Foursquare : Exceptional Cask Selection Mark XIII 2008

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for the Exceptional Cask Selection Mark XIII "2008" Foursquare

Tasting

Appearance
This rum displays a deep copper and mahogany hue, with orange and golden-brown highlights, at times tinged with reddish-orange shades at the rim of the glass. This rich yet natural colour comes exclusively from prolonged contact with American oak and oxidation in a tropical climate, without any added caramel colouring. Its clarity is medium to good, and its rather thick legs hint at a full, slightly oily texture on the palate, consistent with its bottling at 60% ABV.

Nose
The first impression is vibrant and marked by alcohol, with a hint of solvent that quickly fades with aeration. The rum then opens onto a rich palette of vanilla, coconut and caramel, supported by a distinct oak character reminiscent of bourbon. Pastry notes of pie dough and biscuits follow, along with touches of roasted almonds, then a variety of fruits such as apple, raisins and pineapple, as well as citrus zest, lime and mandarin. Sweet spices, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg, and sometimes a hint of chocolate complete this complex and inviting bouquet.

Palate
The attack is full and oily, more corpulent than in the house's previous vintages, carried by soft notes of vanilla, marzipan, caramel and chocolate. The palate then develops towards ripe dark fruits, cherries, raisins, dates, and touches of orange, before giving way to spicy oak notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, followed by more savoury nuances of tobacco, leather and bitter cocoa. The 60% ABV adds definition without ever becoming aggressive, resulting in a dry, structured and balanced whole despite its richness. The finish is long, woody and spicy, prolonging the touches of coconut, vanilla and dried fruit, with at times a slight smoky note and a hint of noble bitterness that invites another glass.

Pairings and Tasting Occasions
This rum is best enjoyed neat or with a small drop of water, which softens the impact of the alcohol while fully revealing its aromatic layers. It is best served in a tulip glass or a copita, at a moderate room temperature of around 18 to 22 °C, after a few minutes of aeration to let the first sharp notes dissipate. Its dry, woody, vanilla-coconut profile, enriched with dried fruit and chocolate notes, pairs well with lightly sweetened desserts, such as a dark chocolate ganache, a fruit and spice cake, gingerbread or a vanilla crème brûlée, where the rum provides a particularly interesting dry, woody counterpoint.

Mixology
This limited-production cuvée from the Exceptional Cask Selection series is first and foremost conceived as a rum for pure sipping. Its complexity, structure and cask strength character justify enjoying it without artifice, in order to fully appreciate the cask selection work carried out by Richard Seale.

Other Characteristics
This rum is a "single blended rum", a blend of double retort pot still and Coffey column distillates created before filling the casks. It aged for twelve years entirely in a tropical climate in Barbados, in first, second and third-fill ex-bourbon casks, before being bottled in April 2020. Unsweetened, uncoloured, free from any additives and not chill-filtered, it is the thirteenth numbered release in the Exceptional Cask Selection series, following the 1998, 2004, 2005 and 2007 vintages.

A Dry and Woody Barbadian Rum with Notes of Vanilla and Coconut, a Signature of the Foursquare Distillery

Foursquare, the Excellence of Barbados Rum
Founded in 1996 by the Seale family on the site of a former sugar plantation in the parish of Saint Philip, the Foursquare distillery embodies authentic Barbados rum, at the crossroads of industrial modernity and tradition. Heir to the house of R.L. Seale & Co, established in 1926, it is part of a family saga dating back to the 19th century. Today run by Richard Seale, master distiller and master blender and the fourth generation of the family, Foursquare is the only distillery still owned by local Barbadian interests. It stands out for its refusal of any additives, sugar or colouring, and for its "single blended rum" style, a blend of pot still and Coffey column distillates aged in a tropical climate. This rigour has made Foursquare one of the most respected rum distilleries in the world.

Exceptional Cask Selection Mark XIII "2008": A Selection of Exceptional Casks
The Exceptional Cask Selection Mark XIII "2008" is a molasses rum from Barbados, distilled in 2008 from a blend of double retort pot still and vacuum Coffey column distillates, following the "single blended" method characteristic of the house. The blend is created before filling the casks, then aged for twelve full years in a tropical climate in the warehouses of Saint Philip, in first, second and third-fill ex-bourbon casks, before being bottled in April 2020 at 60% ABV. This cuvée belongs to the Exceptional Cask Selection series, launched in 2008 with a first 1998 vintage made exclusively from column distillate, and has since become the symbol of cask selections deemed exceptional by Richard Seale. The Mark XIII "2008" is the thirteenth release in this series and the fifth vintage, following the 1998, 2004, 2005 and 2007. Free from any fortified wine finish, it represents a pure ex-bourbon expression, without sugar, colouring or chill filtration, regarded by many enthusiasts as one of the most accomplished successes of the series, drier and more woody than the vintages that preceded it.