Mount gay xo rum review
Mount Gay Extra Old or XO as they look to have re-branded it. For those in the know Mount Gay Extra Old is often established as MGXO. The XO notation on the Mount Gay is pretty common across the rum and spirits industry to denote an aged spirit (without actually noting how mature it is!).
As the Mount Gay Distillery is the oldest official distillery in the world established as the label denotes, I don&#;t think we require to worry too much about the heritage and authenticity of the contents of this Extra Aged rum.
The more established distilleries use labels such as XO because they cannot guarantee the exact integrate of rum&#;s which will be used in every batch of rum produced. Each cask will be different and the expertise in making rum &#;uniform&#; comes in the shape of the master blender.
The master blender at Mount Gay is in the shape of Allen Smith who has been with the distillery over 20 years. Again this adds a guarantee as to what you will earn in the glass.
Mount Male lover have recently re-branded their bottles and introduced a few new lines in the shape of Inky Barrel and a limited limited
Mount Gay XO Triple Cask Blend. For once in the rum world modern packaging does % mean a switch in the integrate . It is not just the labor of conspiracy theorists, who can recall exactly, what a rum tasted appreciate 20 years ago and immediately observe tiny little differences to the fuse &#; but only I hasten to add once the bottle shape and/or label have changed&#;&#;..
Perhaps one of the most iconic rums in the earth MGXO for concise, has been a constant and readily available companion for the Barbados rum lover since it&#;s launch in
Sales of Mount Queer rum have always been strong, particularly their Eclipse expressions. However, it has been felt in some rum enthusiast circles, that Mount Gay have been left behind a little recently, by Foursquare in terms of innovation and overall product portfolio. They had until fairly recently stuck stubbornly with their tried and tested rums with no Limited Edition or particularly show stopping releases.
That has definitely changed over the past years as Mount Gay own upped their game and put out some very absorbing limited edition releases. Such
Mount Gay XO
Mount Gay XO
When I began exploring rums, Barbados Mount Gay XO was one of the first “sipping” rums I explored and studied. This rum was the work of master blender Allen Smith and a huge steppingstone in my education of the spirit. During , we saw the business get purchased by Remy Cointreau, and many people wondered how the brand would change. In , Mr. Smith retired, and Trudiann Branker took over as the company’s master blender, becoming the first woman to contain the title in the island’s history of rum production. One of the first rums I was aware she had changed was Mount Gay XO, and I was curious to spot how well it held up to the original blend that was such an essential part of my rum foundation. The new version of XO is a blend of copper pot and column still rums that are aged between 5 and 17 years in ex-bourbon, American whiskey, and cognac casks. The rum is blended to 43% ABV using water from the estate’s well and bottled on the island for distribution.
Appearance
Because all the cool people are tweaking their rum formulas and changing the labels… Mount Gay is on the trend too. I am not a fan of their smoky Black Barrel expression, but I do have the XO aged expression so I thought I’d present the new XO mix a try. Instead of it being a “Reserve Cask Rum” (pictured, right) it is now a “Triple Cask Blend.” Noteworthy the presence of Mount Gay Master Blender Trudiann Branker on the label.
The new XO is slightly bolder and heavier than the predecessor, but is not radically different. This is a very superb aged Barbados rum, suitable for sipping but also for cocktails when a premium spirit is called for (ahem, Mai Tai). Slightly more of the baked fig taste at least to me. Casks are from American Whiskey, Bourbon, and Cognac barrels.
If you’re looking to move a bit upscale in the Aged Barbarbadian Rum category, but the prices of Foursquare Exceptional Casks scare you off, regard Mount Gay XO. It’s widely available and in the ~$ price range.