Overview
Brand: Foursquare, Exceptional Cask Selection series
Origin: Foursquare, St. Philip, Barbados
Still: Pot & Column Blend
Age: 16 years
Finish: ex-Bourbon & ex-Sherry
ABV: 58%
Foursquare Magisterium (mk. XXVI) follows 2011 (mk. XXIV) and Equipoise (mk. XXV) in the 2024 slate of releases in the Exceptional Cask Selection series. This was much anticipated, and features a fan-favorite second cask maturation.
Magisterium (definition: "mastery") is the 26th edition in the series, and features a blend of pot and column distillate, produced at the Foursquare rum distillery in St. Philip, Barbados in 2008.
This consisted of three rums: the first aged 3 years in ex-Bourbon casks and 13 years in ex-Oloroso sherry casks, another aged 9 years in ex-Bourbon casks and 7 years in ex-Oloroso sherry casks, and the last aged for 16 years entirely in ex-Bourbon casks. These rums were all aged for 16 years, then blended and bottled at 58% ABV.
This is the first ex-Sherry maturation ECS release since Sovereignty, widely regarded as a fan favorite among recent marks.
Appearance
Dark orange, low viscosity
Nose
Dates, cotton candy, orange, butterscotch, rotting red grapes, soy sauce, vanilla, raw pastry dough
Palate
Cooked blackberries, dates, orange fruit leather, rotting red grapes, vanilla, cinnamon, mocha
Finish
Long, fruity, tannic; vanilla, prunes, orange zest, cinnamon, blackberries, dark chocolate
Rating: 9/10
Summary
Magisterium truly lives up to its name: it's deliciously dark, brooding, and powerful, combining all that I've loved in previous ECS releases with a different style of ex-Sherry cask maturation that makes this stand out with distinction.
Lots of dark fruits on the nose, which is decidedly more intense than other ex-Sherry cask Foursquare; dates and rotting red grapes joins soy sauce, butterscotch, and orange. The palate has more fruits, with the Sherry cask bringing a bit of rancio into the mix; this is remarkably complex, with vanilla and cinnamon joining mocha and the aforementioned fruits. The finish is fruity and tannic, with a mix of previous notes shining through.
Richard Seale has done it again. Magisterium is such a fun rum that carves its own path, even after 26 specialized releases in the ECS series. If you liked Sovereignty, this release is certainly worth a look.