Mount Gay has unveiled the latest addition to its Master Blender Collection, The PX Sherry Cask Expression. The limited-edition rum series debuted in 2018 and celebrates Mount Gay’s heritage and expertise in rum making.
The first release in the series was the XO: The Peat Smoke Expression, created by former Master Blender Allen Smith. In 2019, when Master Blender Trudiann Branker took over, she released the expressions Pot Still Rum, The Port Cask Expression, Andean Oak Cask, and The Madeira Cask Expression.
For this year’s release, Branker looked to Southern Spain where Pedro Ximenez Sherry is made from grapes dried in the sun and then aged to make the iconic fortified wine. This expression is crafted with pot and column still rums that have been aged in ex-American whiskey casks for a minimum of 20 years in the tropical heat and humidity of Barbados, which accelerates the interaction between the spirit and the wood. The rums were then finished for an additional year in Pedro Ximenez Sherry wine casks.
Trudiann worked closely with her R&D team to explore some of Mount Gay’s oldest rums,
searching for those suitable to finish in PX Sherry wine casks. The flavors of burnt oak and toasted vanilla imparted on the 20-year-old rums by the American Whiskey casks offer the ideal flavor profile to benefit from finishing in the PX Sherry wine casks. Closely observing the rums over the final year of finishing, the PX Sherry wine casks created layers of roundness and complexity.
The result is a complex rum that has benefitted from a particularly long period of tropical aging. At first sight, it has deep golden hues. The nose features maraschino cherry, stewed fruits, charred oak, and butterscotch. The palate brings red fruits, salted caramel, banana, toasted vanilla, and velvety oak. This rum opens up over time, offering roundness and layers of flavor.
“I was inspired by the process behind PX Sherry, and I wanted to discover how a well matured rum would interact with the richness of the casks used to age these fortified wines,” noted Branker. “Going through some of our oldest rums to find the right ones was an incredible journey, tasting rums that have been placed in our bonds two decades ago. I was thrilled to find 20-year-old rums that stood up in terms of body and character to benefit from being finished in PX Sherry casks, and I’m honored to add this to our Master Blender Collection.”
The PX Sherry Cask Expression is recommended enjoyed neat.
Bottled at 45% ABV, the Mount Gay Master Blender Collection: The PX Sherry Cask Expression limited to 4,200 bottles and will be available at select premium retailers throughout the world in 70 cl sizes for $270 USD.
For more information, head over to the brand’s official website.