Foursquare Exceptional Cask Selection Mark XXXIV 'Fortitude'
Foursquare · Foursquare Distillery
Richard Seale's latest Exceptional Cask release continues the distillery's unbroken streak of excellence. Fourteen years of maturation in Barbados' tropical climate has concentrated the flavors to an almost syrupy intensity, yet the balance remains impeccable. This is a rum built for contemplation.
Nose
Rich toffee and dark chocolate open immediately, followed by dried fig, roasted coffee, and polished leather. Underneath, there is toasted oak and a subtle vanilla sweetness.
Palate
Dense and layered, with molasses, cask-aged complexity, and dried fruit arriving in waves. Coffee and chocolate persist through mid-palate, joined by a warm spice note and the rum's formidable proof, which delivers heat without harshness.
Finish
Exceptionally long, with toffee, leather, and lingering coffee fading slowly into smoky oak.
- Base Ingredient
- Barbados molasses
- Distillation
- Blend of pot still and column still distillates
- Country
- Barbados
Food Pairing
The rum's deep chocolate and coffee notes mirror the dessert directly, while its dried fruit and toffee richness add complementary layers of indulgence.
Fourth-generation distiller Richard Seale produces this single-blended rum at the Foursquare Distillery in St. Philip parish, Barbados, combining column and pot still distillates aged entirely in tropical conditions.
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