Mount Gay XO Rum 70cl

Mount Gay claims the oldest continuously running rum distillery in the world, with deeds on the Barbados estate dating to 1703. The XO is its calling card — a blend of aged pot and column still rums married in a rotation of ex-bourbon, ex-whiskey and Cognac casks.

Barbados sits at the gentler, more refined end of the rum world, and Mount Gay is its standard-bearer. Those Cognac casks are the quiet twist: they lend a rounded, brandy-like elegance you rarely find in Caribbean rum, while the bourbon wood pushes vanilla and spice. It is bottled at 43% ABV, a notch above the usual, which gives it backbone.

The nose leads with clove-studded orange, a dusting of cocoa and a swirl of salted caramel. The palate is rich and fruity — banana loaf, pineapple, darker currant notes — layered over vanilla, roasted nuts and a touch of earthy tea. It finishes long and creamy: more vanilla, coffee, boozy cherry and a whisper of clove that lingers.

At around £64 this is serious sipping rum, and it drinks like it. If your reference points are aged rum served over a single rock or a good Cognac after dinner, this belongs in the same conversation. Worth the money for anyone moving past mixing rums.

How to Serve

Neat, in a tumbler or a copita, at room temperature — this rewards slow drinking. A single large ice cube is fine if you like it cooler, but skip the cola; that is a waste here.

Where to Drink It

Boisdale of Belgravia for aged rum with a cigar terrace. Dukes Bar in St James's for old-school poise. Black Rock in Shoreditch if you want it discussed properly.

Food Pairings

Try it after dinner with a square of 70% dark chocolate, which mirrors the cocoa and coffee notes. A slice of coffee and walnut cake is quietly brilliant too.