Let’s go back to Mount Gay. We have a few interesting bottlings that just want to be tasted.

Mount Gay Black Barrel (43%): A not so newish anymore expression by Mount Gay that we haven’t had to date. I think this replaced the ‘Eclipse’, which was subpar, at best. This should be young Rum from heavily charred barrels. Nose: Pleasant, polished and boring, just what we expected from an entry level Rum. I get vanilla, caramel, oak, some tobacco perhaps and honey but no interesting edgy notes whatsoever. Palate: A very similar picture. Flat and simple, but highly approachable. I get honey, orange, tobacco, oak and a few spices from the cask. Finish: Short with oak and spices. A fine supermarket Rum, but not much more. Let’s just take it as today’s reference. (71/100)

Velier “Elliot Erwitt” Mount Gay 2007 14YO (60%): Since they have named this Mount Gay rather than Mount Gilboa I assume that this Rum has indeed been distilled for Mount Gay (but we didn’t double check!). Nose: Indeed I’d say that this is much closer to Mount Gay than to Mount Gilboa. I get almonds, coffee, marzipan, oak, macadam, warm butter, raisins and vanilla. This is very nice and pleasant and frankly, I just had to check the abv again. This is really, really good! Palate: A lot sharper than the nose suggested and more extreme in a sense. The mellows notes are essentially gone and I now get super hot coffee, roasted almonds, a mix of spices including pepper, cumin, smoked papirka powder and more, oak and clearly also herbal notes. This is still good, just not as lovely as the nose anymore. Finish: Relatively long but merely an extension of the palate. Even though these Mount Gay profiles are seldom exciting, they often times deliver. It is just a really good distillery at the end of the day. This particular Rum is very good, that’s for sure, but I am missing just a little bit in that excitement category. (86/100)

Rumclub Mount Gay “BMMG” 2000 21YO (54,4%): Just to get this straight, BMMG means Barbados Main Mount Gay and I expect coffee and almonds here. Alright!? Nose: Coffee and almonds it is, but pears and chocolate might be a stronger impression. Later subtle smoky motes, marzipan and mango perhaps. It is kinda atypical if you ask me, even though it possesses these classical Mount Gay traits. Palate: Marzipan bread, coffee, notes from the barn, quince/ pears and roasted cocoa are my main associations here. It is a fine Rum but I am starting to wonder if additional years actually help this batch. I think we reached the zenith at about 17 to 19 years but that might be me. While I am writing this, I actually think that the increased elegance of the older age suits the Rum quite well. What do we know, eh!? Finish: Relatively short with herbal notes, the barn and almonds. I’ll always like this stuff and the nuances between the different bottlings of the batch are actually smaller than we often times make it sound. (87/100)

Rum Artesanal Mount Gay “BMMG” 2000 22YO (56,5%): Nose: Extremely atypical. I get plenty of herbs, foul papaya, certain types of acids, oak, tobacco and anise. Only after a while and going deeper into the glass can we detect cookie dough and vaguely coffee. After a good ten minutes, the slightly disturbing notes (foul papaya, acids) vanish and and make place for fresh oranges and sweet pastry. Let’s take a sip.Palate: Oranges and herbs shape the profile, with additional notes of coffee and chocolate chip cookies mixed in. It actually works, even though it is vastly different from the other Mount Gays of the 2000 batch. Finish: slightly spicy with orange juice to balance it out. Here and there we can also find a few herbs and spices. We’ve had way better Rums from this batch. (80/100)

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