On Monday, Mount Gay Rum announced the second installment in its Single Estate Series: 24_02_Vt18d2.
The Single Estate Series was launched in October 2023 to showcase varying elements of the Barbados estate’s terroir, with each spirit made exclusively from sugar cane grown on the St. Lucy property. While the series’ first installment featured sugar cane harvested in 2016 and 2017, the new expression’s sugar cane was exclusively harvested in Summer 2018. Its name reflects its release year, its place in the series, and more details about the distillation process.
“As a new feature, ‘Vt18’ stands for ‘Vintage 18,’ referring to single-year sugar cane harvest used in this expression, and ‘d2’ stands for the fact that I blended together distillates from two distinct pot still distillations,” said master blender Trudiann Branker in a press release.
The molasses from this expression’s sugar cane was fermented for nine days, an extended fermentation time the brand says enhances specific Barbadian flavors. The liquid was then distilled in copper pot stills and matured in ex-bourbon, American oak barrels. According to the brand, the rum delivers citrus and sweet fruit aromas like grapefruit, sweet plums, and banana balanced by hints of spice, almonds, sea salt, and milk chocolate. On the palate, the rum is said to be lightly floral and accented with notes of brown sugar, oak, grapefruit, and subtle smoke.
“What makes 24_02 different and special is that it is the first vintage in the Single Estate Series, coming from just one year of harvest,” Branker explained. “[It] showcases the unique character of Mount Gay’s Estate in a single year…illustrating further our connection to Mount Gay’s heritage and terroir, allowing consumers to discover the influence of a warm and sunny season until the harvest.”
Bottled at 55 percent ABV in eco-friendly packaging made from 70 percent recycled glass bottles, 24_02_Vt18d2 features a vibrant blue label inspired by the color of the sky during the 2018 harvest. Only 5,418 70 millilter bottles will be available worldwide, with just 1,200 available at select premium retailers in the United States for a suggested retail price of $400.
