Overview
Brand: Foursquare, Exceptional Cask Selection series
Origin: Foursquare, St. Philip, Barbados
Still: Pot & Column Blend
Age: 14 years
Finish: ex-Bourbon & ex-Black Muscat
ABV: 61%
It's once again World Foursquare Day, which is celebrated every November 17 in honor of the founding of the Foursquare Rum Distillery in 1996. Much like last year's celebratory review, I'm taking a look at a recent release in the Exceptional Cask Selection series.
Foursquare Equidem is a blend of molasses-based pot and column still rums, produced at the distillery in St. Philip, Barbados. The rum was initially aged in ex-Bourbon casks for 5 years, before being transferred to barrels that previously held Black Muscat, a dessert wine, for 9 years; in total, this is a 14 year old rum. After dumping from the barrels in September 2024, this was bottled at 61% ABV.
Appearance
Dark red-brown, low viscosity
Nose
Black cherries, vanilla, pastry dough, strawberry syrup, toasted oak, expressed orange peel
Palate
Flambéed strawberries, black cherries, touch of sherry mustiness, cooked raspberries, caramel, vanilla, brown sugar
Finish
Medium-long, dark, fruity; black cherries, fresh raspberries, oak, vanilla, orange peel
Rating: 9/10
Summary
I was a little skeptical when seeing a heretofore unused cask type for this rum; but in Richard we trust, and he sure delivered. Equidem is an excellent release, yielding a dark, fruity, and unmistakably Foursquare rum.
First off, unlike the ex-Port or ex-Madeira expressions, Equidem's nose is a little darker and integrates the black cherry and other fruity notes very elegantly into vanilla, pastry dough, and toasted oak. The palate sees flambéed strawberries and more black cherries joined by a slightly musty sherry note and cooked raspberries, bookended by vanilla and brown sugar. This is less sweet and more balanced than those other fortified wine expressions, but it doesn't compromise in any department.
I really like this ex-Muscat cask aging, and hope to see it reappear in the future. Definitely give this a shot if you have a chance. Happy World Foursquare Day!