Mount Gay 1703 Master Select

I like mount gay rums, and I love the 1703 Old Cask. I drink the XO regularly, but this "Master Select". is disappointing. I have a bottle of the 2017 batch and its dry and confusing. For a premium rum, I have found it difficult to appreciate this bottle for what it is, as it is overshadowed by what it needs to be. alcohol on the nose, too complex to the point where it leaves you wondering and then finishes you with a dry mouth. I sip Old Cask and while I can sip this? why would I? the experience is on par with XO, which is a fraction of the price of this bottle. It mixes terribly with coke. While I would never mix a premium, they rarely take away from a rum and coke...this one does. Enough said. Disappointed.

Did a Masterclass with Mount Gay ambassador, Mr Chester Browne, who was really fabulous and a great man. Had this one as the last one in the tasting, and I don't know if it was because Mr Browne was so enthusiast about this and I felt his emotions through his words but this one has some real layers. First you can feel apricot right after that vanilla, but it is subtle, it doesn't bother you (I'm not a vanilla fan), then it comes to you freshly baked pastry, and then the wood. It's really round in the mouth, complex, no burn at all, and a very long finish, I wish it never ended. Truly an experience to be done at least once. Not an everyday rum, just for special occasions. After this one I didn't had any other rum that day, it was the perfect ending.

I always wonder when you purchase something that has the same description as a similar rum from the same maker; if it is just a marketing ploy to get you to purchase something you already own. All be it, in a different bottle and packaging.

I have gone down this road before with Bacardi Gran Reserva Limitada and Bacardi Reserva Limitada.

That being said, there is a difference between the Master Select and the Old Cask Selection but unfortunately it is not for the better. The Master Select seems to have a little more bite and a lot more oak.

I hope this is not the future of rum where they just market the same rum to you with minor tweaks and adjustments.

I believe this is replacing the Mt Gay Old Cask, and is quite a bit pricier ($150 vs $100), so the question I have (and probably others have too) is which one is better, or are they the same?

It is very close. These are both very, very similar, but I think maybe I could tell them apart as this one was ever so slightly sweeter (but just barely). Otherwise, they are both about the same to me.

This is still way too dry for my liking, hence the relatively low score. Smells and tastes of bourbon, oak, caramel, with just a touch of vanilla. Pretty smooth, and if you like heavy bourbon aging, you might enjoy this a lot more than I did. I personally recommend the Mount Gay XO over both of these, and it's more affordable too! :-)

The Master Select Rum is a rum blend which features aged pot and column still rum stocks from aged barrels. These barrels have an age range of 10 to 30 years. The master blender, Allen Smith personally selected the 55 barrels (Chosen between casks 8583 and 12921) used within the 1703 Master Select blend. With a beautiful amber color, the nose releases notes of citrus fruits such as orange with notes of coffee, chocolate and coconut. Very complex. On the palate, there are notes of coffee and chocolate, it is very soft on the palate. The woody side comes at the end of the mouth but it is drier and more structured than the Old Cask version. The finish is beautiful, long and complex and woody. The price is high compared to the other version but it allows, if you want to compare them, to understand the essential role of the master blender.

Sugar: 0 gpl.
The 1703 Master Select has a similar taste profile as the 1703 Old Cask. Nice blend of 10 to 30 year old rums with no sweetness factor. At 43% you can detect the alcohol aroma and a bit more burn than standard 40% abv rums. The good news in the flavour profile aspect is that the oak, vanilla, caramel, and some spice (nutmeg comes to mind) are all present and well balanced in this blend. Like the Old Cask version this one has an initial strong alcohol taste, that moves through the flavour profile and then fades to a nice long afterburn. It's a strong rum that for some drinkers it might require a piece of ice, but for a whiskey drinker it will be just fine. It's a bit pricey and needs to be smoother and more complex to rate any higher.

Very peppery nose, cocoa and earthy tones in the taste. Could be more complex for the price.

A great rum that Master Blender Allen Smith makes one annual batch of 1703 Master Select. 1703 Master Select is a blend ranging from 10 to 30 years. Super legit without any addons. No ice necessary, but hey, live your life!

This is not for lovers of ”spanish rums”. It is well balanced and brings some interesting tones. However more towards the cognac side. Not my type but some people will love this.

Had this in madam george bar in barcelona - no additives and plenty of bite with v long finish. Not as smooth as i thought so just enjoyed one large measure...

Black formal box and presentation. The colour shows the age without additives. On the nose, even after resting, it has a strong alcohol smell. Tasting is a balanced, aged, complex rum but is still a bit boozy on the finish.

This is a fine product indeed! Reminds me of the old XO tasting notes, complex and shows its age proudly - but much more expensive of course than what XO used to be. Do try, you won't be disappointed. All that finesse Barbados rum has.

Perfect dry rum aged in bourbon barrels with tones of wood and cocoa and pleasant burn. Aroma is also much smoother than expected.

This is clearly marketed like a high-end KY whiskey or bourbon for the sipping crowd, and it does not disappoint. Easily the mellowest Mount Gay expression, with plenty of caramel and tropical fruit flavors owed to the softened esters and burned-barrel process. Again, not my style, but very good. Incredibly expensive for the style (~$150+), but if you are looking for something similar that won't break the bank, I'd recommend the XO.

I have never been a real MT Gay enthusiast, but this one is excellent.

I have a definite soft spot for this one, a little sentimentality creeping in perhaps.
I first tasted it at the Mount Gay visitor's centre on Barbados about a year ago, on the first day of an awesome 2-week holiday. Whilst most of the other people on the same tour were tasting cocktails from the bar, I sat outside and rolled a shot of this around the glass for a few minutes then took a sip.

This is a rum which will impress you from the very first sniff, let alone sip. The nose has everything that you ever thought rum should smell like, before you were old enough to taste it properly.

It does have a little more alcohol heat than I feel it ought to, but that dies away quickly leaving a wonderful caramel and citrus cocktail on the tongue which lingers into a long finish. I just spotted another review mentioning butterscotch ... "Yes!" I agree. Oaky? ... not so much. Certainly not as much as any of the Appletons I have tried.

I feel I want to rate this rum higher than an 8, but for £120 per bottle that is hard to justify, especially when one considers just how good the XO and the Black Barrel are, for less than half the price.

You know, what are you drinking. Nice, smooth, easy, soft, not much of sweet taste. Old classic for me. I can highly recommend!

Enjoyed 2 glasses of Mount Gay 1703 Master Select with my friend during a 5,000 mile road trip across 18 States. Bottle and label design look high end. Dark mahogany color. Strong oak straight to your nose and palate. Quite strong and dry burn at the end. For whisky lovers, add 2 points. Not my cup of tea.

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Rum started in Barbados.......this rum proves it. Its perfectly balaneced and great neat or on a spherical ice cube.

I purchased a bottle of this while in Barbados. I admit, I was a bit lured in by the attractive presentation and near-perfect color, but felt slightly let down by the flavor. Don't get me wrong, the flavor was excellent but it was not "exceptional" as the look of it would have had me believe.

My weighted rating for this was an even 8, which coincides perfectly with rumratings.com's scoring system. My scoring system (with weights) is as follows:
-Packaging (10%): 8.5
-Color (20%): 9
-Nose (20%): 8
-Palette (25%): 8
-Smoothness (25%): 7

Typical high end run nose. Buttery, smooth sweetness with caramel and toffee notes. Enjoyed it.

The successor to the 1703 old cask. Master select (2017 version) does a lot of things well, but is not spectacular or as broadly appealing as the old cask was.
The nose is really inviting with butterscotch, nailpolish, banana, cut grass, woody sawdust and tobacco. It promises great things, but the taste cant quite keep the same pace. In the mouth I pick a fairly oaky and dry profile with notes of very dark chocolate, robust pipe tobacco and oily leather. It coats the tounge with a longlasting, warming finish. It’s good but quite heavy on the oaky notes.