mountgayrum.com

Introduction

Mount Gay

Mount Gay: the world’s oldest running rum distillery

Established in 1703, the story of Mount Gay begins in Barbados, the birthplace of rum. Celebrating over 320 years of heritage and ancestral expertise in rum making, the unique terroir of our home nation defines our singular taste.

Water

The island of Barbados is formed of coral limestone, a porous stone, which acts as a natural filter for the groundwater deep beneath the island, delivering time-tested purity. We use only water drawn from our private artesian well, situated at the Northern tip of Barbados in St. Lucy, the very same well first dug in 1703 by our founders and used ever since.

Molasses

Mount Gay hand-selects only the finest Barbadian and Caribbean sugarcane molasses, which are fathered over time with a profile curated through generations of farming.

Fermentation

Fermentation really begins when molasses and filtered water from Barbados are combined with our Mount Gay proprietary yeast, naturally crafted by our terroir.

Distillation

For over three hundred years, the distinct character of Mount Gay rums has come from distillation in traditional copper pot and column stills.

Ageing

The ageing process is particularly unpredictable in the tropical Caribbean climate, and at Mount Gay, we prefer to talk about maturing. In two or three years, our rums can reach the same level of maturity as an eau-de-vie aged for two or three times as long in a temperate climate.
Today, Mount Gay rums are matured in a diverse range of casks including American whisky, bourbon and cognac.

Blending

Blending has been elevated into an art form: a complex alchemy carried on for over 300 years, that sits between expert intuition and controlled expertise. Today, Trudiann Branker is the master of this craft of blending at Mount Gay.

terroirs

Sugar cane field
Sugar cane
The distillation of Mount Gay rum
A still
Aging in casks
The Mount Gay Cellars

people

Trudiann Branker / Master Blender

Trudiann Branker

Master Blender2019 - today

First female Master Blender at Mount Gay and in Barbados, Trudiann Branker, graduate of the Siebel Institute and the Institute of Brewing and Distilling, possesses a strong academic background, to which she adds an outstanding experience in the spirits industry.

She joined the Mount Gay team in 2014 as the Quality Assurance Manager and followed the same path as of Allen Smith within the distillery - and she continues to be inspired by his legacy at Mount Gay. Trudiann now shares the expertise and secrets of Mount Gay’s rums. Her capacity to understand the subtle balance between scientific precision and the instinct necessary for the production of rum is one of her greatest strengths.
Her natural curiosity and great professionalism guarantee a prosperous future for Mount Gay. Trudiann possesses the desire to create, explore new ideas and establish a productive dialogue that is in line with Mount Gay’s ambition. For the oldest continuously running rum distillery in the world, it is a great pride to see her, the first female Master Blender, in this prestigious role.

“It is an honor for me to follow in Allen’s footsteps. It is from him that I learnt the tremendous savoir-faire which allows us to create one of the best rums in the world every day. It is with great pride that I become Mount Gay’s Master Blender… to create new treasures, expand our rums and invent new blends.” - Trudiann Branker

Allen Smith / Master Blender

Allen Smith

Master Blender2010 - 2019

For over twenty years, Allen Smith has been working on the blending and maturation of our rums. Allen Smith joined the Mount Gay Distillery in 1991, and assisted in the blending of Mount Gay Extra Old under the instructions of Master Blender J. Edwards.

In 2009, Allen Smith created Mount Gay 1703 Old Cask Selection. In 2010, Smith was promoted to the role of Master Blender, and now supervises the blending of all our rums, while retaining a spirit of innovation that has been fine-tuned by years of experience. In 2012, he created Mount Gay Black Barrel.

time

  • 1650s

    Planters settle the future Mount Gay plantation. The earliest mention of the word “rum” dates to a lease agreement written at Three Houses plantation in Barbados, making the island the birthplace of rum.

  • 1703

    The company's oldest deed of property dates from February 1703, making Mount Gay Rum the oldest brand of rum in the world.

  • 1773

    John Sober, the owner of Mount Gilboa, enlists Sir John Gay Alleyne to help manage the estate and distillery.

  • 1801

    In homage to Sir John Gay Alleyne, the Sober family plantation becomes "Mount Gay."

  • 1910

    Creation of Mount Gay Eclipse, inspired by the total solar eclipse visible from Barbados in 1910.

  • 1980s

    Mount Gay honors its historical connection to sailing through the global regatta scene, with its iconic Red Cap during the 1983 America’s Cup.

  • 1994

    Creation of Mount Gay XO, making Mount Gay the first rum brand to create an extra old rum.

  • 2009

    Creation of 1703 Master Select.

  • 2013

    Mount Gay Black Barrel is launched worldwide.

  • 2014

    Mount Gay becomes part of the Rémy Cointreau group.

  • 2015

    Mount Gay acquires 324 acres of the historical Mount Gay and Oxford Estates, allowing the distillery to be a fully vertically integrated operation from cane to bottle.

  • 2018

    Launch of the prestigious Master Blender Collection: a limited-edition series of rums released annually until 2025, showcasing Mount Gay’s expertise in diverse practices of distillation and maturation in different barrel types.

  • 2023

    Launch of the Single Estate Series: the exclusive annual release series that celebrates Barbados’ unique terroir, bringing every element of the rum production together at our home in St Lucy from soil to sip.