Foursquare's Exceptional Cask Selection series has achieved something remarkable in rum: near-universal critical acclaim. Under the stewardship of Richard Seale — the fourth generation of the Seale family to run the distillery — Foursquare has become the benchmark for transparent, high-quality rum. No added sugar. No added colour. No additives of any kind. Just rum, as it should be.
Each ECS release is a single-vintage, cask-strength blend of Foursquare's pot and column still rums, aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and speciality casks (often ex-Madeira, ex-sherry, or ex-port). The dual distillation — pot still for character, column still for elegance — creates a rum that balances richness with refinement.
On the nose, expect complex oak layers, dried tropical fruit, leather, dark chocolate, sandalwood, butterscotch, and orange peel. The palate is extraordinarily complex with layers of aged oak, dried tropical fruit, dark chocolate, espresso, leather, vanilla, and perfectly integrated cask-strength alcohol. The finish is magnificent in length with vanilla, tobacco, aged oak, and a refined, dry farewell.
This demands to be sipped neat, at room temperature, in a proper tasting glass. A few drops of water open up additional layers without diminishing the intensity. This is rum at its absolute best — pure, honest, and magnificent.
