Mount Gay unveils second rum in Master Blender range

Rémy Cointreau-owned Mount Gay Rum has added a whiskey cask-finished expression to its Master Blender Collection.

Mount Gay looked to its original process of rum-making for the new bottling

The release of Mount Gay Pot Still Rum follows the launch of the first bottling in the range – XO The Peat Smoke Expression.

For the new expression, Mount Gay looked to its original process of rum-making from around 200 years ago.

The Master Blender Collection: Mount Gay Pot Still Rum (48% ABV) is made using only rums distilled in double retort pot stills.

From the distillery’s launch in 1703 until the early 1900s, Mount Gay was made purely in pot stills until a full copper Coffey column was introduced.

Mount Gay master blender Trudiann Branker tasted many samples of pot still liquid, before selecting a batch distilled in 2009.

Six months before bottling the liquid, Branker placed it into virgin ex-whiskey casks to “enhance the spicy and roasted nutty notes”.

It was the first rum created by Branker since she took over the master blender role from Allen Smith in April 2019.

“For this release, I wanted to showcase pot still rum in its truest form, to be highlighted for its complex nature, aromatics and taste, and show how delicate and balanced this crafted liquid can be,” said Branker.

The resulting liquid is said to have notes of butterscotch, toffee, mocha and plum on the nose. On the palate, it is “initially spicy, followed up by rich, dried fruits, dark chocolate and oak”.

The Master Blender Collection: Mount Gay Pot Still Rum is limited to 4,920 bottles globally, with 1,002 bottles available in the US. It will be available at select premium retailers across the world.