Barbadian heritage takes centre place in limited rum run
BARBADOS-BORN rum brand Mount Gay Rum has brought its rich connection to its sailing history and community in its new launch of Eclipse Navy Strength rum.
Launching in time to coincide with Cowes Week – a sailing Regatta week taking place between 27 July to 2 August in Cowes – the new limited edition rum encompasses a naval history for rum dating back to the 18th century.
According to Mount Gay, the term Navy Strength connects back to a time when sailors would voyage with highly flammable barrels of rum which could be used to ignite gunpowder in battle as gunpowder made wet from water would not light and, therefore, be unusable.
To test this, gunpowder would be mixed with some spirit to see if it would alight and, if it burnt, it was said to be 100 degrees proof with the Navy Strength used in the US at 57.1% ABV.
In an homage to this naval history, the new Eclipse Navy Strength rum features a 57.1% ABV proof, has been matured for two to four years and features a higher portion of older pot still rums in its blend compared to Mount Gay’s traditional Eclipse release.
This helps to maintain a roundness and balance to the drink, says Mount Gay, whilst also offering a bold and vibrant flavour profile which includes notes of roasted pineapple, banana, mocha and vanilla.
The new Mount Gay Eclipse Navy Strength rum is now available across the off-trade with a price of £35 per bottle.
Trudiann Branker, master blender at Mount Gay, said: “For this release, I took inspiration from Mount Gay’s long history with sailing, the history of navy strength spirits is fascinating.
“Given that Eclipse has been loved by sailors around the world since its launch in 1910, it made sense to experiment the loved blend at navy strength.
“When I first tried it, I was blown away by the vibrancy of flavour of the rum. With mixers or in cocktails, it is a delight.”
Mount Gay Rum has also suggested a range of serves for the new release:
Navy Paloma
1oz Eclipse Navy Strength
3-4oz Grapefruit Soda
Build in a highball glass
Garnish with grapefruit slice
Navy Punch1703 1784 1991
1oz Eclipse Navy Strength
0.5oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
0.5oz Fresh Lemon Juice
0.5 Orgeat (or vanilla simple syrup)
1oz filtered water (omit if making a single serve, simply shake over ice)
Garnish with grapefruit slice
Fresh Coco Mojito
1oz Eclipse Navy Strength
0.75oz Simple Syrup
1oz Fresh Lime Juice
2oz Young Coconut Water
10 Mint Leaves
