Monymusk Plantation Classic Gold

The name Monymusk refers to the former sugar cane plantation dating back to the mid-18th century, although the rum brand was  created first 2006. The rum is produced at the distilleries Clarendon and Long Pond, both belonging to the National Rums of Jamaica Limited (NRJ). Which is a group managed in one-third by Jamaica's government agency called the National Sugar Company, the Barbadian West Indies Rum Distillery (albeit  WIRD is owned by French Maison Ferrand) and Guyanese Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL).

A lot of entities and not without a reason because Clarendon is - figuratively speaking - a monster capable of producing thirty million litres of rum annually. Hence, Diageo owns a 27% stake in the Clarendon distillery and so ensures express sales for 90% of production.

Back in the 1960s, each sugar factory had its own distillery. But state intervention gradually strengthened due to regulations and ownership changes. Some find it interesting and the others symptomatic that structural changes were accompanied by production decrease and debt increase.

As a result of the restructuring in 2006, the majority of the shares were transferred to WIRD and DDL and the modernization investments were conducted. The set pattern was broken as the NRJ rose above the rum wholesaler and became an autonomous producer; even if Monymusk uses a fraction of the Clarendon Distillery output.

CEO Martha Miller reassures or maybe swears that NRJ is not a government entity despite 33.3% of shares. She outlines it as follows: "[...] we are viewed as an investment by the government.  But we're not bound by the regulations that bind government entities;  we're bound by regular private sector acts that govern the private sector.  [Flexibility] is all subject to the board, and [the government is] one of the board members”.

The Clarendon Distillery was built in 1949 (two double-retort pot stills) and was rearmed in 2009 with ChemDist columns (four columns still). 30% molasses come from Jamaica and the rest is imported. The fermentation is controlled for light rums and lasts for 30 to 40 hours. For heavy rums the fermentation continues up to a month, naturally in the open air. Claremdon distills for 300 days per year.

Monymusk Classic Gold is a blend of pot and column rums, but we do not know the proportions and the specific marques. It also contains components from the Long Pond distillery. Those rums are all blended after the distillation and diluted to 70% ABV before barreling.

Although there is no age statement on the label, the manufacturer indicates on the website a minimum of five years of aging at in charred American oak barrels.