Mountain gay rum

The rum became a favorite among sailors and traders, who carried it across the Atlantic and introduced it to new markets. This balance of tradition and innovation allowed the brand to stay relevant in a changing industry.

Mount Gay Rum: Global Recognition and Expansion

Mount Gay’s reputation as a premium rum grew throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.

It remains a cornerstone of the Mount Gay portfolio.

In addition to Eclipse, Mount Gay expanded its offerings to include other expressions, such as Mount Gay XO (Extra Old), a premium aged rum launched in the early 2000s. You can’t buy one — at least not directly from Mount Gay. The only way to get one is to race in one of the scores of regattas that the brand sponsors every year.

The new distiller is a glass-ceiling-breaking powerhouse.

Mount Gay’s current master distiller, Trudiann Branker, is the first woman to run things in the distillery’s history.

Mount Gay is very transparent about its production process. The brand quickly gained a reputation for excellence, both locally and internationally.

The Rise of Mount Gay Rum

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Mount Gay continued to refine its production methods and expand its reach. A native Bajan, she studied Chemistry at Howard University in Washington, D.C., and also has an MBA.

Following a five-year apprenticeship under Mount Gay’s previous master distiller, she took on her current role. In addition, while there used to be nearly 40 sugarcane refineries on the island, only one remains active today. The traditional column still produces fruity, grassy, and butterscotch notes, while the Irish Coffey Still produces herbaceous, grassy, and floral notes.

The local molasses, sourced from Barbados, has a higher sugar content due to the alkaline in the soil, which adds acidity and flavor to the sugarcane, leading to a higher yield in production. Barbados is actually the product of accumulated and uplifted coral limestone. The brand also introduced limited-edition releases and special blends, further cementing its position as a leader in the premium rum category.

Mount Gay Rum: Modern Era and Sustainability

In recent years, Mount Gay has continued to innovate while staying true to its roots.

The Black Barrel expression, a mix of pot and column distillates, spends time in repurposed bourbon barrels as well. XO is crafted from a blend of rums aged up to 17 years in charred American oak barrels, resulting in a rich, complex flavor profile. With a deed of sale for the original plantation dated Feb. 20, 1703, Mount Gay is the oldest continuously operating commercial rum producer in the world.

Hundreds of years ago, Mount Gay could rely on the molasses from local sugar cane for all of its needs, but that’s no longer the case as there simply isn’t enough available land anymore. The first special expression she’s been working on will debut in fall 2019.

There are four main expressions.

Clean and clear Mount Gay Silver is the brand’s entry-level rum, but grab it while you can, because it’s being removed from the American market.

Finally, there’s the 1703, a blend that varies from year to year and might include 30-year-old rums.

Always be aging.

Like all tropically produced spirits, Mount Gay ages nearly three times as quickly as spirits barrel-aged in cooler climates. In the 1980s, Mount Gay underwent a modernization process, updating its facilities while preserving its time-honored methods.

Nearly two centuries later, the Ward family was the last to live on the distillery grounds before the company was sold to Rémy Cointreau in 1989.

Water and geology are essential.

From a geological perspective, Barbados is different from volcanically formed Caribbean islands. These techniques gave the rum its distinctive character, with rich, complex flavors that set it apart from other spirits of the time.

Alleyne’s leadership and innovations helped elevate the quality of the rum produced there, earning him a lasting place in the brand’s history.

Mount Gay’s early rums were crafted using traditional methods, including pot still distillation and aging in oak barrels. The Mount Gay Distillery sources molasses from both Barbados and other neighboring Caribbean islands.

Next, the crystalized sugar is separated, leaving behind molasses to be distilled into rum.