Barbados
55%
£110
Single Blended Rum: A blend of pot still and traditional column still from a single distillery.
ABV Hydrometer Test: 55% ABV @ 20°
* B
One of my favourite rum producers, Mount Gay, has produced a limited edition Port Cask Expression.
Bottled at a silky cask strength of 55%, just 6,570 bottles of The Port Cask Expression have been produced. The blend is a combination of five year old Column still rums, aged in ex-Tawny Port Casks and double-distilled pot still rums aged in ex-American Whiskey Casks for 14 tropical years before undergoing one year of secondary maturation in ex-Tawny Port barrels. It is non-chill filtered and uncoloured and is the first time that Mount Gay have used ex-Tawny Port casks for maturation.
Mount Gay Port Cask Expression is a Single Blended Rum:
A blend of pot still and traditional column still.
Bottle/Presentation 3/3
Presented in a superb outer box in a warming burgundy colour, reminiscent of the colour of young Tawny Ports.
Contained within is Mount Gay’s now familiar bottle shape – a flask type with an elongated neck. The labels have information regarding the types of distillation (pot and column) together with the ageing and ABV. There is also a reference to not being chill-filtered, which admirers of stronger spirits will appreciate.
Glass/Aroma 6/10
Medium-deep amber in my glass. Maybe psychological, but it almost has a reddish hue to it.
Rich red fruits and caramelised raisins initially on the nose. Some vanilla, almond, sweet oak and red cherries. There is an odd off-note, too – something almost beefy or Bovril-like.
Taste, Initial-middle 36/40
Lovely smooth and light entry. A good body, but easy on the front of the mouth with lots of fruity notes – plump raisins, red cherries, and assorted red fruits. Towards the mid-palate the rum develops more power and body. More caramel and rich fruit notes, notably plums and cherries.
Taste, Middle/Throat 36/40
The sweetish fruit explosion from the mid-palate becomes more robust and peppery at the rear of the palate as those aged pot still rums kick in. The rum is heavier and the fruit notes become drier alongside some almond, nutmeg, ginger, black pepper and dry oak tannins.
Afterburn/Finish 7/7
A long, warming finish. More glowing pepper, oak tannins. The rum becomes drier and astringent. Some dried fruits linger underneath the persistent finish. This is lovely!
TOTAL 88/100
Overall
Mount Gay rum…..finished in Port Casks…..at cask strength.
What else could one want?
Master Blender Trudiann Branker has produced a stunner with this blend. Plenty of body from those tropically aged pot still rums harmoniously paired with a lighter column still distillate resulting in something that hovers between soft, delicate and almost sweet right through to dry, powerful and robust.
One has to wonder if Mount Gay have been heavily influenced by the success of neighbouring Foursquare distillery who frequently use different types of barrels, including ex-wine types, to age rums. I wonder if in years to come, this will be worth ten times the face value, which is currently (January 2021) what the Foursquare ECS II Port Cask Expression sells for.
Either way, this is a superb rum.
I am eagerly looking forward to the next Cask Expression.
Value: 5/10
Great rums cost a few quid. That said, if Foursquare can turn out Exceptional Cask Selection XIV “Détente” (Detente) at 51% for £60, Mount Gay’s £110 for 55% is pricey. No doubt about this rum’s quality, but “Détente” (Detente) that is also aged in ex-Port casks is almost half the price by comparison.
Flavour Profile:
Coming Soon
I am still working through my Appleton Hearts collection of bottles, but also have a stunning exclusive rum from Saint Lucia to review. Black Tot’s 50th Anniversary is tickling my taste buds nicely and I am also awaiting the arrival of the new Foursquare-Vellier offering “Sassafras” as well as Mark XV of Foursquare’s Exceptional Cask Selection “Redoubtable”.
2021 is starting off very well indeed.
Review No. 167
Mount Gay Port Cask Expression Official Page
*
P Denotes the rum contains POT still distillate.
C Denotes the rum contains traditional/Coffey COLUMN still distillate.
B Denotes the rum contains a BLEND of POT and COLUMN still distillate.
M Denotes the rum contains MULTI-COLUMN still distillate or is a MODERN rum.
A Denotes the rum is an AGRICOLE i.e. from Cane Juice.
S Denotes the rum is presented in a SWEETENED style.
Marking Guide:
Bottle/Presentation Out of 3
Glass/Aroma Out of 10
Taste, Initial-middle Out of 40
Taste, Middle/Throat Out of 40
Afterburn/Finish Out of 7
TOTAL 100
RumShopBoy.com 
I have tried the mount gay XO loved it how can I get the new bottle of Mount gay I live in Mississippi
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Hi Michael. I do not know of any shops in Mississippi, but one of our UK shops, The Whisky Exchange, does ship to the US, although obviously, the shipping will be quite high, so you might want to order several bottles to reduce the impact of that. Kind Regards. Simon
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