I'm not gonna kid ya. Mount Gay Extra Old stands alone among reasonably affordable rums. At $32 it's approaching the top of that reasonable range, but it is worth every single penny. It needs to be the first rum you buy, and the one to which you refer in later tastings. It's the rum you pull out when someone asks "What does rum taste like?". It is a real rum - classic, complex, memorable and worthy. Let's review it:
Sue Sea:
Me:On my nosing the first aroma is like that of a fine wooden cabinet. Black cherry. A leather chair. Nutty vanilla appears. A bit of nutmeg, a touch of citrus. Spice and clove. And caramel. Even a touch of maple syrup. Like all better rums, the taste is consistent and I pick up almond, just a touch of orange, clove and the black cherry. The MGXO is buttery with a medium heavy body. Heavenly. But I can't say enough about the finish which reflects the aroma and is simply unending! This more than anything is what brings me back and makes me want more.
One of my lasting memories was after my early tasting of MGXO in an ordinary three inch, straight-sided tumbler. Later that day - and the next - I had the opportunity to nose the MGXO's remnants in the now empty glass. Amazing. I dare you to do this a half hour later, an hour, later in the evening, even the next day. All of the complexity and wonder of MGXO will be revealed. You'll know what was in that glass. In closing, when we were speculating over what best to say about this great rum, Sue Sea accidentally capsulated our feelings when she said:
"Just what doesn't this rum have?". She was so right. I urge you to also read the Seales 10 review, the only rum scoring a perfect 10. Actually, Seales 10 and MGX0 are both great, classic rums. Compared to Seales, the XO presents with more woody and vanilla aromas, and takes a more careful approach to appreciate. MGXO presents a rum of a truly lustrous darker amber with the hard to find green edges of aging.
Rating (out of 10):Sue Sea - 9, Jimbo - 10.