Foursquare : Indelible Exceptional Cask Selection Mark XVIII

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for Foursquare Indelible Exceptional Cask Selection Mark XVIII

Tasting notes

Appearance
Indelible Exceptional Cask Selection Mark XVIII reveals a deep copper to bronze hue, with orange and slightly reddish glints that betray the influence of the Zinfandel casks. Clarity remains good, although the absence of chill filtration may occasionally produce a slight haze. The viscosity, medium to moderately pronounced, results in well-defined legs without excessive heaviness.

Nose
The bouquet opens with candied citrus, red fruits (strawberry, raspberry, cherry) and subtle tropical fruits, supported by dried fruits such as raisins or figs. A pastry-like dimension emerges with vanilla, milk caramel, cocoa and brown sugar, while toasted oak and sweet spices (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg) frame the whole. A slightly vinous touch, reminiscent of red vermouth or macerated dark fruits, marks the contribution of the Zinfandel.

Palate
The attack, fruity and indulgent, highlights red fruits and dried fruits, accompanied by dark chocolate, brown caramel and toasted coconut. The mid-palate sees the spices and oak rise, bringing a drier, more serious structure to the whole. The texture, moderately full, remains balanced and never excessively heavy, making for remarkable drinkability at this strength.

Pairings and tasting occasions

Indelible is ideally enjoyed neat, at room temperature, between 18 and 21 °C, in a tulip glass or a whisky glass that concentrates the aromas. It pairs particularly well with high-cocoa dark chocolate, aged cheeses such as a well-matured Comté or a mild blue cheese, as well as desserts featuring red fruits or candied orange. A cigar with a woody, spicy character can also accompany the tasting, echoing the toasted notes of the rum.

Mixology

An exceptional product drawn from a limited selection of casks, Indelible is best enjoyed without artifice, neat, in order to fully reveal the complexity brought by its double maturation. It can nonetheless find its place in sophisticated "spirit-forward" cocktails, such as an Old Fashioned reimagined with a touch of brown sugar and cocoa bitters, where the rum remains the star rather than being masked.

A fruity, vinous Barbados rum, crafted by Foursquare

Foursquare, a family-run distillery and benchmark of Barbados rum

Founded in 1996 by Sir David Seale on the site of a former 18th-century sugar factory in Saint Philip, Foursquare has established itself as the only Barbados rum distillery wholly owned by a local family. Heir to the house of R.L. Seale & Co., created in 1926, it combines a vacuum Coffey column with a double copper retort pot still to craft single blended rums, aged exclusively in a tropical climate, with no added sugar, colouring or flavouring. Today, Sir David Seale serves as chairman, while his son Richard Seale, managing director, master distiller and master blender, represents the fourth generation of the family at the helm of Foursquare. Multi-award-winning at international competitions, the distillery stands as a global benchmark for authentic, transparent, terroir-driven rum.

Indelible Exceptional Cask Selection Mark XVIII: a double maturation crafted by Foursquare

Indelible Exceptional Cask Selection Mark XVIII Rum is a blend of two single blended molasses rums, aged for 11 years in a tropical climate in Barbados. The first component matured entirely in ex-bourbon American oak casks, while the second comes from the Zinfandel Cask Blend (Mark IV), which underwent a double maturation in Zinfandel red wine casks followed by ex-bourbon casks. This blending choice establishes a direct lineage with the Mark IV, whose lasting aromatic imprint inspired the name "Indelible".

Bottled in 2021 at 48% ABV, this rum reflects the philosophy of the Foursquare house: no added sugar, no artificial colouring, no chill filtration. It belongs to the Exceptional Cask Selection range, the distillery's premium laboratory of expression, which explores different cask combinations and blends while keeping to the single blended rum model, systematically combining column and pot still distillates. Enthusiastically received by enthusiasts and specialist critics alike, Indelible Mark XVIII is regarded as a striking return to Zinfandel casks, successfully extending the legacy of the Mark IV within the Exceptional Cask Selection collection.