Barbados is home to some of the best rum in the world, and the distillery that has been making it for the longest there is Mount Gay (it’s also considered to be the oldest active rum distillery). The new Master Blender Collection release is a good example of why Barbadian rum is held in such high regard, a limited-edition expression that was made using a Coffey still instead of pot stills. The Coffey still was patented by Irishman Aeneas Coffey in 1830, and the whiskey world would never be the same.
Prior to this, pot stills were used in Scotland, Ireland, and other countries—and they still are used to make single malt scotch, single pot still Irish whiskey , rum, and other spirits. The Coffey still is a column still that allows continuous distillation instead of distilling in batches, and was considered to be much more efficient than a pot still, although it does result in a very different style of spirit. Today, the Coffey still or column still is widely used to make bourbon , although there are some exceptions, as well as grain whiskey in other countries.
It can also be found at rum distilleries, including Mount Gay where an old Coffey still was recommissioned for use in 2019. Master Blender Collection: The Coffey Still Expression is the seventh edition in this series, and the sixth under the watch of master blender Trudiann Branker who has held that position since 2019. This release was made from 100 percent Barbados molasses, distilled solely using the Coffey still, .
