A civilized white rum – not rough around the edges .
Notes: First Introduced in 1910 and believed to be named after the total eclipse of that year; the distillery was founded in 1703. Fermented in oak vats (many distilleries now use stainless steel) using using water filtered through the islands coral geology (limestone aquifer) from of an almost 250 ft deep well. A blend of rums, some of the blend is double distilled in copper pot stills and other parts distilled in a copper Coffey column still (a Coffey still is usually used for Irish Whiskey) – then aged in ex bourbon oak casks for various periods of time then blended to profile for each Mount Gay product so proportions of each distillate and the ages of each component may vary widely but it tastes the same.
An analogy would be the blending of blended scotch- the component spirits may differ widely from year to year but the customer always gets the same taste. This is the youngest expression of the Mount Gay line, there being an older version Mount Gay Eclipse and another line extension, Mount Gay Extra Old.
Appearance: Sparkling clear bright, with no hazing separation or floating sediments. Long legs and crenellated edges develop on swirling.
First Impression: Sweet grass, molasses, nutmeg, mace, allspice, citrus notes and flowers. Alcohol in background not foreground (good sign of quality).
Taste: Slightly dry entry, some citrus, fruits, mineral and flower notes, medium-bodied. Hints of ginger, lingering lemon balm/citrus notes, nice drying finish to it. Finish is medium-long.
Drinks: Works well for most drinks. A bit dry compared to some white rums so you may need to adjust other ingredients if you are looking for a sweet umbrella drink.
Cigars: Any decent cigar will do – like a La Gloria Cubana or Hoyo de Monterrey.
Bottle/Packaging: Short clear glass bottle with rounded shoulders and slightly bulbous neck give it a antique feel and resemble some single malt scotch bottles. Shoulder of bottle has embossed “SINCE 1703” on the shoulder. Large Paper label drawing of Barbados and multicolored lettering also add to the antique feel. Red neck foil, screw cap closure complete the package. Clear glass shows off the color of the rum nicely.
Final Thoughts: A very civilized dry white rum. Nicely finished without being overly tame.
Web site:http://www.mtgayrum.com
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