Mount Gay 7 Years (TWE exclusive)

Mount Gay Distilleries is supposedly the oldest commercial rum distillery in the world (going back to 1703). Located in Barbados, it is now part of the Rémy Cointreau group. It is made from molasses and distilled in both copper pot stills and column stills before being aged in American oak

This 7 year-old release is exclusive to The Whisky Exchange and the first-ever exclusive bottling from Mount Gay. Not counting the bulk sales or occasional independent bottlings which come under another name. It comes from a selection of 20 barrels and has a higher proportion of pot still than most Mount Gay releases.

Mount Gay ‘Select Blend’ 7 yo (54%, OB for The Whisky Exchange 2018, American oak barrels, 2400 btl.)

Nose: fruity and spicy. A mix of juicy apricot and banana and orange peel. Hints of almonds and coconut flakes. Then dried notes, almost earthy at times, with clear oak spice. Cinnamon, ginger, hints of cedar wood. Powerful balance.

Mouth: again heavy on the spices (pepper, cinnamon, aniseed) but the fruity notes round off the edges with brown sugar, banoffee pie and orange candy. A bourbonny charred note (burnt sugar), a touch of mocha and then some eucalyptus drops, adding a very light medicinal quality. Walnuts.

Finish: long, fairly dry, with a touch of bitter char, dark chocolate, ginger and some tannins.

Mount Gay tends to have this drier, spicier character and this is a particularly intense example. The nose is really great – on the palate you’ll have to withstand some assertive wood but it adds to the character. A rich and complex sipping rum. Available from The Whisky Exchange.