Objective Notes
Very Smooth (on the RnD scale of Harsh-Smooth-Very Smooth-Extremely Smooth).

Mount Gay thrills in the glass with a beautifully dark color showing like the patina of aged copper; rich looking.  Moving beyond visual appeal, complexity abounds with big, beautiful aromas of spice (clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice), caramelized fruit (banana, pear, black cherry, prune), sweet molasses, brown sugar and dark chocolate with some caramel and toffee, ample musty old oak with some smoky char on the wood, vanilla, milder leather and tobacco.  All that complexity pours in as integrated, concentrated flavors on

the initial taste.  The rum comes completely together on the tongue, with a full body spreading across and along, then leading to a firm white pepper-caramel finish that lingers on and on, simultaneously delivering persistent flavor and sweetness to your throat and the tip of your tongue.

Anecdotal Notes
Dave - Beginning in 2009, Mount Gay Extra Old is kitted out in a distinctive new bottle with curves resembling its more upscale sibling, 1703.  Sharing the overall style of 1703’s decanter, Mount Gay Extra Old’s bottle is the brainchild of French designer Denis Boudard (President & Founder of the US/French Design firm QSLD). Extra Old is now delivered in a hefty squarish bottle with rounded corners reminiscent of a puffy flask.  Considerable weight is added by a ¾-inch thick smiley base, but slim profile and long neck make pouring easy.  A natural cork sits under a gold colored metal cap.

Mount Gay Extra Old is distilled from fermented molasses, and blends heavy rum that has passed through impressive copper pot stills twice with lighter rum produced in a continuous

column still.  Oak barrels formerly containing Kentucky bourbon age the rums from both types stills.

Taster’s Opinion
Dave – It may take awhile to acquire the taste for such a full-flavored, aromatic rum, but having arrived at that epiphanous  plateau, you’ll discover that Mount Gay Extra Old is all the rum you need.  Perhaps the best thing about history is that it repeats itself, as in Mount Gay (reputedly) being the oldest continuously operating distillery in the Caribbean, all the while producing some of the world’s best rums.

Roger – Mount Gay Extra Old Rum is terrific. Two words to me describe Mount Gay Rum; quality and tradition. Mount Gay Rum is known as the oldest rum brand in the world with 300+ years of history distilling in Barbados.  And their Extra Old rum doesn’t disappoint. The blend in Mount Gay Extra Old has varied over the years but the current product from the distiller is a blend of older rums aged up to about 17 years, and a significantly upgraded bottle was merited.  A sipper for sure it’s best enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or with a little water to open it up. Sure it would make a fine cocktail, where you want its bold flavors and slightly higher proof to shine through, but why waste extra old rum?  Widely available in the USA – it’s a great addition to any rum collection.

Most recently tasted by: Dave, November, 2010 at the Mount Gay distillery while attending the Caribbean Rum and Beer Festival on Barbados, and Roger November 2011 at RnD’s North Tasting room, USA.

Taster's Rating (10 is best):  Dave - 9 Flasks, Roger - 8.5 Flasks