Mount Gay 1703 Master Select

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.

High quality spirit, almost perfect. Almost, because:
1. I sipped MG Master Select next to R. L. Seale's 10 yo. Both represent what's best in rum, BUT - Seale's twice cheaper (at least in my place). So, one point down;
2. I found MG Master Select slightly heavier in flavour than Seale's - it is not disadvantage of course, however at the moment Seale's is definitely the one I would buy again, if I had to choose. So, another point down, but this is entirely my personal preference.

Final rating: 8/10. Nevertheless, it is a true rum, bringing a wonderful experience when sipped.

Best rum i tried .beautiful color, super tasty, conplex, very different, reqlly expensive but worth it.

My bottle of MGMS was released in 2016 and is bottle 11430/12000. Great colour and smell, but was surprisingly sharp. Given that I am a BIG fan of Mr Gay XO I had great expectations for this bottle, but given its price point I have to say it did not meet expectations.

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.

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! :-)

this is really good, nice amber/copper colour, let sit 10-15 minutes in the glass and than boom,
in the mouth an explosion of brown sugar, some orange peel and apricot,
long toffee sweet finish, it is expensive (even more in my country, around 175 euro)
but i have to admit its really a good rum !

Tried this alongside a number of other competitors in our rum tasting. This was the clear winner, a bit dry but very interesting flavor profile. Nice presentation with the bottle & box. For the price, however, I would recommend Mount Gay XO to most people.

This is a very nice gentle rum.
The nose is good with mostly vanilla and wood.
In the palate it’s also vanilla and wood, plus some caramel and citrus.
Finish is solid.

Overall this is a soft gentle rum with great taste.