
Foursquare Touchstone Exceptional Cask Selection
Foursquare · Foursquare Distillery
Richard Seale's Exceptional Cask Selection series continues to set the benchmark for aged Barbadian rum. Touchstone's 14 years of maturation in ex-bourbon and ex-Madeira casks produce a rum of formidable complexity and power. The cask strength bottling is non-negotiable — dilution is your prerogative, but the intensity at full proof is part of the statement.
Nose
Dark toffee and toasted coconut open the nose, followed by layers of dried stone fruit and leather. There's an unmistakable oak richness — not overwhelming but deep and integrated. Coffee and dark chocolate emerge as the rum breathes, with a subtle tobacco undertone.
Palate
Full and viscous at cask strength. The blend of pot and column still distillates creates a beautiful tension between weight and finesse. Molasses, roasted nut, and salted caramel dominate the mid-palate, while dried fruit and vanilla weave through the background. Despite the proof, it drinks with remarkable composure.
Finish
Extraordinarily long. Espresso, charred oak, and a slow fade through toffee, tobacco, and dried orange peel.
- Base Ingredient
- Barbados molasses
- Distillation
- Blend of pot still and column still distillates
- Country
- St. Philip, Barbados
Food Pairing
Dark chocolate torte with sea salt and espresso cream
Blended from pot and column still rums aged 14 years by master distiller Richard Seale at Foursquare Distillery in St. Philip, Barbados, matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-Madeira casks.
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