Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum has been produced on the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Croix, since 1760. Cruzan Rum is also the only distillery operating in St. Croix today.

Cruzan Single Barrel is decanted in a tall bottle that has a frosted glass effect and a wooden cork. Around the long neck there is a small label, where the number of the bottle and the number of the barrel has been written. Little details like this are important to me as it allows me to find rum from a different barrel for taste comparisons.

Despite the name, Cruzan Single Barrel is actually a blend of different aged rums up to 12 years old. After blending the blend is then put into a new charred oak barrel to continue aging for approximately 1 more year.

Appearance

Mount Gay is widely recognized as the world’s oldest rum producer and they don't seem to be too coy about it either. On the front label, of the heavy bottle with a classic bubble neck, is printed a map of Barbados where it says Mount Gay has been producing rum since 1703, which would make the tradition of making rum over 300 years.

Appearance

Mount Gay Eclipse is gold with strong legs that after a swirl in the glass leave several small droplets behind once it has begun its slow descent deeper into the glass. The presence of the droplets and the strong legs give clues to the rums sweetness.

Nose

Indeed the nose has a strong presence of sweetness as well as alcohol that stings if you bury your nose too deep into the glass but not enough to make you turn back. Once you get past the alcohol a panorama of exotic fruits come to greet your nose, mostly dark fruits with the most notable fruit being dried plum. Brown sugar is detectable with a little vanilla on the side. I found the nose surprisingly complex for this rum.

This is a bottle that makes you think you're in for something really special. A uniquely numbered square bottle with rounded shoulders and a big black wooden cork that distinguishes it from a crowd of other bottles.  The box itself, that Angostura 1919 came in, is quite refined too with its embossed flower pattern on the front. Before opening the bottle and pouring the rum in a glass I can already see that the clarity of Angostura 1919 is spectacular! You can clearly see through the golden liquid when looking through the bottle.

After removing the magnificent cork the room is slowly filled with a deliciously intoxicating scent of vanilla and caramel. In the glass Angostura 1919 is a pale gold with thin legs that soon sink back down the sides of the glass merging back into the rest of the rum. Once settled in the glass the clarity is even more exceptional than it was in the bottle.