Back in 2014 I went to a blending seminar for Mount Gay. We were presented with various marks of rum, both from column stills and pot stills, and asked to approximate the blend for the new Mount Gay Black Barrel, which was just released in the US market. It was my first time tasting the difference between pot and column still rum and I was astounded. The depth of flavor and exuberance extracted by the pot still was amazing, and the column still distillate was, by comparison, muted, lacking discernible flavor, and quite boring. I proceeded to construct a blend of mostly pot still Mount Gay (all I really wanted to drink), adding a tiny bit of the column still distillate, and duly failed the assignment. I was dismayed to learn that the "proper" blend should have been the other way around, mostly dull column-distilled rum, and a small proportion of pot still to give some flavor. I'm very happy I finally have the chance to drink some pure pot-distilled Mount Gay!
Mount Gay is the oldest commercial rum distillery in the world, and has been in operation since at least 1703. Since the early 1900s it has been owned by the Ward family, though the commercial rights to Mount Gay rum have been owned by Remy Cointreau since 1989. The last owner-distiller at Mount Gay, Frank Ward, passed away a few years ago, and this bottle has been named as a tribute to him. It is an incredible distillate, exploding with flavors of dried fruit, figs, apricots, baking spices, caramel and cocoa. Fruit-forward and quite lush, it drinks incredibly well at the full proof of 64% ABV. A beauty. Oskar Kostecki
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