Foursquare Sovereignty Rum - 62% 70cl

The Foursquare rum distillery is owned by R.L. Seale & Co, a family company with a traceable history of rum making in Barbados dating back to 1820.

The modern company dates to the 1920s, when Reginald Leon Seale set up a distribution business in the island’s capital, Bridgetown.

The company’s success brought expansion, and through the latter half of the 20th century it acquired brands such as ESA Fields and Doorly’s for its portfolio.

In 1995 they opened the Foursquare distillery, converting an abandoned sugar factory in the Saint Philip parish. Operating as double retort pot still and a three-column continuous still, its first spirit was produced in 1996.

Foursquare produces Single Blended rum, combining its pot and column distillate both before and after being barrelled, and under the direction of Sir David Seale and his son, Richard, has become one of the most revered producers in the world

Introduced in 2008, the Exceptional Cask Selection from Foursquare is an exemplar of the finest rum the distillery can produce.

They have generally been aged to either side of a decade in cask, and bottled from bourbon casks, most of which are sourced from Jack Daniel’s, or from a variety of wood finishes.

The latter is a speciality of Richard Seale, and releases have included lauded bottlings from a range of fortified wine and brandy barrels.

Sovereignty was the 14th release, bottled in November 2021. The name is in reference to and celebration of Barbados' independence from the British crown that same month.

This was matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks.

Nose: A complex combination of blackberry preserve, victoria plums, over-ripe banana, and dates. Zesty lemon peel, cocoa powder, rich caramel and toffee. Delicate ginger cake.

Palate: Soft and sweet onto the palate. Tart and lip smacking. Lots more of the blackberry preserve, with ripe papaya and tamarind. Turkish Delight. Anise, and soft chewy licorice sweets. Another slice of gingerbread and fresh walnuts.

 Finish: Warming. Lots of grip that lingers long. Pimento and green tea. Licorice and bitter dark chocolate