{"product_id":"mount-gay-xo-rum-70cl","title":"Mount Gay XO Rum 70cl","description":"\u003cp\u003eMount Gay claims the oldest continuously running rum distillery in the world, with deeds on the Barbados estate dating to 1703. The XO is its calling card — a blend of aged pot and column still rums married in a rotation of ex-bourbon, ex-whiskey and Cognac casks.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBarbados sits at the gentler, more refined end of the rum world, and Mount Gay is its standard-bearer. Those Cognac casks are the quiet twist: they lend a rounded, brandy-like elegance you rarely find in Caribbean rum, while the bourbon wood pushes vanilla and spice. It is bottled at 43% ABV, a notch above the usual, which gives it backbone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe nose leads with clove-studded orange, a dusting of cocoa and a swirl of salted caramel. The palate is rich and fruity — banana loaf, pineapple, darker currant notes — layered over vanilla, roasted nuts and a touch of earthy tea. It finishes long and creamy: more vanilla, coffee, boozy cherry and a whisper of clove that lingers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt around £64 this is serious sipping rum, and it drinks like it. If your reference points are aged rum served over a single rock or a good Cognac after dinner, this belongs in the same conversation. Worth the money for anyone moving past mixing rums.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow to Serve\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eNeat, in a tumbler or a copita, at room temperature — this rewards slow drinking. A single large ice cube is fine if you like it cooler, but skip the cola; that is a waste here.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhere to Drink It\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBoisdale of Belgravia for aged rum with a cigar terrace. Dukes Bar in St James's for old-school poise. Black Rock in Shoreditch if you want it discussed properly.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood Pairings\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eTry it after dinner with a square of 70% dark chocolate, which mirrors the cocoa and coffee notes. A slice of coffee and walnut cake is quietly brilliant too.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"House of Decant","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56925270638916,"sku":"HO33701CNV","price":60.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0858\/2551\/9940\/files\/HO33701CNV.png?v=1784037253","url":"https:\/\/checkout.houseofdecant.com\/products\/mount-gay-xo-rum-70cl","provider":"House of Decant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}