The original “Casino Royale” (1967) was made as a satire instead of the usual formula of the James Bond film series due to complications in coming to terms with the original EON Producers. It had an amazing cast including: David Niven, Peter Sellers, John Huston, William Holden, Kurt Kaszner, Charles Boyer, Deborah Kerr, Barbara Bouchet, Mata Hari, Terence Cooper, Daliah Lavi, Ursula Andress, Orson Welles, Joanna Pettet, Jacqueline Bisset, Woody Allen, Jean-Paul Belmondo and George Raft.
In the second remake of the film “Casino Royale” (2006), James Bond orders a Mount Gay rum with soda instead of his trademark Martini; this choice was not accidental or motivated by the desire for product placement gains either. Rather, it must have been Mount Gay’s reputation for producing premium rum in tandem with its distinguished pedigree. With records dating back to 1703, it’s the oldest continually operating rum distiller in the world. Produced on the island of Barbados, Mount Gay rum was originally named Mount Gilboa. When the plantation and distillery was inherited by John Sober in 1747, he appointed Sir John Gay Alleyne, as manager. When Alleyne died in 1801, Sober renamed it Mount Gay in his honor, as there was already a Mount Alleyne on the island. Although not the only rum produced on Barbados, Mount Gay is the only one produced in large enough quantites to be widely exported and well-known. Mount Gay rum is made from Barbados sugar cane at peak sweetness. Fermentation is begun by blending the molasses with the island’s naturally coral-filtered water and yeast. The rum is uniquely distilled using both single and continuous distillation. Single distillation is carried out twice for depth and richness, while continuous distillation yields a crisp, delicate rum. It is then aged in Kentucky white oak casks lightly charred to impart a smoky flavor and rich amber color. Master Blender Allen Smith creates the Extra Old from rums aged 8 to 15 years. It is a viscous rum that both tastes and smells of oak, balanced by hints of ripe banana. On the palate are caramel, vanilla and warm spice. It’s not very layered or sophisticated, but the premium rum is still best enjoyed on its own, either neat or on the rocks. For blending in cocktails or to mix with soda or tonic the Mount Gay Eclipse blend of rums aged 2 to 7 years is ideal for this purpose.
Price:
Mount Gay Eclipse 750 ml $19 –
Mount Gay Extra Old 750 ml $40 
