To be sure, not your Grandma's rum, or maybe it was. We live in a time of the deterioration of what little respect rogue rum retains, with the shelves being literally dominated by cheap, artificially flavored and spiced rum and the super-premiumization of otherwise ordinary products. Accordingly, the question of the day...
Where does Mount Gay Eclipse Black fall?
You might be surprised. We've always been huge fans of the world's oldest rum distillery and their fine products from Eclipse White and Gold, Special Reserve, Sugar Cane Brandy or Rum, Mount Gay Extra Old and 1703. Mount Gay's Jerry Edwards aims for a profile that includes banana, vanillan, sweet pecans, and moca (chocolate/coffee) - pure and unaltered, and a blend of both pot and column stilled rums.
In general he's succeeded. The Eclipse Black fits right in, but with a couple of additional attractive features. First is that the pot still element is greater, to its benefit we think. Second is its bottling at 100 proof. More about this later, but for now...
Sue Sea:
Me: For me the Mount Gay Eclipse Black Rum opened similarly, with a vanillan leather spice, over a deep alcohol, and a background of tar. My palate opened sweet and full bodied, as a spicy leather grew to a black, then white pepper finish. Eclipse Black left a spicy leather aftertaste - deep, dark, powerful and savory.Although Jim is a big fan the Mount Gay classic bottles and labels which, as he puts it "...properly reflects Mount Gay's 300 year history and tradition", I have to admit I very much like the new bottles which I find rich, solid, heavy and attractive. These features are only emphasized by the Eclipse Black square black label. I should now address Black's 100 proof - although it surely can be sipped carefully at this strength, the addition of a 1/4 teaspoon or two of water is appropriate and will improve your experience.
Still, we always taste at full strength, then dilute the dram very cautiously to ascertain the result. When approached high, the Mount Gay Eclipse Black presented with a vanillan leather spice. Go too deep and you'll pick up a alcohol prickle, not unexpected. Altogether this rum presents an enticing, out of the oven baked aroma, even more than the Mount Gay Sugar Cane to which we compared it.
The early palate warms up with emerging spices - ginger, clove, even a hot cinnamon which just keep building to a spicy leather and peppery finish and consistent lingering aftertaste.
This is a hot rum, muy caliente, which makes it less approachable for the new drinker, but a real treat for more sophisticated and experienced folk. With the addition of a 1/4 teaspoon or so water (start small) the reedy/caney aspects were revealed, as well as a bit of leather. The addition balances this rum, revealing more sweetness, as well as a bit of licorice and banana. Very nice.
Eclipse Black Rum would make a dandy after-dinner cigar rum, perfect on-the-rocks, or even with a bit of fresh cream or coconut milk. Lovely.
With water this rum opened up nicely to reveal raisin, licorice, prunes, and plums. I am very pleased that Mount Gay once again has shown its leadership by avoiding the rush to the cheap flavored/spiced category, but instead releasing a truly classic and powerful rum, featuring an increased pot stilled element.
That you can buy a full liter at 100 proof for under $20 is simply amazing and makes this a very good buy. It has the punch to mix superbly, but as you have read, Mount Gay Eclipse Black Rum is a solid and classic sipper (with a bit of water). It's hard to do better than that.
Score (10 is best): Sue Sea - 9, Jimbo - 8.