Distiller Notes
For the seventh release, Mount Gay Master Blender Trudiann Branker chose to highlight 100% copper Coffey Still distillation in the Master Blender Collection.The Coffey Still was invented by Aeneas Coffey in the early 19th century. One of the first types of column stills in the world, it runs like a series of pot stills connected together in two columns, allowing for continuous distillation. This creates rum with a truly unique character, with floral aromas and notes of pear, grapefruit and honey.There are very few full copper Coffey Stills left in operation and Mount Gay is lucky enough to have one. In disrepair for decades, it was recommissioned in 2019, and this is the first time a Coffey Still distillation is released from the Mount Gay distillery.
This would not have been possible for the work of Reynold ‘Blues’ Hinds. Blues worked at Mount Gay for over 50 years, creating the liquid loved today and teaching the art of distillation to many. It was with his extensive knowledge that our copper Coffey Still was recommissioned, he helping engineers rebuild the still from his memories of running the still decades earlier.The Coffey Still expression is bottled at 58% ABV and is non-chill filtered in order to preserve its rich aromas and natural colour. This expression will be limited to 5,004 bottles and will be available at select premium retailers throughout the world.
Mount Gay History: Every great story begins with a time and a place. For Mount Gay Rum that time and place is the Caribbean Island of Barbados in 1703. Rum, originally called “Kill-Devil” by the Barbadians who first distilled it, is truly a product of the island. The abundance of molasses combined with the culinary ingenuity of early settlers and, of course, their legendary thirst for alcohol lead to this unique discovery in the production of spirits:
Sir John Gay was a respected leader and businessman who worked tirelessly in service of the island of Barbados. A friend of Sir John Gay’s, the contrarily named John Sober, inherited a then-unknown distillery and had asked for Sir John’s help in managing it. Sir John Gay took quickly to the business of making rum. He refined the distillation process and began producing a noticeably superior product that we know today as Mount Gay Rum.
Barbados is an island of warm, friendly people, exciting culture and, in the interest of making rum, a great wealth of natural resources. Originally discovered by the Portuguese, “Barbados” which means bearded ones, was the name given to the island to describe the lush, “bearded” trees that grew in abundance. Later settlers to the island found the rich soil and favorable wet season ideal for growing sugar cane.
Trudiann Branker, Master Blender: Trudiann Branker's lust for life is palpable and her passion for her work is second to none. When she arrived at Mount Gay in 2011 as Quality Assurance Manager, she was certainly not thinking that she would one day take the helm as the first female Master Blender of Mount Gay distillery, the oldest continuously running rum distillery operating since 1703. But here she is stepping into a role that was once a dream. Trudiann has been appointed to this prestigious position for one sole reason. She knows how to make a delicate, yet versatile rum layered with aromatic complexity, and it’s her love, patience and dedication that make her a perfect fit for the job.
Trudiann’s keen ability to understand the subtle balance between scientific precision and the nuanced instinct required to produce rum is one of her greatest strengths. She embodies a natural curiosity, diligence and great professionalism that guarantees a prosperous future for Mount Gay. Trudiann’s pure enthusiasm gives her the desire to create, explore new ideas, and establish a productive dialogue that is in line with Mount Gay’s ambition for many years to come.
Often referred to as a Gold Rum, an Aged Rum is one that has been aged in barrels, often Ex-Bourbon or White Oak before bottling. As the Rum continues to age, it draws more and more color and flavor from the wood, adding both body and complexity to the finished product. Aged Rums can be sipped neat or added to cocktails. They fall somewhere in between White and Dark Rums in terms of their respective strength of flavor.