Mount gay liquor

The raw material base for Mount Gay is molasses, which is the category standard for almost all commercial rum. The Mount Gay Distillery sources molasses from both Barbados and other neighboring Caribbean islands.

Barbados does not have any lakes or rivers, but instead, the island sits on limestone bedrock with porous topsoil. Born in Barbados, this distillery creates bold, rich rums that capture the vibrant spirit of the Caribbean in every glass.

Check out our ultimate guide to Mount Gay’s lineup—perfect for rum lovers and newbies alike!

What Is Mount Gay Known For?

Mount Gay isn’t just the world’s oldest rum distillery; it’s also known for crafting exceptional, handcrafted rums that capture the essence of Barbados.

Today, Mount Gay produces the majority of Barbadian rum that is exported globally. In addition, while there used to be nearly 40 sugarcane refineries on the island, only one remains active today. Nearly two centuries later, the Ward family was the last to live on the distillery grounds before the company was sold to Rémy Cointreau in 1989.

Water and geology are essential.

From a geological perspective, Barbados is different from volcanically formed Caribbean islands.

Around 10 percent of the aging rum is lost to evaporation annually. The majority of barrels are American oak, including some formerly used for bourbon, but you also find rum aging away in ex-Cognac barrels and new ones made from Andean oak, a species only found in Colombia and Panama.

Since 1703, Mount Gay has been making rum that’s just as legendary as its history.

Old Brigand is another locally popular brand, but it’s not nearly as exported.

It was a Sober family affair for centuries.

Back in 1747, John Sober purchased the plantation and distillery that would come to be known as Mount Gay. That name came from Sober’s friend, Sir John Gay Alleyne, who would eventually manage the rum business.

Barbados is actually the product of accumulated and uplifted coral limestone.

For a more refined choice, the Mount Gay XO offers aged complexity and depth. The one major exception is Rhun Agricole, distilled from sugarcane juice, in the French carribean, most notibly the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique.

Hundreds of years ago, Mount Gay could rely on the molasses from local sugar cane for all of its needs, but that’s no longer the case as there simply isn’t enough available land anymore. Finally, there’s the 1703, a blend that varies from year to year and might include 30-year-old rums.

Always be aging.

Like all tropically produced spirits, Mount Gay ages nearly three times as quickly as spirits barrel-aged in cooler climates.

A spot called Mount Alleyne existed on the island at the time, so they settled on his middle name. The brand was also perhaps Barbados’s most well known export until Rihanna took over the world.

Whether you’re familiar with Mount Gay or not, here’s everything you need to know about a brand that’s been distilling rum for more than three centuries.

It’s the oldest commercial rum company in the world.

The spirits world loves its superlatives, and Mount Gay can claim one of the most coveted.

That means the island has lots of underground water, a key element in what makes Mount Gay unique and why the British decided to focus sugarcane and rum production here in the 17th century. The water drawn from this well is still used for the distillate and dilution.

There’s a virtuous Caribbean circle.

Barbados is one of the most densely populated island nations in the world.