
Foursquare Exceptional Cask Selection Mark XXIV 'Equipoise'
Foursquare · Foursquare Distillery
Richard Seale continues to set the standard for unadulterated Barbadian rum with this release. Equipoise earns its name — it's 60% ABV but drinks with a composure that belies the proof. The interplay of pot and column still distillates gives it both weight and elegance. A serious rum for serious drinkers.
Nose
Rich and layered, with toffee and dark chocolate dominating the opening. Dried fruit — raisin and fig — follows, alongside toasted oak and a suggestion of espresso. A leather note underpins the sweetness.
Palate
Full-bodied and remarkably balanced for the proof. Molasses and muscovado sugar form a dark, sweet base, while vanilla and coconut from the barrel aging smooth the delivery. Midpalate brings roasted coffee bean and baking spice. The texture is oily and persistent.
Finish
Very long, with leather, dark chocolate, oak char, and a slow-burning warmth that resolves into clean tobacco and dried orange peel.
- Base Ingredient
- Barbados molasses
- Distillation
- Blend of pot still and twin column still distillates
- Country
- St. Philip, Barbados
Food Pairing
Flourless dark chocolate torte with a pinch of sea salt and espresso ganache, matching the rum's chocolate and coffee notes while its proof cuts through the richness.
Distilled and aged entirely at the Foursquare Distillery by master distiller Richard Seale, who blends pot and column still rums aged 14 years in ex-bourbon and ex-Madeira casks with no additives.
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