FOURSQUARE 2004
STYLE: RUM
ABV: 59%
DISTILLER: Foursquare Rum Distillery, St. Philp, Barbados
AGE: 11 Years
The 2004 vintage from Foursquare Rum Distillery in Barbados comes in as Mark III of the Exceptional Cask Series. Released in September of 2015, is a single blended rum produced by Foursquare from their pot and traditional twin column (Coffey) still and was aged in the tropics for 11 years in a combination of 1st, 2nd and 3rd fill ex-bourbon barrels.
Because this rum was bottled at cask strength, I did this review with one teaspoon of filtered water added to one and a half ounces of spirit.
Color: Honey soaked apples. Note: apples will be a theme.
Nose: The nose is warm and inviting. Aromas of softly toasted oak and dried, leathery vanilla beans gently waft from the glass. The initial greeting is followed by pineapple rinds and a soft butter sautéed cinnamon apple compote.
Palate: There is an unmistakable flavor of dried apple – soft orchard fruits with a hint of tannin and something that hints at sulfuric; but that sulfuric note cannot make itself known under the fruity sweetness. From there I get fresh baked pastries and creamy dulce de leche.
Mouthfeel: Dry. With the addition of water, the tannin becomes balanced. The dry texture of cinnamon sticks is there without sucking all of the moisture from your mouth.
Finish: Full bodied and apparent without being overwhelming. Something in the way of a cortado (think concentrated latte with more of the espresso rather than milk coming through) that gives way to a satiating Mexican milk chocolate bar.
Overall: There is nothing that I can criticize about this rum. I know that in that past year or so, Foursquare has come up huge in the bourbon circle, but this is one of the few brands that lives up to the hype it is gaining. A lot of people are quick to declare this the “bourbon drinker’s rum”, but to be honest, that could not be further from the truth. This is the ideal example of what RUM is supposed to be. There is no cloying sweetness, nor is it harsh or “spicy” in the sense of Sailor Jerry or, to a lesser extent, Captain Morgan. This falls into that sweet spot of spirits: the kind that demands your respect and attention.
