Monymusk 1998 8003734

Monymusk 1998 Moon Import

Moon Import was founded by Pepi Mongiardino in 1980. Although primarily concerned with the distribution and bottling of single malt, the company has released some spectacular rum as well. While the new owners of companies like Samaroli and Silver Seal have placed a greater emphasis on rum in 21st century, Mongiardino was an early advocate of the spirit, particularly Demerara rum and the Moon Import catalogue routinely featured a number of what are now very special bottles. Always beautifully labelled, Pepi is acclaimed for designing the packaging for Moon Import bottles himself, often using images found in old books. These iconic designs, coupled with the quality of the liquid saw Moon Import steadily grow in popularity, and with the help of Intertrade founder, Nadi Fiori, they exported their first bottles to Japan in 2001.

This is a 1998 vintage Monymusk rum from Clarendon distillery in Jamaica, bottled in 2004.

Monymusk is the flagship brand of Clarendon rum marketed by majority owners, National Rums of Jamaica. The holding company was established in 1985 and is currently a joint venture between the Jamaican government, Demerara Distillers in Guyana, and Maison Ferrand in France. The Monymusk brand is named after the sugar factory and plantation in which the Clarendon distillery is located, and the rum is aged and blended at NRJ’s silent Innswood distillery, which ceased production in 1992. Clarendon distillery is one of the Caribbean’s newer rum factories, built back in 1949. Back then, it was a small operation, running a single pot still produced by legendary Louisville, Kentucky coppersmiths, Vendome. Today it is joined by a second, larger pot still of Indian manufacture, a modern five-column still, both installed in 2009.