MOUNT GAY Eclipse
THE MOUNT GAY OLD FASHIONED
LET’S RAISE OUR GLASS TO THE ORIGINAL OLD FASHIONED COCKTAIL
AND TRY SOMETHING NEW IN THE SPIRIT OF THE OLD WAYS.
Mount Gay’s roots can be traced back to the processing of Barbadian sugar cane three centuries ago, making it the oldest rum and continually produced spirit in the world. Through centuries of experimentations the blending of single and double distillates has become an art form for Mount Gay® — passed down from generations of master blenders to successors.
Our Story
In fact, every great story begins with a time and a place. For Mount Gay Rum that time and place is the Caribbean Island of Barbados in 1703. Rum, originally the Barbadians called it as “Kill-Devil”. They were first to distill it, is truly a product of the island. The abundance of molasses combined with the culinary ingenuity of early settlers and, of course, their legendary thirst for alcohol lead to this unique discovery in the production of spirits.
Sir John Gay
Sir John Gay was a respectful leader and businessman. Furthermore, he worked tirelessly in service of the island of Barbados. A friend of Sir John Gay’s, the contrarily named John Sober, inherited a then-unknown distillery and had asked for Sir John’s help in managing it. Sir John Gay took quickly to the business of making rum. He refined the distillation process and began producing a noticeably superior product that we know today as Mount Gay Rum.
Crafting
Mount Gay Rum is the product of over 300 years of knowledge, experience and refinement applied to the process of making rum. Each of our rum’s complex flavours have been coaxed from natural Barbadian ingredients and the input of many generations of master blenders, distillers and the evolving palates of rum shop patrons.
Water
The island of Barbados is formed of coral limestone, a porous stone which acts as a natural filter for the groundwater deep beneath the island. This water is subsequently filtered three more times, resulting in some of the purest water available.
Sugarcane Molasses
In fact, Barbadian sugar is among the finest in the world, yielding exceptional molasses. In the 18th century, Barbadian molasses called as “Black Gold” because of the additional revenue it provided after the process of refining crystallised sugar from sugar cane.
Fermentation
Furthermore, we begin the art of fermentation truly by combining molasses and coral filtered water. We combine them with a proprietary strain of yeast, selected exclusively for Mount Gay Rums. Since opening the doors of the first still house, we conduct this process in the open air of Barbados.
Distillation
Moreover, for over three hundred years, we develop the distinct bold character of Mount Gay Rum in traditional double copper pot stills. An innovative distillation technique in 1703, this process has been in continuous use by Mount Gay ever since.
Maturing
In tropical Caribbean climates, the process of ageing is unpredictable. However, one year could mature a rum as much as three years or as few as six months. For Mount Gay the focus is on maturation over ageing. Today, we mature Mount Gay Rums in charred white oak barrels, barrels which previously held American whiskey.
Blending
In fact, blending has become a true craft. It is this alchemical merging of controlled practices and skilled intuition that has guided master blenders for years. Allen Smith holds sway over the craft of blending at Mount Gay Distilleries. An individual batch of Mount Gay Rum contains dozens of different distillates, single and double.
Mount Gay Eclipse rum
Eclipse is the reference for character, body and aroma by which our Master Blender Allen Smith uses to blend every variety of Mount Gay Rum. For many rum aficionados Eclipse is also the reference by which all rum should be measured. Eclipse has a brilliant golden amber colour and a luxuriously complex aroma.
