Mount Gay Rum Distilleries unveils the first edition of the Master Blender Collection with the launch of XO The Peat Smoke Expression, a unique and unconventional limited edition blend crafted by Mount Gay Master Blender Allen Smith. The expression is a complex blend marrying the aromas of ripe bananas and toasted notes of Mount Gay XO, with the salty and smoky notes coming from peated whisky casks.
To produce this unique batch of only 6,120 bottles, Smith carefully selected and combined column and pot still rums, matured for 8 to 15 years in American oak barrels. The blend is then finished in peated whisky casks from the Isle of Islay, Scotland, for an additional 6 months resulting in a complex array of salty and smoky notes.
Each bottle features vintage-style labels and is individually numbered, adding to the rarity of this valuable collection. This edition is bottled at cask strength, 57% alcohol by volume (ABV), to reveal its true intensity. Offered in 750 ml, 1,200 bottles XO Peat Smoke Expression will be available in the United States from select premium retailers and e-commerce merchants for a suggested retail price of $250.