lots of underground water, a key element in what makes Mount Gay unique and why the British decided to focus sugarcane and rum production here in the 17th century. The distillery and plantation grounds are home to a centuries-old, 300-plus-foot well. The water drawn from this well is still used for the distillate and dilution. There’s a virtuous Caribbean circle.

Thanks for a great review! I have to say, though, that it pretty much confirms my worst fears: namely, that we will now be paying 50% more in the USA for almost the same damn thing, or a very modest improvement. So I will no longer be able to afford to keep Mount Gay in regular rotation. Way to go.Finish wise Mount Gay XO Triple Cask Blend certainly has a lengthy very oaky finish with lots of barrel char and slight hints of smoke and smidge of tobacco. Mount Gay has been closely linked to the world of sailing for decades, as symbolized by its red (often worn-out pink) logo-bearing hat. You can’t buy one — at least not directly from Mount Gay. The only way to get one is to race in one of the scores of regattas that the brand sponsors every year. The new distiller is a glass-ceiling-breaking powerhouse. Please, nobody tell Appleton, but their 12 year was better than Mount Gay XO all along, and looks like an even better bargain now.

Staff writer (20 July 2007). "EU Rum Project finances Distillery blending and ageing facilities in Barbados". Barbados Advocate. Archived from the original on 14 December 2007 . Retrieved 3 March 2010.Mount Gay Eclipse: An aged rum developed in 1911 and named for the total solar eclipse and the passage of Halley's comet in 1910. I would say that this is a tiny bit “better” (or more to my tastes) than the previous Mount Gay XO. That said and as I’m sitting here really enjoying it – I’m not sure if it’s worth an extra point. I like the presentation of the MGXO and I also like the robust card sleeve which the rum is housed in. It isn’t cheap and flimsy and gives some nice information regarding the heritage of MGXO. Things like cork stoppers and cardboard sleeves may seem slightly superfluous but sometimes they can be very important when deciding which rum to take to the counter and buy. The mid palate moves into a more “charred” note – slightly smoky with lots of ginger and oak spices. Underneath all this is a slightly honeyed sweetness which carries the rum along into its long and punchy finish.

As the Mount Gay Distillery is the oldest official distillery in the world established 1703 as the label denotes, I don’t think we need to worry too much about the heritage and authenticity of the contents of this Extra Old rum. Sipping the rum leads with strong notes of caramelized vanilla and robust fruit flavors of banana, grilled pineapple, red apple, apricots, and raisins. The smoky oak notes form an earthy foundation, but never dominate the flavor profile. These notes deliver a subtle hint of dark chocolate, a bit of tobacco leaf, toasted coconut, cinnamon, graphite, and cashews. As these flavors swirl and begin to fade, the fruit flavors drift and fade first, letting the oak tannins dance across the palate in a pleasantly long finish. Review Perhaps one of the most iconic rums in the world MGXO for short, has been a constant and readily available companion for the Barbados rum lover since it’s launch in 1992.

The new presentation of the Mount Gay Extra Old Cask Reserve Rum is in keeping with the Eclipse (Mount Gay’s entry level offerings). The bottle is slightly shorter and rounder. It also has a very nice cork stopper. Like the Eclipse the MGXO has Mount Gay Distilleries etched into the glass of the bottle, as pictured. Mount Gay Extra Old or XO as they seem to have re-branded it. For those in the know Mount Gay Extra Old is often known as MGXO. The XO notation on the Mount Gay is pretty standard across the rum and spirits industry to denote an aged spirit (without actually noting how old it is!).

Mount Gay XO Triple Cask Blend comes in the “flat” almost flask style 3/4 stubby bottle. The little details that were there with the previous XO are all present. The Barbados flag on the seal, a good quality wooden topped artificial cork stopper and the Master Blender’s signature. Which confirms Trudiann is responsible for this blend. Mount Gay’s current master distiller, Trudiann Branker, is the first woman to run things in the distillery’s history. A native Bajan, she studied Chemistry at Howard University in Washington, D.C., and also has an MBA. Following a five-year apprenticeship under Mount Gay’s previous master distiller, she took on her current role. The first special expression she’s been working on will debut in fall 2019. There are four main expressions. One such variety in use is BT7782, which translates to bred in Barbados, selected for growth in Trinidad in 1977, and assigned the number 82 during research. Mount Gay XO has been “enriched with a broader palette of rums selected, individually aged in three different casks – American Whiskey, Bourbon and Cognac – for five to 17 years, rather than the previous eight to 15 years. The adjustments to the blend aim to enhance the liquid’s ultimate complexity.” Mount Gay co-ferments local and imported molasses. The proprietary yeast strain is based off a captured wild yeast, which Mount Gay’s team then bred for consistency. You’ll know a Mount Gay fan when you see them.Mount Gay Rum is produced by Mount Gay Distilleries Ltd. of Barbados, the easternmost island of the West Indies. The oldest surviving deed for the company is from 1703, making Mount Gay Rum the world's oldest commercial rum distillery. [1] The current majority shareholder of Mount Gay Distilleries since 1989 is Rémy Cointreau. [2] [3] Mount Gay Rum is sold in 110 countries, [4] and its primary export market is the United States of America. [5] History [ edit ]