I think it doesn’t come as a surprise when I say I like Barbados rum…..well….most Barbados rum. Mount Gay Eclipse is not one that excites me. Fine for a rum punch, but I don’t rate it as a sipper. However, when Mount Gay released a “Navy Strength” edition of Eclipse, it still piqued my interest. Of course I can’t buy this in Toronto, but luckily I was in Barbados recently. A quick visit to the Mount Gay visitor center gave me an opportunity to buy an Eclipse Navy Strength and a cask strength Black Barrel.
The original Eclipse is a blend of column and pot still rums, aged for a maximum of two years in ex bourbon barrels. Looking at the bargain price for this rum and the thin mouthfeel, I think it’s not far fetched to guess the blend mostly consists out of column still rum. Eclipse Navy Strength is a blend of 2 to 4 year old rums and apparently has more pot still in it than the original. This doesn’t mean a whole lot of course, as the percentage of older rum can be very low, just like the pot still component. But, it does sound good. We’ll let the taste buds do the talking.
I’m comparing it to Mount Gay Black Barrel Cask Strength. A rum that I’ve been drinking for a while and quite like. Another blend of pot and column still rums, aged in ex American whisky barrels and finished in heavily charred ex bourbon casks. There is no information given about the age of the blend unfortunately, but the original is 3 to 7 years. It can only be bought at Mount Gay in Barbados.
Eclipse Navy Strength is bottled at 57.1%, Black Barrel Cask Strength at 66%.
Nosing
Mount Gay Eclipse Navy Strength
Straight forward bourbon cask nose. Oak, vanilla, light marzipan, cigar box. Lighter, fruitier and boozier than Black Barrel Cask Strength.
Mount Gay Black Barrel Cask Strength
Oak, light tobacco, chocolate, molasses, light candle wax, dried fruit, raisins, marzipan. Thicker, fuller nose than Eclipse Navy Strength. Not as fruity, but that department improved the longer I let it breathe.
Tasting
Mount Gay Eclipse Navy Strength
It’s a little on the thin side. It’s youth is obvious. Oak spice, vanilla, light pineapple, very light tobacco and coconut. Finish is short with some bitterness. Meh.
Mount Gay Black Barrel Cask Strength
Tobacco, oak, menthol, dark chocolate, black pepper, vanilla. It’s very charry, if you know what I mean. Finish is medium long with a hint of bitterness. It’s a fairly hot rum, so I added some water, which made it a tad fruitier, with some cherries popping out of the glass. It remains very charry though.
Rum & Coke
Since these rums are cheap enough for most people to not feel bad about mixing them, I dumped them both in a bit of Coke. The Black Barrel rum and Coke is a little thicker and rounder. It accentuates the sweetness of the cola. I feel like adding more rum though, as I’m looking for some bite. Navy Strength is more pronounced, present, punchier. Both are pleasant , but I’d rather use Appleton Signature.
Conclusion
I didn’t read anything about Eclipse Navy Strength until after I did the tasting (2 sessions) and wrote my notes. Without any info, I was thinking about the point of this release. Regular Eclipse is an ok mixer. In a bar you’ll find it next to the cheap vodkas and whiskys of this world. Why release a higher strength version of an average product? Of course the answer has to be cocktails. My mind is always on sipping, but that’s not where this rum shines. I’m not a knowledgeable cocktail person, so I’ll let others judge how well it does in that field. Arminder at Rum Revival has a good video on this rum where he tests it in several cocktails. Very much worth checking out if that’s your style.
As a sipper, I think this rum is mediocre. I compared it to a rum from its neighbour, the 40% Old Brigand Black Label, which beat it hands down, especially after adding some water to Mount Gay Navy Strength to compensate for the higher abv. I’ve seen a lot of people raving about this rum, including some who have a palate I respect. Take it for what it’s worth, but I might be one of the few who’s not impressed by this release. I will use it to make a very tasty rum punch and will then forget all about it.
Black Barrel Cask Strength suffers from some identity issues. Is it a sipper? Is it a mixer? I don’t really know. I think it works quite well in both arenas, but doesn’t truly shine in either at the same time. Its profile is dominated by the charred oak and is not very fruity, although a step up in complexity compared to Eclipse Navy Strength. The 66% abv might be a bit much for this rum. It’s hot and benefits from a few drops of water to make it more drinkable. All in all though, the nose is pleasant and on the palate it offers just enough complexity to keep things interesting.
As an enthusiast I’m always hoping for more stronger rums being introduced to the market. Hence why I love it when producers release higher ABV versions of their “regular” rums. A 50% Old Brigand anyone?!
I’d buy another Black Barrel Cask Strength, which I can’t say about Eclipse Navy Strength.
Scores
Mount Gay Eclipse Navy Strength – 62
Mount Gay Black Barrel Cask Strength – 71
Click here for info on the scoring method.
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We can't get the BBCS in the US, you can currently get the Eclipse Navy and compared to Eclipse it is a completely different beast. I don't drink a lot of it neat, but it is (to me) a drinkable inexpensive rum (like Old Brigand)
This is probably my favorite recent release from Mount Gay, it isn't insanely expensive, and the quality is a step up from Eclipse, and unlike the BB and XO it is not (in my mind) overpriced I liked both of those rums at the old price point, at the new cost, they are not as good a value, particularly against the FS prices at Total Wine in the US.
Compare Eclipse Gold to the…