Review #: 271
Description: Mount Gay Black Barrel
Spirit: Rum
Background: This is a standard bottling from Mount Gay Distillery in Barbados, but this expression is aged entirely in ex-bourbon barrels. A blend of column and pot still distillates, it is not dosed, but likely colored. A slight premium over their standard product, let’s see how it tastes.
Distillery – Mount Gay
Bottler – Mount Gay
Brand – Mount Gay
Selection – N/A
ABV – 43%
Age – NAS
Nose – Oaky molasses, vanilla, almonds, almost a bourbon-y corn/grain note, hay, stale fruit, almost musty
Taste – Caramel, molasses, banana (not very sweet though), vanilla frosting, tiny bit of red apple
Finish – Oak comes in really nicely, toffee, burnt molasses, cigar smoke, nice warmth that lingers.
Score: 4
Would I buy a bottle? It’s a fine value, but I don’t need another bottle
Thoughts: There’s nothing wrong quality wise with this rum. It’s tasty, fairly balanced, but it just is lacking depth and complexity. If you are coming from bourbon, you will get some new rum notes, but some familiar bourbon ones as well. I wish it had more bright fruit notes to take it to that next level. It’s a solid bottle to get your foot in the rum door, and it is well priced and available, but there are more intriguing options out there.