T HE A NGEL’ S SH A RE by Paul S e nf t
Mount Gay XO
M y nam e i s Paul S enf t - Rum Rev i ewer, Tast ing h o st , J udg e and Wr iter. M y ex p l o r at i o n of Rums b e gan by l ear ning to c r af t T ik i c o c k t ails fo r f r i ends. I qui c k ly l ear ne d t hat n ot all r ums are c reate d e qually and t hat t he uni quene s s of t he spir it c an b e as var i e d as t he l o c al e s t hey are f r o m. T hi s inspire d m e to t r ave l w it h my w i fe ar ound t he C ar ibb ean, C ent r al A m er i c a, and U nite d S t ate s v i sit ing di st ill er i e s and l ear ning ab out h ow eac h o ne c reate s t heir r ums. I have als o had t he p l easure of l ear ning f r o m bar tender s, b r and ambas s ado r s, and ot her ent husiast s f r o m ar ound t he wo r l d; eac h o ne p r ov i ding t heir ow n uni que p o int of v i ew, adding an ot her c hapter to t he m o der n sto r y of r um. T he de sire to share t hi s info r mat i o n l e d m e to c reate w w w. Ru m Jo u r n ey.c o m w here I share my ex p er i enc e s and rev i ews in t he h o p e s t hat I woul d inspire ot her s in t heir ow n ex p l o r at i o ns. It i s my w i sh in t he pag e s of “ G ot Rum? ” to b e your h o st and p r ov i de you w it h my imp re s si o ns of r ums availab l e in t he wo r l d mar ket . H o p ef ully my t ast ing n ote s w ill inspire you to t r y t he r ums and make your ow n o pini o ns. T he wo r l d i s f ull of g o o d r ums and t he j our ney i s al ways b e st ex p er i enc e d w it h ot her s. Che er s!
Got Rum ? May 2023 - 6
W h e n I b e g a n ex p l o r i n g r um s, B a r bad o s M o unt G ay XO was o n e of t h e f i r st “ s i p p i n g ” r um s I ex p l o r e d a n d st u di e d. T hi s r um was t h e wo r k of m aste r b l e n d e r A ll e n S m i t h a n d a hu g e ste p p i n g sto n e i n my e du c at i o n of t h e s p i r i t . D ur i n g 2 014, we s aw t h e c o m p a ny g et p ur c h as e d by Re my C o i nt r e au, a n d m a ny p e o p l e wo n d e r e d h ow t h e b r a n d wo ul d c h a n g e. I n 2 019, M r. S m i t h r et i r e d, a n d Tr u di a nn B r a nke r to o k ove r as t h e c o m p a ny ’s m aste r b l e n d e r, b e c o m i n g t h e f i r st wo m a n to h o l d t h e t i t l e i n t h e i s l a n d ’s hi sto r y of r um p r o du c t i o n. O n e of t h e f i r st r um s I was awa r e s h e h ad c h a n g e d was M o unt G ay XO, a n d I was c ur i o us to s e e h ow we ll i t h e l d up to t h e o r i g i n a l b l e n d t h at was su c h a n e s s e nt i a l p a r t of my r um f o un dat i o n. T h e n ew ve r s i o n of XO i s a b l e n d of c o p p e r p ot a n d c o lum n st i ll r um s t h at a r e a g e d b et we e n 5 a n d 17 ye a r s i n ex- b o ur b o n, A m e r i c a n w hi s key, a n d c o g n ac c as ks. T h e r um i s b l e n d e d to 4 3% A BV us i n g wate r f r o m t h e e st ate’s we ll a n d b ot t l e d o n t h e i s l a n d f o r di st r i b ut i o n. Appearance T h e 75 0 m l a l ways r e m i n ds m e of t h e o l d p r o hi b i t i o n e r a a p ot h e c a r y b ot t l e s t h at we r e us e d f o r m e di c i n e s a n d to ni c s. I t s l o n g n e c k a n d f l as k- s h a p e d b ot t l e st a n d o ut a n d a r e e asy to s p ot o n bac k ba r s a n d i n li qu o r sto r e s du e to t h e i r uni qu e l o o k . A to u c h I p a r t i c ul a r ly like a r e t h e wo r ds “ Est . 170 3 M o unt G ay D i st i ll e r i e s” e m b o s s e d a l o n g t h e f r o nt b ot to m of t h e b ot t l e. T h e l a b e l p r ov i d e s a g o o d b i t of i nf o r m at i o n a b o ut t h e s p i r i t a n d h ow i t i s p r o du c e d. T h e p l ast i c c a p h o l ds a c o r k to t h e b ot t l e a n d i s s e c ur e d w i t h g o l d a n d b l ac k s e c ur i t y w r a p. T h e r um h o l ds a r i c h a m b e r c o l o r i n t h e b ot t l e a n d li g hte ns s li g ht ly i n t h e g l as s. S w i r li n g t h e g l as s c r e ate s a t hi n ba n d t h at s l ow ly t hi c ke ns a n d r e l e as e s a s i n g l e r o un d of s l ow m ov i n g l e g s. It t ake s qui te s o m e t i m e f o r t h e r i n g to eva p o r ate, l e av i n g a ba n d of r e s i du e a r o un d t h e g l as s.