Mount Gay X.O. (Barbados)

Mount Gay X.O. (Barbados) Click to enlarge

During the second expedition of the "New World" in 1492, Christopher Columbus introduced sugarcane, a recently discovered Asian plant, to America.

Europeans in the New World started to plant fields of sugarcane and developed the industry to trade with this prized merchandise in Europe. Soon after the Portuguese, Spanish, French and English started to mix their Brandy with the sugarcane.

In Barbados, hundreds of sugar cane plantations used the juice of the sugarcane plant to form sugar crystals. Eventually the plantation owners discovered the when this half crystallized juice was mixed with water and put in the sun it fermented into a liquor. In the mid 1600´s this mixture was converted into a drink, and it was when rum was born.

Mount Gay is considered the oldest rum in the world. It is believed that the first distilleries were started in 1493 although the first written account of a distillery was not recorded until 1703.

Mount Gay is located in the north of Barbados (San Lucy). In 1600 the plantation was known as Mount Gilboa.

Aubrey Ward, a prominent businessman, bought the Mount Gay plantation at the start of the 1900´s. He introduced new methods in order to meet the demand of Mount Gay rum while still maintaining its traditional character.

Together with his business partner and marketing specialist John Hutson, he introduced Mount Gay rum into the international market. These efforts continued with his son Mr. Darnley DaCosta until his death in 1989.

Since 1989 the Ward family continues producing the Mount Gay rum.

Mount Gay X.O.

Extra Old is the recipient of several Gold and Grand Gold awards from well-respected International Quality and Spirits competitions. In 2001, Extra Old was awarded its fifth Grand Gold at the Monde Selection in Brussels. The brand was also awarded a trophy (the highest award possible) at the 2001 International Spirits Challenge in London.

Mount Gay Rum Extra Old Barbados Rum is a skilful blend of the finest old spirits, carefully selected from aged reserves. It is the result of hundreds of years of respecting the time-honoured traditions of rum production. Once sipped and savoured, the connoisseur experiences the warmth of a well-rounded, exceedingly smooth, light bodied spirit; possessing such finesse as only time can bring.

The colour of brilliant amber-brown with a clarity of brilliant luminescence.

The first nose has good oak, dry and a good balance of fragrances with a moderate intensity of general aroma with the second nose evidently sweeter and more aromatic than the first nose. The predominant aroma is the rich, mellow, oak character which is in perfect balance with the sweet, fuity notes and light banana-type aroma of a well matured double distilled rum. Light, burnt-wood character with subtle sugar cane notes with a taste that is light bodied with an excellent level of well-digested wood characters which harmonises well with the aroma.

Exceedingly smooth.

Size: 70 CL
Alcohol: 40%Vol.