Saturday Night Taste Off: Mount Gay Extra Old VS Bacardi 8 Year Old

We are lucky. We get to travel the world collecting rum, and then retreat to Western Maine to enjoy it. While there are many more sophisticated palates than ours, what we can share is an uncomplicated review of  our rum encounters. As Allen Ginsberg once said, "First thought, best thought" (should that have been "First taste, best taste"?). What I hope you will enjoy is a straight forward and affectionate journey into the world of rum that exists beyond the mass of pirates and sailors cluttering up your favorite rum store.


We chose (or rather my hosts Rick and Jessica did) two readily available rums for a Saturday night  shoot out. The critically acclaimed Mount Gay Extra Old http://www.mountgayrum.com/ was offered up as the defending champion. Most rum reviewers will unequivocally rate this as one of the best rums out there. As we had all just returned from Barbados, this was the emotional favorite, and, as we were told in the distillery  "Mount Gay Extra Old Rum  is produced in a traditional style using copper pot stills. The rum is double distilled and aged in American white oak barrels which were previously used to age Kentucky bourbon. This blend consists of a wide range of rums from 7 years of age up to 15 years of age".

Facing this formidable contestant was a rather unlikely challenger . . . Bacardi 8 Year Old.http://www.bacardi.com/us/products/bacardi-8 Yes, it has a pedigree of sherry oak barrels, but, well, ummm . . . it was from Bacardi. Memories of the Bacardi and Coke filled rampages from my youth in the UK jaundiced my perception. This, of course  was totally unfair of course as both Mount Gay and Bacardi are mass brands, but somehow , well, Bacardi just felt more mass. Would it be any good?

We debated faint hints of copper. We agonized over spice and wood overtones. We explored aromas of plums, vanilla and banana. And in the end I had to over-rule my hosts. (After all , it's my blog, not theirs).

Against my own preconceptions, I found that on that night, at that location ( a fabulous converted meeting house) I preferred the Bacardi 8. It wasn't too serious . . . it flirted rather than demanded concentration. It was accessible, not complicated. I did not have to spend energy deciphering complexity . . . I could simply enjoy.

That's the thing about rum . . . perception doesn't always equal reality. It can all sometimes just depend on your mood.