Mount Gay extends Single Estate Series
The latest rum in the terroir-driven range from Barbados-based Mount Gay is the first to carry a vintage.
The Single Estate Series is created using 100% molasses from sugarcane grown at the Mount Gay Estate in St Lucy, Barbados, which the Rémy Cointreau-owned brand purchased in 2015. The second release in the series, 24_02_Vt18d2, is a blend of rums produced from the sugarcane grown on the estate in 2018. "What makes 24_02 different and special is that it is the first vintage in the Single Estate Series, coming from just one year of harvest," master blender Trudiann Branker said. “23_01 was a blend of two harvest years, 2016 and 2017. 24_02 showcases the unique character of Mount Gay's Estate in a single year, made with 100% sugarcane grown on the Estate.” Mount Gay Single Estate Series 24_02_Vt18d2 has been fully distilled in copper pot stills and matured in ex-Bourbon barrels. It is bottled at 55% ABV and priced at US$400 with 5,418 bottles worldwide, 1,200 of which will go to the US. On the label, the number 24 represents the year of the release, 02 represents the number in the series, and, as a new feature, Vt18 stands for Vintage 18 and d2 stands for the fact that Branker blended together two distinct pot still distillations. The packaging features 70% recycled glass and minimal ink on the blue label, which was inspired by summer skies visible during the summer 2018 harvest. The rum shows notes of grapefruit, plums, and banana alongside almonds, sea salt and milk chocolate on the nose, while the palate brings brown sugar, oak, and salty smoke. Each bottle features a QR code, inviting purchasers to dive deeper into the rum’s production journey. Mount Gay launched the Single Estate Series in 2023, announcing at the time that it had acquired 324 acres of the historical Mount Gay and Oxford Estates, becoming vertically integrated for the first time in centuries. Since then, the distillery team has harvested sugarcane from the Estate each year, transforming it into molasses before fermenting for nine days, after which it is distilled and aged on site.
