Matusalem Gran Reserva or Mount Gay XO (v2.0)

[JMH]

It seems my original thread died in the great server crash of '10, so one more time...

I've been eyeing off these two rums at my local bottleshop, and am interested in hearing opinions from people who have tried either of them, or both.

Thanks!

[dicko]

hey mate. i've only tried the mt *** XO. it was last year sometime and didnt have a full bottle but i remember it being nice and spicy, nutty. not a sweet rum imo. great on ice or with a lime wedge. i haven't had the matusalem but its about an extra $15 at dan m's compared to the XO

dicko

[Ken Gargett]

i'd go the mt ***.

[maximus]

ive only tried the Matusalem ....very nice imo..a little like the zacapa 23 but not quite as sweet..cant go wrong i reckon...must try the Mount ***.....another good one is pussers 15 yr old..nice and sharp on the finish..but a little more expensive

[Ken Gargett]

just saw this bit of news come through.

Mount *** Triumphs at Spirit Awards...

By Rebecca Harris

Premium Barbadian rum Mount *** has swept the field at the inaugural 2010 Ultimate Spirit Challenge.

All four entries from the Mount *** range were highly scored in the ‘Rum, Cachaca and Sugarcane Based’ category, with the 1703 Old Cask Selection Rum scoring the top gong – the Chairman’s Trophy, with a score of 97.

The XO scored 91, Eclipse Silver 88, and Mount *** Eclipse walked away with a score of 86.

“This is a fantastic sign of appreciation for the brand,” said international brand manager Hugues Le Marié. “(Owner) Rémy Cointreau can pride itself on possessing the best rum in the world, as selected by the greatest experts.”

Mount *** rum is the oldest rum house in the world and has been produced in Barbados since 1703. The 1703 Old Cask Selection has only been released in Australia this year.

Judges of the internationally regarded competition include spirits experts F. Paul Pacault, Sean Lupford and Tad Carducci.

[JMH]

Thanks for the info guys. I might pick up a bottle of the xo first, and maybe the matusalem a bit later on.

[doscervezas]

The Matusalem Gran Reserva is one of my favourites - in fact I'm drinking it now! It's a medium bodied rum with a buttery palate and a reasonably dry finish. SWMBO and I would usually have a double with 2-3 small icecubes for about a 45 minute smoke.

The Mount *** is also a very nice rum, also buttery (cocoa butter?), with a little perhaps a little more spice on the finish. I can recommend them both.