Mount Gay Eclipse Rum (40%)

If you wanted to make a generalization about rums from Barbados, where they say Caribbean rum was born, it would be that they sit somewhere between the rich and sometimes almost pungent style of Jamaica and the lighter rums of places like Puerto Rico and, to a lesser degree, Cuba. Which is to say that Bajan rum, including those of the iconic Mount Gay distillery, are about as refined and balanced as you can get.

While by a significant degree not the largest distillery on the island – that title is held by the relatively massive West Indies Rum Distillery (WIRD), which is said to produce in excess of 80% of all Barbados rum – the Rémy Cointreau-owned Mount Gay is most certainly the best known. (Although that could change. Since 2017, WIRD has been owned by the French company, Maison Ferrand, and now markets its own Stade’s label in addition to providing rum for Ferrand’s Planteray line, as well as other, non-Ferrand brands like Cockspur.) And the most recognizable of all the Mount Gay rums is Eclipse.

Medium gold in colour, Eclipse has a highly perfumed aroma, quite floral at the outset with a hint of honey, which becomes more fruity – apricot, peach, and perhaps a whisper of cantaloupe – with vanilla and just a modicum of spice. Overall, it is mellow and complex, a great aroma for enticing those who might be a bit intimidated or off-put by a bolder Jamaican or Guyanese rum.

Like the vast majority of Caribbean rums, the flavour begins sweetly, carrying floral vanilla notes and even a hint of milk chocolate. It then progresses to a mid-palate that is both drier and fruitier, more dried than fresh apricots and a bit of roasted banana, with brown spice emerging as the fruit begins to fade towards the finish. The final flourish brings more brown spice, a light touch of pepper, and drying alcohol warmth.

In general terms, Eclipse is a subtly beautiful sipping rum which, while delightful on its own or over ice with a squeeze of lime, suffers if mixed with too heavy a pour of mixer, be that cola or ginger beer. If there is such a thing as a rum martini, however, maybe with a drop of good orange curaçao in place of the vermouth, then this is your ideal candidate!

89 ($35 - $40)