Mount Gay launches limited edition Cognac Cask Expression

The historic Mount Gay rum distillery — the world’s oldest — has introduced an exclusive new $420 rum, the Cognac Cask Expression, marking the eighth release in its acclaimed Master Blender Collection and the first crafted under the stewardship of master blender Trudiann Branker.

Its launch on Tuesday threw the spotlight on both innovation and tradition at the 322-year-old distillery in St Lucy.

Tasting notes describe a layered and refined spirit, golden in appearance, with aromas of red fruits, vanilla, leather, and orange zest. On the palate, it offers cherry, salted caramel, oak, and brown sugar, culminating in a smooth finish with lingering oak and sweetness.

Managing Director Antoine Couvreur characterised the rum as “surprisingly elegant”, attributing this to the nuanced influence of the cognac casks and the balance achieved in Branker’s blend.

“As you may know, this location is very important to Mount Gay because it all started right here more than 320 years ago, when Barbados invented rum,” Couvreur said. “What I can tell you, though, is that over the years, we have aimed to honour and protect the legacy of this historic location and this Barbadian brand, while ensuring its future through innovation and creativity.”

The rum, finished in cognac casks, is bottled at 58 per cent alcohol by volume, non-chill filtered, and presented in its natural golden colour—no colouring added. A total of 6 276 bottles have been released globally, making it one of the more exclusive entries in the Master Blender Collection.

“I am very excited to have the opportunity to taste how our exceptional Mount Gay rums have evolved after being aged in barrels of Rémy Martin cognac,” Couvreur added. “This eighth edition—the Cognac Cask Expression—will be available in 70cl from select premium retailers in Barbados, as well as the Caribbean, USA, UK, Europe, and Asia, for US$210 (BDS$420). It is my expectation that this new expression will be just as successful as the seven before it.”

Master Blender Trudiann Branker shared her vision to innovate on XO blends with rum aged in cognac casks: “Over the years, we’ve really mastered the art of handling these barrels, of understanding, maturing, and rumming these barrels, and understanding what happens when rum aged in wood, under our unique conditions, goes through the maturation process. It is only fitting that, eight versions later, we do a Master Blender Collection that is a nod to our XO blend.”

Minister in the Ministry of Finance Ryan Straughn commended Branker’s innovation as a model for youth.

He said: “There’s a legacy which we must leverage to pay homage to those who have gone before, but to give future generations the opportunity to participate and to be a part of the very success that you’ve built here in the last few years. Trudiann, I can only say to you that you’re an inspiration to many.”

He referred to the creation as a partnership with French expertise and Bajan ingenuity. “I’ve been working with our French partners to be able to lift our standards of production, literal standards with respect to the internal processes that they are putting in place, the labelling, the packaging, all of that. Any major rum . . . I believe we have a unique opportunity to leverage both the French expertise as well as good old Bajan ingenuity.” (LG)