Capn Jimbo's Rum Project Forum

[Capn Jimbo]

Mount Gay Extra Old Rum: "Rum's Reference Standard"

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:

[Capn Jimbo]

It's a darn shame!

As some of you may know I have a background in marketing among other things. One of the reasons I finally left was simply that I got tired of forcing a continuous smile on my face, and having to say "Great! Fabulous!" all the time.

Although there are a few honest successes in this nether world - take "With a name like Smuckers it has to be good", most marketing follows the lead of our good old Snake Oil purveyors. Astounding claims for ordinary products. Real marketing requires real competition making really good products promoted honestly, all sadly gone. Next thing you know MGXO will be made in China and show up at Walmart. But I digress...

Some months ago some slick and wiseass marketing department must have taken the MG folks to a three day cocktail hour, dinner and multimedia presentation and convinced them to do something amazing!

To toss away over 300 years of tradition and dump the Mount Gay classic bottle and label design. Yup, just like that - gone! In its place. A faux modern noveau riche concept designed for one thing, and one thing only.

To look expensive. Very expensive.

I was shocked and disturbed and immediately traipsed about the net, far and wide, exclaiming my horror and predicting that a price increase was in the works. As sometimes happens to great soothsayers these posts drew forth typical derision and skepticism. A lot of otherwise knowledgable bozos even liked the damn change. Idiots all.

Turns out I was right. As always (well, almost).

Not only was there a price increase, it was stunning. MGXO had been selling for close to $30, maybe $32. I would have expected maybe a 15% increase, 20% at most, to say $38. Nope. The marketing mavens were out for blood. Yours.

The new price is now - gulp - $50.

Now mind you, I thought $32 was high but worthy of a rum which consistently earned our top ratings, 10 of 10. I could maybe - maybe - fathom $36 or $38. I wouldn't like it, but it's really really hard to set aside your absolutely, positively favorite rum.

But I have.

I've scoured the stores and picked up a few of the remaining old bottles (and prices). But when these cease, so will my purchases of what was one of the world's great rums, and the flagship rum of the Barbadian style. Fortunately Richard Seale - whose Seales 10 Year runs neck and neck with MGXO stands ready to lead the Barbadian parade.

As well it should. Seales 10 used to sell in the mid $30 range, a tolerable value for a truly superb rum. But unlike the nut cases at Mount Gay who have priced their rum out of the market, Richard has actually lowered his price - to $25 - making a good value into an exceptional one - a true must buy.

And so it goes...
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[BillConnelly]

So the old bottle looks like this:
http://www.proof66.com/Images/Mount%20Gay%20Extra%20Old.gif

and the new one looks like this:
http://intoxicologist.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/mount-gay-rum-extra-old-bottle.jpg

right?

I've got to be honest, I like the new bottle. I like the old bottle too... but the new bottle is nice. At least is isn't shaped like a pirate ship or a skull, or a blunderbus.

What I'm curious about is, are you sure about the price? I just bought a new bottle, and I payed $25 for it.
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My Blog about booze http://billsbooze.com

[Capn Jimbo]

Would I tell a lie?

When the cracked marketing department first came up with the horrid new design - designed solely to justify a massive price increase - I saw prices in the very high $40's, say $48 or $49.

Fortunately, this brazen ploy failed and I've watched the price steadily fall to about $39.95 at Total Wine and Spirits - a huge retail chain. And mind you Florida is well known for some of the lowest prices in the nation.

If you got if for $25, I'd buy all you can - and I'll gladly make arrangements for you to obtain 6 bottles for moi. I'm serious.
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[Garick]

I just got some online for $34. As I mentioned in Scuttlebut, the prices varied wildly, but several distributors were offering it in the $35-39 range. $25 sounds even better, though...
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Cheers,

Garick

[RT]

Seems to be stuck at $44.99 here in Pennsylvania. So don't pay more than that anywhere else! At $34 I'd buy all I could carry.
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Students of the cask, reject naught but water. -Charles Gonoud, Faust Act 2

[Stefan]

Here is a video review of the XO from Ralfy. He is apparently quite famous among whisky people but have done a series of 5-6 rum reviews too. In one of the previous episodes Dave Broom recommended rums. I have only watched 3-4 episodes but found them quite entertaining.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juDutlFhNDo&feature=channel_video_title


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Capn's Log: Stefan, I hope you were more than entertained, as Ralfy is one of the great hidden resources on the net. You can do no better than to make a daily stop at Ralfy's to be educated and broadened.

I suggest you start at the beginning (he's done several hundred reviews) and learn about glasses, age, nosing and tasting techniques. Yes, Ralfy is entertaining, but he is deadly honest, non-commercial, highly skilled and a great teacher.

He is a free master class, and if all you readers don't take advantage of Ralfy - and The Rum Project - you are not idiots... but fooles. BTW, he gives a stunning review to MGXO, one of the very few 10's we have ever given.

[Uisge]

I had to find this review to see if my noting a buttery-ness in the tasting was valid, as I was noticing a distinct butter flavor on the long finish.

Glad to know I'm not losing my mind!

[da'rum]

I agree, a fantastic rum, I pay 34€ for it and that's about the limit of my comfort zone for a 'regular buy'. I won't try flavour descriptors but will say it's a rum that is a must try rum for anyone looking for recommendations.

Edit: spelling.
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