Mount Gay Eclipse

Eclipse is the everyday face of Mount Gay, a Barbados distillery that markets itself as the world's oldest, citing a deed from 1703. It is a classic Bajan blend of pot and column still rum aged in ex-bourbon oak, young and made without added sugar, designed as the accessible foundation of the range rather than a flagship sipper.

The profile is light and straightforward, vanilla and caramel over fresh young oak, with a warm, woody finish and a touch of fruit. At 40% and only a couple of years old, it is honest about what it is, a versatile mixing rum that comes into its own in cola, a Daiquiri or a highball rather than poured neat for contemplation. For drinkers who want an affordable, dependable Barbados rum for cocktails it does the job well, while those after a serious neat pour are better pointed toward the older, pot-still-led Mount Gay expressions.