Its good stuff. The moment I downed my first glass I knew I was going to be stocking this in my cabinet for good. Its strange because other great products like Four Roses Single barrel does not have that effect on me, especially after drinking halfway through the bottle.
Thanks for introducing me to this fine product. I got sick on rum 22 years ago and haven't touched it since. Mt. Gay XO smells and tastes NOTHING like Bacardi and that is a good thing.
Thanks to this video I will have this in my cabinet for the rest of my life. Love the way the cork sounds.. a squeeky greeting. Thanks Ralfy!! This is particularily good if you are enjoying a sherbert. A couple spoonfulls and then a small sip of Mount Gay.. wonderful I recommend it!!
Love your reviews Ralfy, I must admit that I am not much of a whiskey drinker, rum is what really turns me on, maybe it is the subtler sweater flavour. Mt Gay is a great price here in Oz and depending on my budget i get the aged or cheaper versions. Keep up the reviews, cheers.
So I mixed benriach 12 with woods 100 (not sure whether you would consider either as quality or not but they are what are open in my cupboard) and it creates a strangely harmonius drink - I guess because both are quite sweet. It results in a drink less aggressive than the woods 100 but more assertive than the BenRiach. Creates a taste of boiled sweets not present in either.
Tried a Worthy Park 7 year old SMWS bottling which started my interest in Rums. Having an Appleton Estate 15 right now. Will give the Mount Gay XO a try.
Four Roses is one of the few distilleries to fully explain what flavors are contributed by their yeasts. They have two bourbon mashbills (one is higher in rye than the other) and FIVE yeast strains (each strain can either provide floral, spice, herbal, delicate fruity, and robust fruitiness).
You hit the nail on the head, whisky or malt should be a journey & not a destination. That’s why when I hear some tell me that Highland Scotch Whisky is the only thing they’ll drink, I often tell them, you’re missing out on what the Irish, Japanese & other world whiskey distilleries are innovating with. Close mindedness is what stops experiencing new & wonderful malts. Did the tasting of my own Mount Gay XO along with you, although mine has a different label.
Hey Ralfy, I`m a lover of golden rums and spend a lot of time in Barbados. I feel the finest rum I have enjoyed, and many friends concur, is made at Mount Gay, it is called `Sugar Cane Brandy`(not trauly a brandy but a rum) and has an incredible flavour. I love extra old too, but for me, sugar cane brandy has the edge. I would urge you to track some down, difficult in the uk, as It really is rum royalty!! Loved your video ;-)
Thanks for the recommendations :D yeah I really wanna try Pussers, got some in a local pub actually might have a wee half of it to see. Wanna try Ron Zacapa also :D
Bought this on your recommendation and was not disappointed. Even better, combined this 50/50 with the uninspired Smokehead Islay to create a transcendental rumsky. Delicious!
As a homebrewer yeast is a fascinating ingredient when it comes to beer and spirits. Take the same recipe and procedure and add two different types of yeast and you'll get two completely different results. Sounds like the next step in the whiskey world to start experimenting with new/different yeast strains.
Thanks for the bit about the yeast Ralfy. Very interesting. I believe this is also true for beer brewers. Or at least for Guinness, when I did a tour of their store house there was a mention of it and that they had been using the same strain of yeast in their beer for decades, if not longer.
Thank you ralfy!!! I never gave rum a second thought until your videos (all my rum experience was with cheap, "mixing"-type rum). Your raave revuew of this one in particular piqued my interest and I was pleasently surprised on so many levels: 1) tasty 2) easy to procure 3) reasonably-priced--a trifecta of awesome ;) Please keep doing what you're doing for as long as you can stand it :)
That's the first time I heard of that mug tip :) I recently went to an actual rum bar (and finally tried the Zacapa XO) and they served the rum in something like small red wine glasses. Worked quite well, too.
@ralfystuff The consensus on the Ministry of Rum boards is that the older bottling is around 10-12 years old (though another poster suggested up to 15 years). Which is why the new bottling has sort of divided the rum fans since some don't like the taste of the old rum. My personal theory is that those who do like the new blend (such as myself) are predominantly whiskey drinkers who have developed a taste for the older stuff.
Ralfy, of course, is always spot on ! I haven't been able to get a bottle of this yet. I have recently tried a bottle of Zafra 21 master reserve. Very nice with chocolate , toffee and maple flavors. But bottled at only 40% tis a bit thin. 43% would made a huge difference!
Thanks for the yeast discussion Ralfy. I'm doing a project on lambic beer right now with its wild yeast, but I hadn't heard much at all about spirit yeast. It seems strange that whisky producers haven't explored this somewhat obvious method of flavouring difference but there we have it, just more excitement for the potential of a new wave of whisky popularity and production.
I wish I found out about you earlier, I have tried a few amount of rums mixed, but recently got into sipping neat rum. Tried OVD (nice and cheap and surprisingly drinkable) as a second sipper I tried Mount Gay Eclipse after reading good reviews. What a dissapointment, good on the nose after getting past the smell of paintstripper then quickly turns bad. I got the typical brown sugar, slightly sweet dark fruits and then - gone! As I said I wish I found you and bought a good rum!
Hey Ralfy, since you are (just like me) not afraid to do a bit of blend experiments with your liquor. I want to suggest you, one teaspoon of Knob Creek Rye into your Springbank 10 year old just makes it AMAZING!. The brine comes forward better and pleasant, the rye adds a lot of mouthfeel and also acts as a combining factor for the complex pallet of the Springbank. Keep up and would love to see you review Knob Creek rye once. Also check out (if you not already have) products from Zuidam distillery, Van Wees distillery and Simon Rutte en Zn. These are great Old Genever (as you know an aged juniper spirit) brands, very traditional and complex flavors with Zuidam taking it over the top with a lot of single barrel stuff, different type of casks and all and also a growing range of Whiskies (which I have not tried yet) Would love to see that all the best D
Surprisingly the Mount Gay XO makes for a good mixer (though I will admit the Mount Gay Eclipse should be the one to use). When I mixed this with Coke, I noticed a nice vanilla sweetness imparted with the cola flavors (like Vanilla Coke). Please note that I had none of the Eclipse available so I went with the XO.
can see that look on your face Ralfy after the first sip here (7.10) ...you thinking "if only this was a single malt". Closest flavour comparison I've personaly had with this type of arrival is the highly acclaimed kavalan solist barrique.... cheers matey!!
I dont really have the budget to buy a lot of spirits but I have found from my limited range of tasting that I like Kraken Rum and Disaronno Amaretto liqueur the best....
Something of note: when I opened my bottle, the cork wasn't very tight and was pretty well soaked in the rum, making me think it was stored on it's side at some point. The foil was intact and it seems to have enough of a seal, but it's not tight enough that I'd feel secure laying it on it's side. Could this have an effect on the spirit, and consequently the watery mouth feel I described in my last comment?
I bought my bottle some time ago. I just now got around to it. It looks like a new bottling compared to the one here. It's a taller bottle and the label has XO rather than spelling out"Extra Old"; still at 43%. At half the price of El Dorado 21, I think I found my new go-to sipping rum.
I have tried a lot of caribean, central america and south rums, one of my favorities is the flor de caña, it is kind of single malt stuff, great flavor, great prize, i love it
Seeing that you use nosing glasses for your rum reviews: I used to do the same but once I tried a cognac balloon (following the advice from different rum web sites), I never wanted to go back. Wider glasses are much better suited to rum IMHO and it's so fascinating to get a different nose at the rim than towards the centre of the opening.
@ralfystuff The 15 year old is very good also, different enough from the 23. That's quite an interesting fact that they don't label the age by the youngest rum in the blend but the oldest, I didn't know they could do that and it explains why the price isn't higher. There's also Zaya rum from Guatemala that is noteworthy but I tend to prefer Barbados rums personally. You do very interesting and informative videos. Thanks for replying, it's appreciated. Cheers!
Your enthusiasm and passion is infectious! I've now gone through a bottle each of Ballentine's 12yo, Johnnie Walker Black, Jameson 12yo/special reserve, Dimple 15yo, Old Pulteney 12yo and Glenfiddich 12yo, in that order. I'm feeling ready for a new bottle and I was thinking about Highland Park, but do you think I should take a brief whisky break and go for a bottle of rum? I've always adored rum and it's been too long since I had a rum that was worth enjoying. Congrats on approaching 200!
I just bough a bottle of Mount Gay XO and its good stuff. I wonder if the Mount Gay Black Barrel version ( a bit cheaper) is worth buying since the XO is rare on our liquor store Shelves.
Just tried my first good, sipping rum and loved it. Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva from the Dominican. Excellent stuff. Will be trying this Mount Gay Extra Old for my next bottle. yo ho yo ho...a pirate's life for me.
First honest shot at rum for me in years. First was Appleton 12. The nose is really great, as you've suggested. I'm enjoying the palate on my first casual taste but was honestly taken aback on the first sip on how watery it seemed. Didn't take long for the arrival though, and I'm finding much of what you did. Is this just a case of a whisk(e)y fan not being used to the typical mouth feel of a rum? Appreciate that rec and glad it's part of my collection. Look forward to exploring it further.
Ralfy, you've Inspired me to make a cocktail with my Bottle of Mt. Gay and a nice smoky scotch(still have to decide which one). I will indefinitely name this cocktail after you and will be sure to post a link to your Vlog and youtube channel on my blog when I present the recipe!
@ralfystuff That just gave me the idea of using a cola with natural ingredients. I did consider using Mexican Coke (with real cane sugar) but I kept drinking up that Coke before I could mix with it :). I've also found that Mount Gay XO mixes well with a little lemon or lime juice. Those citrus notes really harmonize with the rum. On that same note, I realize it's wrong to mix this rum with a cola containing high fructose corn syrup.
As a huge fan of Whiskey and Bourbon i am now looking for my first sipping Rum. What is your recommendation for a excellent sipping rum to pair with my cigars?
Ralfy I'm not saying I've ever had a good rum but do you ever find that you can almost taste the Caribbean limes in them? I've had a couple where I think the limes are coming through as though the casks have breathed the lime scent or some other part of the process has picked up the flavour.
Hi Ralfy! Big fan here. I initially got into spirits with Gin. However, I dont believe I ever figured out how to drink it properly. Would you please do a segment on Gin? Very curious about your opinion.
Ralfy if you say they can sweeten rums by adding sugar I suppose that has the advantage over whisky in that they might not be watered-down so much - at least your money will be going on sugar juice rather than just water.
I don't know how much of it is because of having great expectations for this rum or spending quite the bit of extra on something that I thought that would be a better product, but this one was a major dissapointment. It's a smooth rum for sure, but while it has a swift (not sure about bold) arrival of bittersweet, it also leaves as swiftly as it came and... then nothing much. We all like different things, but for me this rum was just dissapointingly unmemorable and flavourless. It reminds me so much of this 10 year old armagnac that I once bought. After finishing the bottle I still wasn't quite sure what it had tasted like. The flavour, what little it had, wasn't bad but I'd just expected to get more than just "smooth" with 60€. Now I just have my fingers crossed that the flavour will somehow miraculously get stronger when the rum has more time to breath. I'd want to add that we all taste things differently, so some people may well find this rum very much enjoyable. But I prefer a bit stronger flavour and longer finish in rum as well as in whisky. Nothing extreme. I'd give this rum 6/10.
Hey Ralfy, I'm a gig fan of Mount Gay rums, just tried the cask 1703 which was very interesting, although at 3 times the price of the Extra Old which I enjoy a lot. I was wondering if you have tried the Guatemala rum Zacapa. They have 3 premium "centenario" blends: Solara 15 years old, Solara 23 year old and XO. They are quite exceptional and have won many rewards, the XO would be my favorite and very similar in price to the 23 year old. If you haven't tried them i suggest you try to, thanks.
The new XO has a new label and I'm led to believe that it is made of a mix of lower-aged rums, 8-15. It is quite dry and spicy but lacks barrel flavour.
Hi Ralfy, just tried a sample of Mount Gay. There is a particular smell in the nose that reminds me of western gold bourbon. I dont know how to decribe it, maybe brown sugar?? Did you experience the same??
@shuboy05 Specifically, one review I've read on the Rum Howler Blog mentions dank elements that seem to contain deep charred flavors reminiscent of caramelized brown sugar, old musty leather, and damp tobacco. This resulting bitter element was a little too unpleasant for the reviewer's taste. Would these flavors crop up from the rum's contact with the cask's wood?
Hi Mr.Ralfy, Is there any chance you'll review Murray McDavid Littlemill 16 year old or Murray McDavid Cragganmore 15 year old or Glenfiddich "Snow Phoenix" in the future? Thanks for all the great reviews much appreciated
Ralfy - I usually drink Mt Gay Eclipse but I really like Mt Gay Special Reserve. A lighter rum but with superb tastes of coconut, vanilla etc. I guess I'm in the minority because they discontued it and introduced a platinum rum that doesn't do much for me. I have found a few cases to stock up but I was wondering if you ever tried it and if so your thoughts.
Ralfie you need to check out 1731 Rum series. 46 percent natural color no chill filtered no added sugars their rum Barbados single origins is superb. Good price too.
Haha its okay, I know the names of most you;ve said so can seperate em :) that helps alot, I've read about ones I would like to buy like Goslings Black Seal but wasn't sure if I was gonna go for it and try a bottle. Will need to get one next pay (as I bought a bottle of malt this pay LOL)
Ralfy, what do you think about the most notorically known rums (at least in my area) - Zacapa and Diplomatico? Are they well worth the price? I see no review of then in your site.
Hahaha I'll bet ;-) Well for rums would you have any more recommendations? Doesnt need to be dark, I love rum all ways. Only tried 1 white rum right enough, was Havana Club 3 Yr Anejo or something.. Any rum will do, I would love a list to try :D
Ralfy, have you noticed the similarity between Mount Gay Extra Old and Rittenhouse Rye? Both have a charred characteristic and neither are sweet. Rittenhouse is oilier and MGXO has more light fruit notes (dried apricot, etc) but they are quite similar. I'm not really a fan of bourbon or of charred wood flavours so this was a bit of a miss for me. El Dorado 12 I liked quite a bit. It's the best rum I've ever had. Is Appleton Extra 12yo closer to the El Dorado, or the Mount Gay Extra Old?
@ralfystuff Which is probably a good thing since a Ralfy review just might tempt me to break open my ONLY bottle of Snow Phoenix when I'm trying to save it for a special occasion (tried to get a second bottle but the only shop selling it has since sold out).
Hello, Allen Smith, Master Blender of Mount Gay Rum is in Glasgow tomorrow and would love to meet you. Please let me know if you are around. Thanks a lot, Flo
![PASULOL รามเกียรติ์ ตอนที่ 4 นนทกพบรัก [Ramakien Ep.4: Nonthok in love]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/tMUQgmZzf_A/mqdefault.jpg)
Being mainly a whisky guy, this is my favorite rum yet.
Its good stuff. The moment I downed my first glass I knew I was going to be stocking this in my cabinet for good. Its strange because other great products like Four Roses Single barrel does not have that effect on me, especially after drinking halfway through the bottle.
Captain Zeke four tosses single barrel is a real treat but have you ever had Angel’s Envy? Such an amazing bourbon. My favorite whiskey for sure.
Thanks for introducing me to this fine product. I got sick on rum 22 years ago and haven't touched it since. Mt. Gay XO smells and tastes NOTHING like Bacardi and that is a good thing.
Thanks for the review ralfy. Just picked one up, bloody beautiful stuff. Thanks again!
Thank you, this has been really helpful in choosing a gift of rum for my friend. :)
Sipping on some MGXO right now...it's really, really good rum!!!
Big rum fan , plantation, Ron zacapa, original Zaya, you just blew my mind!, your a genius ralfy!.... lagavullin in with mount gay👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Great Advice Ralfy Keep expanding one's cultural references!!
Thanks to this video I will have this in my cabinet for the rest of my life. Love the way the cork sounds.. a squeeky greeting. Thanks Ralfy!! This is particularily good if you are enjoying a sherbert. A couple spoonfulls and then a small sip of Mount Gay.. wonderful I recommend it!!
Love your reviews Ralfy, I must admit that I am not much of a whiskey drinker, rum is what really turns me on, maybe it is the subtler sweater flavour. Mt Gay is a great price here in Oz and depending on my budget i get the aged or cheaper versions. Keep up the reviews, cheers.
So I mixed benriach 12 with woods 100 (not sure whether you would consider either as quality or not but they are what are open in my cupboard) and it creates a strangely harmonius drink - I guess because both are quite sweet. It results in a drink less aggressive than the woods 100 but more assertive than the BenRiach. Creates a taste of boiled sweets not present in either.
Just incredible! Great video
Tried a Worthy Park 7 year old SMWS bottling which started my interest in Rums. Having an Appleton Estate 15 right now. Will give the Mount Gay XO a try.
Four Roses is one of the few distilleries to fully explain what flavors are contributed by their yeasts. They have two bourbon mashbills (one is higher in rye than the other) and FIVE yeast strains (each strain can either provide floral, spice, herbal, delicate fruity, and robust fruitiness).
You hit the nail on the head, whisky or malt should be a journey & not a destination. That’s why when I hear some tell me that Highland Scotch Whisky is the only thing they’ll drink, I often tell them, you’re missing out on what the Irish, Japanese & other world whiskey distilleries are innovating with. Close mindedness is what stops experiencing new & wonderful malts. Did the tasting of my own Mount Gay XO along with you, although mine has a different label.
Yeah, the "I like whisky X, I won't buy anything else" crowd, I could never understand that.
Hey Ralfy, I`m a lover of golden rums and spend a lot of time in Barbados. I feel the finest rum I have enjoyed, and many friends concur, is made at Mount Gay, it is called `Sugar Cane Brandy`(not trauly a brandy but a rum) and has an incredible flavour. I love extra old too, but for me, sugar cane brandy has the edge. I would urge you to track some down, difficult in the uk, as It really is rum royalty!! Loved your video ;-)
SO GLAD YOU DID THIS RUM!
Thanks for the recommendations :D yeah I really wanna try Pussers, got some in a local pub actually might have a wee half of it to see. Wanna try Ron Zacapa also :D
Bought this on your recommendation and was not disappointed. Even better, combined this 50/50 with the uninspired Smokehead Islay to create a transcendental rumsky. Delicious!
Wow so happy i bought this bottle. What a rum this is. great review ralfy! LCBO selling it for 39$ at the moment. Great deal for this delicious stuff.
As a homebrewer yeast is a fascinating ingredient when it comes to beer and spirits. Take the same recipe and procedure and add two different types of yeast and you'll get two completely different results. Sounds like the next step in the whiskey world to start experimenting with new/different yeast strains.
just tried the regular mount gay!! amazing..
Hells yeah!
Ralfy, I'd love it if you could review "1702" as well. Would really like to know if it warrants the price difference!
Thanks for the bit about the yeast Ralfy. Very interesting. I believe this is also true for beer brewers. Or at least for Guinness, when I did a tour of their store house there was a mention of it and that they had been using the same strain of yeast in their beer for decades, if not longer.
Awesome recommendation thanks fella
Thank you ralfy!!! I never gave rum a second thought until your videos (all my rum experience was with cheap, "mixing"-type rum). Your raave revuew of this one in particular piqued my interest and I was pleasently surprised on so many levels: 1) tasty 2) easy to procure 3) reasonably-priced--a trifecta of awesome ;)
Please keep doing what you're doing for as long as you can stand it :)
my favorite rum
my favorite place to visit
That's the first time I heard of that mug tip :) I recently went to an actual rum bar (and finally tried the Zacapa XO) and they served the rum in something like small red wine glasses. Worked quite well, too.
@ralfystuff
The consensus on the Ministry of Rum boards is that the older bottling is around 10-12 years old (though another poster suggested up to 15 years). Which is why the new bottling has sort of divided the rum fans since some don't like the taste of the old rum. My personal theory is that those who do like the new blend (such as myself) are predominantly whiskey drinkers who have developed a taste for the older stuff.
Ralfy, of course, is always spot on ! I haven't been able to get a bottle of this yet. I have recently tried a bottle of Zafra 21 master reserve. Very nice with chocolate , toffee and maple flavors. But bottled at only 40% tis a bit thin. 43% would made a huge difference!
Great review Ralfy . I've been thinking about buying a bottle of this for a while . I'll do it now ! :)
Thanks for the yeast discussion Ralfy. I'm doing a project on lambic beer right now with its wild yeast, but I hadn't heard much at all about spirit yeast. It seems strange that whisky producers haven't explored this somewhat obvious method of flavouring difference but there we have it, just more excitement for the potential of a new wave of whisky popularity and production.
I wish I found out about you earlier, I have tried a few amount of rums mixed, but recently got into sipping neat rum. Tried OVD (nice and cheap and surprisingly drinkable) as a second sipper I tried Mount Gay Eclipse after reading good reviews. What a dissapointment, good on the nose after getting past the smell of paintstripper then quickly turns bad. I got the typical brown sugar, slightly sweet dark fruits and then - gone! As I said I wish I found you and bought a good rum!
Hey Ralfy, since you are (just like me) not afraid to do a bit of blend experiments with your liquor. I want to suggest you, one teaspoon of Knob Creek Rye into your Springbank 10 year old just makes it AMAZING!. The brine comes forward better and pleasant, the rye adds a lot of mouthfeel and also acts as a combining factor for the complex pallet of the Springbank. Keep up and would love to see you review Knob Creek rye once.
Also check out (if you not already have) products from Zuidam distillery, Van Wees distillery and Simon Rutte en Zn. These are great Old Genever (as you know an aged juniper spirit) brands, very traditional and complex flavors with Zuidam taking it over the top with a lot of single barrel stuff, different type of casks and all and also a growing range of Whiskies (which I have not tried yet)
Would love to see that
all the best
D
Surprisingly the Mount Gay XO makes for a good mixer (though I will admit the Mount Gay Eclipse should be the one to use). When I mixed this with Coke, I noticed a nice vanilla sweetness imparted with the cola flavors (like Vanilla Coke). Please note that I had none of the Eclipse available so I went with the XO.
I remember buying this rum out of sheer curiosity 5 years ago...and have never looked back
can see that look on your face Ralfy after the first sip here (7.10) ...you thinking "if only this was a single malt".
Closest flavour comparison I've personaly had with this type of arrival is the highly acclaimed kavalan solist barrique.... cheers matey!!
I love this rum its a very nice rum. Eldorado 21 is twice the price but only 27% better
what would you give the standard bottling of mount gay???
I dont really have the budget to buy a lot of spirits but I have found from my limited range of tasting that I like Kraken Rum and Disaronno Amaretto liqueur the best....
have to agree this is a fine rum, lovely sipping rum.
Bravo Ralfy fantastic video as always keep up the good work
Something of note: when I opened my bottle, the cork wasn't very tight and was pretty well soaked in the rum, making me think it was stored on it's side at some point. The foil was intact and it seems to have enough of a seal, but it's not tight enough that I'd feel secure laying it on it's side. Could this have an effect on the spirit, and consequently the watery mouth feel I described in my last comment?
I bought my bottle some time ago. I just now got around to it. It looks like a new bottling compared to the one here. It's a taller bottle and the label has XO rather than spelling out"Extra Old"; still at 43%. At half the price of El Dorado 21, I think I found my new go-to sipping rum.
I have tried a lot of caribean, central america and south rums, one of my favorities is the flor de caña, it is kind of single malt stuff, great flavor, great prize, i love it
Seeing that you use nosing glasses for your rum reviews: I used to do the same but once I tried a cognac balloon (following the advice from different rum web sites), I never wanted to go back. Wider glasses are much better suited to rum IMHO and it's so fascinating to get a different nose at the rim than towards the centre of the opening.
@ralfystuff The 15 year old is very good also, different enough from the 23. That's quite an interesting fact that they don't label the age by the youngest rum in the blend but the oldest, I didn't know they could do that and it explains why the price isn't higher. There's also Zaya rum from Guatemala that is noteworthy but I tend to prefer Barbados rums personally. You do very interesting and informative videos. Thanks for replying, it's appreciated. Cheers!
Your enthusiasm and passion is infectious!
I've now gone through a bottle each of Ballentine's 12yo, Johnnie Walker Black, Jameson 12yo/special reserve, Dimple 15yo, Old Pulteney 12yo and Glenfiddich 12yo, in that order. I'm feeling ready for a new bottle and I was thinking about Highland Park, but do you think I should take a brief whisky break and go for a bottle of rum? I've always adored rum and it's been too long since I had a rum that was worth enjoying.
Congrats on approaching 200!
I just bough a bottle of Mount Gay XO and its good stuff. I wonder if the Mount Gay Black Barrel version ( a bit cheaper) is worth buying since the XO is rare on our liquor store Shelves.
I know this comment is over a year old, but your right about the appleton 12, I found it thin on the mouthfeel too. I like this mount gay much more.
i noticed the manx triskelion on your wall and thought i'd give you a cheers! from one manxman to another
Just tried my first good, sipping rum and loved it. Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva from the Dominican. Excellent stuff. Will be trying this Mount Gay Extra Old for my next bottle. yo ho yo ho...a pirate's life for me.
First honest shot at rum for me in years. First was Appleton 12. The nose is really great, as you've suggested. I'm enjoying the palate on my first casual taste but was honestly taken aback on the first sip on how watery it seemed. Didn't take long for the arrival though, and I'm finding much of what you did. Is this just a case of a whisk(e)y fan not being used to the typical mouth feel of a rum? Appreciate that rec and glad it's part of my collection. Look forward to exploring it further.
Ralfy, you've Inspired me to make a cocktail with my Bottle of Mt. Gay and a nice smoky scotch(still have to decide which one). I will indefinitely name this cocktail after you and will be sure to post a link to your Vlog and youtube channel on my blog when I present the recipe!
Will be sampling Jamaican Rum soon. I have some familiarity with Brugal Dominican Rum, Extra Viejo, Anijo and Blanco.
Great review, I agree wholeheartly. It is my favorite Rum of all time. Can you review Boodles Gin. I think it makes a great martini.
I tried today mixing some Appleton Estate Reserve with a bit of The Kraken spiced black rum, with delicious results.
@ralfystuff
That just gave me the idea of using a cola with natural ingredients. I did consider using Mexican Coke (with real cane sugar) but I kept drinking up that Coke before I could mix with it :). I've also found that Mount Gay XO mixes well with a little lemon or lime juice. Those citrus notes really harmonize with the rum.
On that same note, I realize it's wrong to mix this rum with a cola containing high fructose corn syrup.
I call this CSB (CrossSpiritBlend) ... it's a lot of fun to experiment with... Cheers!
I too want to own that look of satisfaction! Getting this rum asap!
I love the Dalek in the background.
As a huge fan of Whiskey and Bourbon i am now looking for my first sipping Rum. What is your recommendation for a excellent sipping rum to pair with my cigars?
Ralfy I'm not saying I've ever had a good rum but do you ever find that you can almost taste the Caribbean limes in them? I've had a couple where I think the limes are coming through as though the casks have breathed the lime scent or some other part of the process has picked up the flavour.
Hi Ralfy! Big fan here. I initially got into spirits with Gin. However, I dont believe I ever figured out how to drink it properly. Would you please do a segment on Gin? Very curious about your opinion.
We're dealing with a later version of this here now which I think is possibly a lower age but still for the money this is great stuff, in my opinion.
Ralfy if you say they can sweeten rums by adding sugar I suppose that has the advantage over whisky in that they might not be watered-down so much - at least your money will be going on sugar juice rather than just water.
I don't know how much of it is because of having great expectations for this rum or spending quite the bit of extra on something that I thought that would be a better product, but this one was a major dissapointment.
It's a smooth rum for sure, but while it has a swift (not sure about bold) arrival of bittersweet, it also leaves as swiftly as it came and... then nothing much. We all like different things, but for me this rum was just dissapointingly unmemorable and flavourless. It reminds me so much of this 10 year old armagnac that I once bought. After finishing the bottle I still wasn't quite sure what it had tasted like.
The flavour, what little it had, wasn't bad but I'd just expected to get more than just "smooth" with 60€. Now I just have my fingers crossed that the flavour will somehow miraculously get stronger when the rum has more time to breath. I'd want to add that we all taste things differently, so some people may well find this rum very much enjoyable. But I prefer a bit stronger flavour and longer finish in rum as well as in whisky. Nothing extreme. I'd give this rum 6/10.
Hey Ralfy, I'm a gig fan of Mount Gay rums, just tried the cask 1703 which was very interesting, although at 3 times the price of the Extra Old which I enjoy a lot. I was wondering if you have tried the Guatemala rum Zacapa. They have 3 premium "centenario" blends: Solara 15 years old, Solara 23 year old and XO. They are quite exceptional and have won many rewards, the XO would be my favorite and very similar in price to the 23 year old. If you haven't tried them i suggest you try to, thanks.
The new XO has a new label and I'm led to believe that it is made of a mix of lower-aged rums, 8-15. It is quite dry and spicy but lacks barrel flavour.
Hi Ralfy, just tried a sample of Mount Gay. There is a particular smell in the nose that reminds me of western gold bourbon. I dont know how to decribe it, maybe brown sugar?? Did you experience the same??
I had Master of malt's 'Rumbullion'.. fantastic winter warmer liqueur, have you tried it ralfy? Well worth a try
@shuboy05
Specifically, one review I've read on the Rum Howler Blog mentions dank elements that seem to contain deep charred flavors reminiscent of caramelized brown sugar, old musty leather, and damp tobacco. This resulting bitter element was a little too unpleasant for the reviewer's taste.
Would these flavors crop up from the rum's contact with the cask's wood?
Hi Mr.Ralfy, Is there any chance you'll review Murray McDavid Littlemill 16 year old or Murray McDavid Cragganmore 15 year old or Glenfiddich "Snow Phoenix" in the future? Thanks for all the great reviews much appreciated
this was uploaded on my birthday, my next birthday i turn 21 so i'm kind of obligated to try this :)
You just got a new sub. Which Appletons have you reviewed? I can't find any videos
Ralfy - I usually drink Mt Gay Eclipse but I really like Mt Gay Special Reserve. A lighter rum but with superb tastes of coconut, vanilla etc. I guess I'm in the minority because they discontued it and introduced a platinum rum that doesn't do much for me. I have found a few cases to stock up but I was wondering if you ever tried it and if so your thoughts.
Ralfie you need to check out 1731 Rum series. 46 percent natural color no chill filtered no added sugars their rum Barbados single origins is superb. Good price too.
. . . bought and enjoyed in the past, but no age statement.
I am drinking eXtra old right now .
Yummy !
So am I!
@ralfystuff is that available in the states?
Have you tried the Black Barrel ?
@Polyfusia
Just my opinion but the El Dorado 15 is probably closer to MGXO in that both have bourbon notes.
flying to Barbados in 40 days
Haha its okay, I know the names of most you;ve said so can seperate em :) that helps alot, I've read about ones I would like to buy like Goslings Black Seal but wasn't sure if I was gonna go for it and try a bottle.
Will need to get one next pay (as I bought a bottle of malt this pay LOL)
Ralfy, what do you think about the most notorically known rums (at least in my area) - Zacapa and Diplomatico? Are they well worth the price? I see no review of then in your site.
+Tomas Novella . . . no reviews planned, these are very 'blended' rums.
Hahaha I'll bet ;-)
Well for rums would you have any more recommendations? Doesnt need to be dark, I love rum all ways. Only tried 1 white rum right enough, was Havana Club 3 Yr Anejo or something..
Any rum will do, I would love a list to try :D
Isn't the 1703 year printed on the foil around the bottle neck?
"ohh yo ho ho" and a bottle of rum lol shiver me timbers mate
Ralfy, have you noticed the similarity between Mount Gay Extra Old and Rittenhouse Rye? Both have a charred characteristic and neither are sweet. Rittenhouse is oilier and MGXO has more light fruit notes (dried apricot, etc) but they are quite similar.
I'm not really a fan of bourbon or of charred wood flavours so this was a bit of a miss for me. El Dorado 12 I liked quite a bit. It's the best rum I've ever had. Is Appleton Extra 12yo closer to the El Dorado, or the Mount Gay Extra Old?
@ralfystuff
Which is probably a good thing since a Ralfy review just might tempt me to break open my ONLY bottle of Snow Phoenix when I'm trying to save it for a special occasion (tried to get a second bottle but the only shop selling it has since sold out).
Have you ever tried Mount Gay Black Rum? I just bought a bottle today and I am hoping it's as good as the Extra Old.
yeah i was thinking you were gonna give it 91
I hesitate to call it a cocktail, but what would you call that concoction you've made?
I got palpatations when he poured the rum into the laga 12.
Salutations Ralf,
Hopefully, a rum review of Havana Club "Selección de Maestros", formerly known as "Barrel Proof" . . . cheers.
ya
Do you get the tasting notes somewhere, or make them up?
Hello,
Allen Smith, Master Blender of Mount Gay Rum is in Glasgow tomorrow and would love to meet you.
Please let me know if you are around.
Thanks a lot,
Flo
. . . I live on the Isle Of Man now, so won't be in Scotland till November for the Whisky Festival. I hope Allen has a good visit to WhiskyLand !
Purchased a bottle tonight.
Followed your review and this is really good. Also not very different to whisky.
@ralfystuff
Unless you happen to live in the US...
Have you tried this rum with a cigar ?