Rum: Rich In History and Flavor

Mount Gay Rum Extra Old Christopher Columbus brought the sugar cane plant to America not long after its discovery in Asia.

Europeans soon discovered that it grew quite easily in the Caribbean and began to cultivate it so it could be sold throughout Europe. Numerous sugarcane plantations developed all over the islands.

To produce sugar, the cane is harvested and crushed to release the sap, which is then boiled in a multi-step process until sugar crystals are formed. The remaining liquid from this process is molasses.

By the middle of the 17th century, plantation owners on the island of Barbados had discovered that when the molasses was mixed with water and placed in the hot tropical sun, it fermented into a spirit, creating the first rum.

Early on, this new-found liquor was most frequently enjoyed by the pirates who sailed between Africa and America and the slave population living in the islands. It didn't take long, however, for rum's popularity to spread to the American colonies and consequently on to Great Britain. By the end of the 17th century, rum became a prosperous export of the Caribbean.

Time-Honored Methods

Naturally, some aspects of rum-making today have been modernized, but time-honored methods of distillation, aging and maturing are still used by the finest rum makers to produce distinct flavor nuances in their products.

A good example is Mount Gay Rum, a company that has been producing and perfecting their rums on the island of Barbados since 1703. Mount Gay is unique in that they use two different types of distillation processes for their rums. The distillates are stored separately in white-oak barrels imported from Kentucky for as long as a few months to several years. These barrels were once used to mature bourbon, and they have been very slightly charred to impart a hint of smoky flavor and rich color to the rum. Once the aging and maturing is complete, a master-blender evaluates the flavor of each barrel and carefully blends them to produce Mount Gay's distinctive line of rums.

Types Of Rum

There are a few varieties of rum available on the market today. White rum is the most popular for mixed drinks. It is generally not aged and is crystal clear and dry. Dark rum is also not aged and gets its color from the addition of caramel. Flavored and spiced rums have enjoyed increasing popularity in recent years and are usually used as a basis for complex cocktails. Golden rums are molasses-based premium aged rums that have been produced using the painstaking methods described above.

Notes On Tasting Rum

To provide a little insight into the flavor profiles of premium aged rum, here are the tasting notes from Mount Gay's flagship products.

Mount Gay Rum Extra Old

This rum is blended from the finest spirits in the company's reserve, distilled using a process that goes back more than 300 years.

Appearance: Amber-brown with brilliant luminescence

Aroma - First Nose: Good oak level; dry; good balance of fragrances; moderate intensity of general aroma

Aroma - Second Nose: Evidently sweeter and more aromatic than on the first nose. The predominant aroma is the rich, mellow, oak character, which is in perfect balance with the sweet, fruity notes and light banana-type aroma of a well-matured double distilled rum; light, burnt-wood character; subtle sugar cane note

Taste: Light bodied; excellent level of well-digested wood character which harmonizes with the aroma. Exceedingly smooth and the benchmark against which all other aged rums are measured

Maturity: Maturity Ranges from 12 to 17 years

Proof: 43% Alcohol by Volume

Mount Gay Eclipse

This rum sets the standard for the art of rum making in Barbados and throughout the Caribbean. It was named to commemorate the total eclipse of the sun that occurred in 1910.

Appearance: Bright, luminous, golden-amber

Aroma: Most complex aroma in the product range; well harmonized with certain tonalities evident - floral, spicy, fruity with a hint of vanilla and a subtle, smokey character derived from charred barrels

Taste: Mirrors the aroma, well balanced with exciting distinguishable undertones

Maturity: Mount Gay Eclipse has a maturity age of up to eight years

Proof: 40% Alcohol by Volume

Mount Gay Rum Eclipse Silver

This rum is a perfectly-balanced white rum; light-bodied rum with exceptional flavor and smoothness. It is more complex in taste and aroma than other typical white rums.

Appearance: Colorless; crystal clear clarity

Aroma: A gentle, even and mellow first note revealing hints of cane syrup & banana; a harmonious complexity is delivered on the nose

Taste: Extremely clean on the palate. Subtle hints of peppermint, with an underlying complexity revealing hints of citrus & banana. Eclipse Silver ends on a clean note with a faint hint of licorice, revealing the rum's finesse.

Maturity: Maturity Ranges from 2 to 8 years

Proof: 40% Alcohol by Volume