Foursquare Exceptional Cask Selection Mark XXXVIII 'Magnifica'
Foursquare · Foursquare Distillery
Richard Seale's Exceptional Cask series continues to set the standard for single-origin, age-stated, additive-free rum. Mark XXXVIII shows what 14 years in Barbadian heat can extract from good wood and honest distillation. The proof is high but the integration is seamless — this is power with purpose, not volume for its own sake.
Nose
Intense toffee and toasted oak open immediately, followed by dark chocolate, dried fig, and a thread of pipe tobacco. There's a distinctive roasted coffee note that emerges after a few minutes, along with hints of coconut and leather. Despite the proof, the alcohol is well-integrated.
Palate
Full-bodied and commanding, with waves of salted caramel, espresso, and charred oak unfolding across the tongue. The pot still component delivers a muscular backbone of molasses and dried banana, while the column still spirit adds polish. Spice builds gradually — more cinnamon and allspice than raw heat.
Finish
Extraordinarily long, with oak tannins, dark chocolate, and a resolving note of vanilla and dried orange peel.
- Base Ingredient
- Barbadian molasses
- Distillation
- Blend of pot still and column still distillates
- Country
- St. Philip, Barbados
Food Pairing
The dessert's bitter chocolate and concentrated coffee directly echo the rum's palate, while the warm, molten center mirrors its rich, full-bodied texture at cask strength.
Richard Seale, fourth-generation master distiller at Foursquare in St. Philip Parish, Barbados, has built the Exceptional Cask Selection series into arguably the most respected single-estate rum program in the world.
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