Mount Gay 1703 Old Cask

Chewy molasses, rich butterscotch, fragrant toffee, a light touch of vanilla and cocoa - this rum has it all. I read an interview with RL Seale, (the Foursquare guy), who said that most rum drinkers think they like sweet rum but what they really like is sweetened rum. No doubt he'd add that if drinkers gave a pure, un-sugared rum like this one (and his own superb Foursquare rums) a chance they'd appreciate the immense pleasure from all that they have to offer. They are naturally sweet, and so much more.

I found a bottle for US $85, a steal after shelling out $160 for Flor de Cana 25. Both are mighty tasty, but the 1703 is a treasure. Straight up, right?

A nice looking bottle that comes in a cheap paperbox (picture).

When you first smell the rum you find it a bit sticky but when it rests for a few minutes you get a nice smell of fruit, honey and oak.

The taste is a bit sweet with vanilla, oak and spice. You also sense some oak and spice on the quite long aftertaste.

I think this rum nice but a bit overpriced.

Taste profile similar to Mount Gay XO but almost triple the price. Prefer Abuelo Centuria at this price point.

More richness, leather and wood than Extra Old, but pricy. For slow sipping.

So I have bench marked this against plantation 20 year old XO. Not as smooth as if you are a lover of whisky. Has a slightly medical taste and not the smooth sweet molasses taste of a rum.

Among my absolute favorite Barbadian rum. Rumor has it that it's a blend of rum between 10 and 30 years. The nose is full and interesting with oak, leather, tobacco, coconut, subtle butterscotch and something slightly acidic and sweet, reminding me of juicy pears. Fantastic. The taste is exceptional and to me balanced perfectly. It's full bodied, initially with ripe pears and a subtle hint of butterscotch sweetness quickly fading into refined notes of vanilla stained oak and tobacco. The finish lingers for a long time. World class rum worth every penny. I simply feel that skillfully aged and unsweetened rum like this, offer a delicate taste profile, that non of the additive rums can hope to achieve. Beautiful and flirting with a 10.

This is a decent rum, but for my taste the bourbon barrel aging seems to overpower the rum flavor a little more than I like. Smells and tastes of bourbon, oak, caramel, with just a touch of vanilla. Pretty smooth, and if you like bourbon aging, you might enjoy this even more than I did.

It gives pleasure, a sense of celebration. Much more interesting than MG XO. A bit like cognac. 43% alcohol is not at all burdensome. The aroma is not rich, but its whole action is smooth and complete. A week has passed and I cannot remember anything disappointing.I didn't notice the presence of sugar.

Bought this 5 years ago when in Barbados, saving it for a special occasion. Beautiful light golden colour with toffee caramel on the nose. Smooth finish with a bit of burn and in my opinion far better than the XO. Agreed it is very expensive but beautiful.

More richness, leather and wood than Extra Old, but pricy. For slow sipping.