Mount Gay continues the move into the high-end segment.
As Covid-19 raged around the world and bars and restaurants closed their doors, Mount Gay looked for new ways to engage with customers and followers. Rum was already moving into the high-end market segment, providing the perfect opportunity to educate spirits enthusiasts about why rum is so special.
During the early stages of the pandemic, consumers went back to basics. They turned to the tried-and-true brands they know and love. And Mount Gay Eclipse - the most recognised expression with a fiercely loyal fan base - was one of them. The higher-end expressions, Black Barrel and XO, also broke through to a new generation of rum drinkers looking to try new flavours in their home.
Mount Gay brands enjoyed the benefits of athome consumption as consumers shopped online and explored home mixology. Virtual tastings were shining stars throughout 2020 and 2021, allowing the brand to connect with consumers and tell its brand story. This positive momentum accelerated when the on-trade channel reopened during 2021 in the US and then in the UK and Western Europe.
The push to promote the Black Barrel and XO higher-end expressions in the international market, the success of limited editions and the sophisticated master blender collection have all helped position Mount Gay as the high-end sought-after rum with rum aficionados.
Former Master Blender Allen Smith launched the Master Blender Collection, a creative and sophisticated range geared towards rum enthusiasts. When Trudiann Branker stepped into the Master Blender role in 2019, she continued to add to this collection every year. October 2021 saw the launch of Andean Oak Cask on the global market, the fourth edition of its Master Blender Collection. For this release, Branker turned to Andean Oak, (a rare oak grown in the mountains of Colombia in sustainably managed forests), a non-traditional wood choice to age Mount Gay rums. She created a single batch of rums distilled twice in a traditional copper pot still, aged for 14 years in ex-Bourbon casks and finished for 11 months in virgin Andean Oak casks. The result is a delicate yet opulent blend with layers of spice, nutmeg, vanilla, ripe pear and toasted coconut on the palate. The 2022 Master Blender Collection is due to launch in a matter of months.
At Mount Gay, sustainability is a key priority, second only to making rum. One of the highlights of 2020/2021 was obtaining Bonsucro certification (the leading global sustainability standard for sugarcane) for the distillery. It continues to import only 100% Bonsucro-certified molasses. In another milestone, the LNG plant was commissioned in 2021 and will further reduce CO2 emissions. And in 2022, Mount Gay will install more roof-mounted solar panels. Mount Gay is committed to achieving 100% sustainable agriculture by 2024, 100% renewable energy by 2028 and carbon neutrality by 2030. It has also pledged to improve its water and waste management and to reduce the weight of its bottles. Lastly, Mount Gay has partnered with 4ocean in the US to help clean our oceans.
It has also developed a field-to-fork forest to grow food for its team, planting trees and vetiver grass throughout the year. Mount Gay currently has 20 beehives that help pollinate crops.
Mount Gay prides itself on being one of the oldest companies in Barbados, and it keeps its promise to its team and the wider community to look after both its people and the land. In 2022, this culminated in a special Republic Blend launch for the local community to celebrate Barbados becoming a republic.
As the world’s oldest running rum distillery with a long history on Barbados, Mount Gay is proudly committed to ensuring the land it uses has a rich future ahead.
