Overview
Brand: Foursquare, Exceptional Cask Selection series
Origin: Foursquare, St. Philip, Barbados
Still: Pot & Column Blend
Age: 14 years
Finish: ex-Bourbon & ex-Madeira
ABV: 61%
"Formidable, worthy of respect" is the definition of "redoutable" that Foursquare owner and master blender Richard Seale decided to place on the back label of this release. It describes this particular expression of rum, as well as the distillery operations itself.
Foursquare Redoutable is mark XV in the Exceptional Cask Series, and features a dual maturation in ex-Bourbon and ex-Madeira casks. Initially distilled in 2005, the consitutent rums were pre-cask blends of pot & column distillate, each aged for 14 years; one rum was aged entirely in ex-Bourbon casks, with the other in ex-Madeira casks. These were then re-blended and bottled at a strength of 61% ABV without additives.
The aging of this is a bit unique amongst ECS rums. Every other dual-maturation ECS release from Premise to the latest– Equipoise– has each constituent rum spending some amount of time in an ex-Bourbon cask– except Sagacity, the other Madeira cask-matured rum.
It seems like Seale enjoyed the results of the full maturation; I have enjoyed these two releases greatly as well, so without further ado, let's dive into Redoutable.
Appearance
Orange-brown, low viscosity
Nose
Strawberry syrup, vanilla, caramel, black cherry, pastry dough
Palate
Strawberry syrup, vanilla, pastry dough, stewed cranberries, red grape jelly
Finish
Medium length, fruity, warm; strawberries, vanilla, oak, nutmeg, cranberries
Rating: 10/10
Summary
Redoutable is absolutely one of my top rums, and such a fun one at that. The Madeira cask amplifies and compliments the Foursquare rum perfectly, letting the pastry dough and vanilla pop through bursts of fruit flavors.
Sweet strawberry syrup prevails on the nose and palate, with other red fruits like cranberries and red grapes poking through. Hallmark Foursquare notes of vanilla, pastry dough, and nutmeg bring some savory and spice notes to the party.
I hope we will get more Madeira-matured ECS releases in the future, as these tend to be among my favorites of the series, with Redoutable taking top spot, and a perfect score.