Mount gay liquor

You can’t buy one — at least not directly from Mount Gay. The only way to get one is to race in one of the scores of regattas that the brand sponsors every year.

The new distiller is a glass-ceiling-breaking powerhouse.

Mount Gay’s current master distiller, Trudiann Branker, is the first woman to run things in the distillery’s history.

Next up is the “Eclipse,” a rum aged up to two years in ex-bourbon barrels. Born in Barbados, this distillery creates bold, rich rums that capture the vibrant spirit of the Caribbean in every glass.

Check out our ultimate guide to Mount Gay’s lineup—perfect for rum lovers and newbies alike!

What Is Mount Gay Known For?

Mount Gay isn’t just the world’s oldest rum distillery; it’s also known for crafting exceptional, handcrafted rums that capture the essence of Barbados.

The proprietary yeast strain is based off a captured wild yeast, which Mount Gay’s team then bred for consistency.

You’ll know a Mount Gay fan when you see them.

Mount Gay has been closely linked to the world of sailing for decades, as symbolized by its red (often worn-out pink) logo-bearing hat.

Barbados is actually the product of accumulated and uplifted coral limestone. The Caribbean molasses contains different minerals from the region, depending on where it was grown.

First, the sugar cane plant, which is at the heart of all rum production, is harvested, crushed, and boiled, causing crystallization. The pure coral filters the water and carries essential minerals that help produce the right environment for the molasses and yeast during fermentation.

The mixture of molasses and coral filtered water is fermented for around 72 hours using four proprietary yeast strains, depending on the still that will be used, all derived from the natural airborne yeast found around the distillery.

Finally, there’s the 1703, a blend that varies from year to year and might include 30-year-old rums.

Always be aging.

Like all tropically produced spirits, Mount Gay ages nearly three times as quickly as spirits barrel-aged in cooler climates. The first special expression she’s been working on will debut in fall 2019.

There are four main expressions.

Clean and clear Mount Gay Silver is the brand’s entry-level rum, but grab it while you can, because it’s being removed from the American market.

A native Bajan, she studied Chemistry at Howard University in Washington, D.C., and also has an MBA. Following a five-year apprenticeship under Mount Gay’s previous master distiller, she took on her current role. Mount Gay is very transparent about its production process.

With a collection that spans from light and refreshing to bold and complex, this brand has earned its reputation by delivering a spectrum of vibrant flavors.

Types of Mount Gay

The Mount Gay lineup is packed with handcrafted rums, each offering a unique flavor experience.

That means the island has lots of underground water, a key element in what makes Mount Gay unique and why the British decided to focus sugarcane and rum production here in the 17th century. The shape of our Scottish McMillan pot stills delivers heavier flavored, more palate-clinging rums. The local molasses, sourced from Barbados, has a higher sugar content due to the alkaline in the soil, which adds acidity and flavor to the sugarcane, leading to a higher yield in production.

The brand was also perhaps Barbados’s most well known export until Rihanna took over the world.

Whether you’re familiar with Mount Gay or not, here’s everything you need to know about a brand that’s been distilling rum for more than three centuries.

It’s the oldest commercial rum company in the world.

The spirits world loves its superlatives, and Mount Gay can claim one of the most coveted.

Hundreds of years ago, Mount Gay could rely on the molasses from local sugar cane for all of its needs, but that’s no longer the case as there simply isn’t enough available land anymore. And there’s a whole lot of rum aging in Mount Gay’s four warehouses. The distillery uses two types of fermentation: controlled and open-air using wild indigenous yeast, which adds another layer of flavor.

There are four different types of stills used to make Mount Gay rum, depending on the final flavor profile they wish to achieve.

Molasses is very different than the sugar that you might use to sweeten your coffee or tea.