Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum
Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum — the current Double Cask Blend — is a 750mL Barbados rum bottled at 43% ABV (86 proof), blended by Master Blender Trudiann Branker from pot-still and column-still molasses rums matured 3 to 7 years in American whiskey casks and finished for 6 months in deeply charred bourbon casks, the black barrels that give it its name. Made in St Lucy, Barbados by the house whose oldest surviving deed dates to 1703, it is the bolder, spirit-forward step above Eclipse in the Mount Gay range. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 43% (86 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Ageing: 3–7 years in American whiskey casks, finished 6 months in deeply charred bourbon casks
- Blend: Double-retort copper pot still and column still molasses rums, higher pot-still share
- Master Blender: Trudiann Branker
- Origin: Mount Gay, St Lucy, Barbados
Deeply Charred Barrels, a Double Cask Blend
Mount Gay claims the title of the world's oldest running rum distillery, documented from 1703 in the parish of St Lucy at the northern tip of Barbados, distilling from molasses in traditional double-retort copper pot stills and column stills with coral-filtered water from its own well. Black Barrel carries a higher proportion of pot-still rum than Eclipse, and under Trudiann Branker — the first female Master Blender in Barbados — it was repositioned as a Double Cask Blend: years in American whiskey casks, then six months in bourbon casks charred so deeply they blacken the rum's character with toast and spice. In the brand's own 2021 results statement, Black Barrel took Gold at the IWSC, Silver at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Silver at the ADI Craft Spirit Awards and Gold from the Beverage Testing Institute. Explore the range on the Mount Gay vendor page, or browse our rum collection.
Tasting Notes
Per the brand: woody and buttery aroma notes balanced with dried fruit and spices; a bold, aromatic taste of gingerbread, lychee and toffee; and a warm, medium body with a long finish — rich and complex, yet smooth and round.
How to Enjoy
Neat or over a large cube as a sipping rum, and the house's spirit-forward build makes it the range's natural choice for a rum Old Fashioned. More Barbados rum is in our spirits collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Mount Gay Black Barrel aged?
The current Double Cask Blend is matured 3 to 7 years in American whiskey casks, then finished for 6 months in deeply charred bourbon casks, per current brand copy.
What is the difference between Black Barrel and Eclipse?
Black Barrel is stronger (43% vs 40% ABV), older (3–7 years plus a charred-bourbon finish, vs 2 years), carries a higher share of pot-still rum, and drinks bolder and more spirit-forward; Eclipse is the house's reference cocktail rum.
What proof is Mount Gay Black Barrel?
86 proof (43% ABV), in a 750mL US bottling — the same strength as the international 70cl bottling.
Barbados rum with a bourbon-cask finish — order Mount Gay Black Barrel online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.