Mount Gay XO (Extra Old) – Barbados:
The First Impression: Ok, this is amazing! I’ve heard that Mount Gay Extra Old, otherwise known as MGXO, is one of the best sipping rums for it low price. At about $55CA, this rum is pretty incredible. The first thing you notice, obviously, is the bottle; topped with a high quality cork and emblazoned with the Mount Gay logo, directly into the glass. The rum itself, after pouring it into my glass, has a rich cherry wood appearance that invokes a warm, comforting visual impression. The aromas that rise from the glass suggest that the alcohol content is very well masked and is difficult to find. There is the smell of brown sugar, vanilla, laced with buttery caramel or butterscotch and complimented by the light scent of caramelized fruit; prunes and ripe bananas. Wait, there’s more! Intertwined into this already complex series of aromas there is an elusive scent of dark, bitter chocolate, tobacco, and old leather; all of these aromatics are tied and bound by the distinct aged, charred oak that is provided by used Kentucky bourbon barrels!
The Taste: The flavours are just as complex as the aromas given off by this well aged drink. Molasses and brown sugar laced with vanilla are the first to take stride; followed closely by aged oak and leather. Finally, the graduation, a toasty hint of caramelized fruit polished nicely by the aforementioned overtones.
Alas, The Finish: A long, warm, lingering trail that leaves the pallet feeling satisfied, yet, wishing for more. The smoothness would not be unlike drawing high quality silk against your cheek. After all this, the warm burn feels like resting in front of a warm fire place on a cold winter’s night. This is, so far, very close to the top of my “most favourites” list. Mixing this rum with anything would be a complete and total waste, drink it neat or on the rocks; best from a short stem snifter, or broad flat bottom tumbler.
Mount Gay Extra Old comes highly recommended and is available almost everywhere! Rating of 7!
