Mount Gay Rumclub Private Selection Ed. 23 BMMG 2000

Mount Gay Rumclub Private Selection Ed. 23 is an unusual single cask from Barbados, chosen by Spirit of Rum. Mount Gay, the island's heritage name and one of the oldest commercial rum producers, usually appears as a pot and column blend, but this 2000 distillate is pure pot still, giving it far more intensity than the standard range.

Aged 21 years, matured in ex-bourbon oak and bottled unsweetened at 54.4%, it leads with smoky oak, marzipan and yellow tropical fruit, then turns to pineapple, roasted notes, honey and a light funk, finishing dry, tannic and leathery with tobacco. The profile sits closer to Clarendon or a Rockley style rum than to typical Mount Gay, an atypical and characterful expression that many would not pick as Bajan blind. For drinkers who enjoy dry, fruity and smoky Barbados rum, it makes a rewarding step up in intensity.