First Impressions
This is a historic bottling — the first ever Mount Gay rum selected and bottled exclusively for a retailer. Blended from both pot and column still spirit at cask strength (54% ABV), this seven-year-old showcases what Mount Gay can achieve when they're not constrained by the accessible style of their core range. This is big, bold Barbadian rum.
Tasting Notes
The nose is bold and generous. Tropical fruit leads — ripe banana in abundance, the signature Mount Gay character amplified by the higher strength. Toasted coconut, vanilla, oak char, brown sugar, and butterscotch create a rich, multi-layered aromatic profile.
At 54%, the palate is powerful and complex. Ripe banana intensity is the star, joined by toasted coconut and vanilla richness. Oak char adds depth and a slightly smoky quality, brown sugar provides sweetness, and the full body wraps everything in a satisfying embrace. This is Mount Gay with the volume turned up — everything the Eclipse hints at, delivered with authority.
The finish is long and warming, with tropical fruit and oak char lingering alongside persistent butterscotch sweetness.
How to Drink It
Neat with a few drops of water — the cask strength benefits from opening up, which reveals more tropical fruit and softens the oak char. Also makes a spectacular Old Fashioned or Rum Manhattan where the higher proof ensures the rum's character survives mixing.
The Bottom Line
Mount Gay Select Blend earns an 8 — this is what happens when the world's oldest distillery shows what it's truly capable of. At £84, the cask-strength, exclusive bottling represents serious value. If you love Mount Gay Eclipse, this is the version that will show you what you've been missing.
