From the funky Boutique-y Records series released in 2021 came the Barbados Secret Distillery No.7, and while the good folks at @boutiqueyrum were unable to name the distillery, an educated guess would put this as a Mount Gay rum, one distilled in the year 2000 by Frank Ward before the distillery was acquired by Remy Cointreau.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Frank’s rums, especially those excellent triple-distilled rums that were eventually bottled by Velier. I could go on about how amazing those were, but more importantly, they showcased a side of Mount Gay that was never really explored. Yet for this bottling, it wasn’t immediately clear if it was double or triple distilled, but we know it was aged for six years in Barbados before spending another 15 in the UK, bottled at 52.6% abv with an outturn of 407 bottles.

The nose had a good balance of tropical, fresh, uplifting notes, paired with the bourbon cask influence that brought the distinctive vanilla, caramel, and oak. In comparison to those from Velier’s selection, this one felt a lot fresher, with caramelised bananas, varnish and acetone, and in that mix was a very specific savoury, brine-like note too, with just little hints of ripe, red apples, and fresh cream.

The palate was considerably complex. Aside from the glue-like notes that I’d usually associate with Mount Gilboas, this had an added element tar, bringing some similarities with a Caroni. It was rather oily, luscious, and in the middle a bit of fizz. The finish was rather long and sweet, reminiscent of cream, lots of vanilla, salted peanuts, tangerine, and milk chocolates.

Despite the recent glut of independently-bottled Mount Gays of the 2000 vintage, this is the first I’ve had, and I’m hazarding a guess that the continental aging brought out those fresher, brighter notes not found in the Velier bottlings. It is a wonderfully complex and delicious rum, and another great bottling from the Boutique-y Records selection.

Image Courtesy of @weixiang_liu