Review: Foursquare 2010 Exceptional Cask Selection Mark XXI Single Blended Rum

This single blended rum is a mixture of column and pot still distillate from Barbados aged for 12 years in a combination of first, second, and third fill ex-bourbon casks. It was bottled at 120 proof without sugar, color, additives, or filtration.

Nose: Boozy apricots, brown sugar, candied oranges, lightly floral with mild esters. As it opens up, there’s banana leaf, canned pear, and light tropical spices (cloves, nutmeg, and ginger).

Palate: Opens with syrupy vanilla custard, toasted marshmallow and coconut, heaps of brown sugar, and a backbone of charred oak. The mouthfeel is heavy and thick, completely coating the palate. As you acclimate to the flavors, an iron-like molasses note and dry wood flavor cuts through the sweetness.

Finish: Lingering allspice, barrel char, and a mild overripe banana note. On some sips, the spices lend a smokey quality.

While most rums shine in cocktails, there are some that are restrained enough for sipping neat; this is one of those rums. This rum really highlights why Foursquare is the rum that most often brings bourbon drinkers around. This rum’s profile is primarily in the realm of brown sugar and oak with only undercurrents of rum esters, fruity flavors, and a very mild funk. The proof is present throughout each sip, prickling the palate and leaving a nice Barbados hug. For the uninitiated whiskey drinker, this is a rum worth seeking out, although other Foursquare products may be more accessible. Total Wine’s Doorly’s 12 yr or 14 yr (distilled by Foursquare) are a few notches lower in quality, but deliver the same general profile.

7/10 on the T8ke Scale.

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