Review: Mount Gay Rum – Eclipse Navy Strength and Master Blender Selection – Coffey Still
Barbados’ Mount Gay has recently graced us with two new expressions of its rums, one for (relatively) mass consumption, the other extremely limited. Up firs: The gold expression of Mount Gay Eclipse has been gently rebranded as Mount Gay Eclipse Heritage Blend — tagline “Crisp & Aromatic” — and now it has a big brother in the form of a navy strength version. Oddly it isn’t a permanent release but rather a limited edition, though perhaps not as prized as the newest Master Blender Selection, which marks the relaunch of column distilling at Mount Gay.
We’ve got samples and reviews of both expressions.
Mount Gay Eclipse Navy Strength Rum – This high-test rum is matured two to four years and reportedly contains a higher portion of older pot still rums. At nearly 60% abv, the punch of some higher-ester rum is palpable, giving the boozy nose a significantly fruity quality that offsets some of the grassier, lightly industrial notes underneath, at least to a degree. The aromatics feel a bit scattered, and like mainline Eclipse a rather youthful endeavor that rewards mixing over straight sipping. Those esters warm up the palate with plenty of fruit: tart apples, orange peel, and grapefruit, along with some rhubarb bitterness. Time in glass allows more straightforward sweetness to emerge, in the form of vanilla, caramel, and some brewed coffee notes, on the palate and especially on the nose. The scorching weight of ethanol is never far from reach, though, which ultimately thins out the finish rather than amplifying it. It’s a little off-target, a rum that feels like it would benefit from more age to add complexity. 114.2 proof. B / $30
Mount Gay Master Blender Selection – Coffey Still – This is the 7th edition of the Master Blender Selection, billed as a tribute to the late Reynold Hinds, aka “Blues” — a pivotal distiller at the operation for 50 years. It’s the first Coffey still release from Mount Gay since 2019, when its 100% copper column still was recommissioned. It’s made from 100% local molasses and is aged for four years in ex-bourbon casks. A much more impressive fruity quality endures throughout the experience on this rum, the nose seeing a core of darker, baked apples and tropical fruits laced with cloves, cinnamon, and white pepper. Sharp and intense but always balanced, it’s an immediately engaging expression of a cleaner, leaner style of rum, with no funky hogo at all in evidence. Time in glass offers significant benefit to the rum, coaxing out layers of coconut and ample vanilla, offering a rich and enveloping aromatic profile that doesn’t belie its significant abv. On the palate, a more traditional, sweeter style dominates. Flambeed banana, caramel sauce, vanilla cookies, and gingerbread are all in the mix, melding to create an approachable and complex experience. The finish adds in touches of coffee, some black tea leaf, and a hint of anise. There’s a lot going on here but it’s all on point — and none of it ever feels out of the ordinary for this style of rum, for better or for worse. 116 proof. 5004 bottles produced. A- / $240 (700ml)
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